President Obama reportedly only ate half of the expensive sushi dinner he was treated to last night in Tokyo. Instead of savoring every morsel of the made-to-order 20-course meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro- dubbed the world's best sushi restaurant and the subject of the 2011 documentary 'Jiro Dreams of Sushi'- the President reportedly put his chopsticks down after only 10 pieces. The owner of a chicken restaurant that sits in the same basement as the exclusive diner told Tokyo Broadcasting System that Obama stopped at the halfway point even though the famed chef, Jiro Ono, was making each piece especially for the world leaders. Prime seating: President Obama joined Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for dinner Thursday at the exclusive 10-seat eatery but apparently only ate half of the 20 courses that the famed chef makes for each customer Less formal but not relaxed: A spy within the restaurant reported that the two men launched immediately into trade talks as soon as they sat down for sushi and sake

Unlike Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe munched the whole way through the offerings from the legendary 88-year-old chef, who times the meal to the customer's pace. Adding to the drama surrounding their meal at the exclusive 10-seat eatery, the $300-per-person meal was billed as a chance for bonding but a sushi chef from the restaurant said that the leaders' chat was quite formal. Instead of making small talk and savouring Japanese delicacies at Sukiyabashi Jiro, Obama jumped straight into discussions about trade.Outwardly, everything appeared to go fine, with both leaders showing their informal approach to the meal by forgoing ties and praising the food afterwards. intimate: The famed 88-year-old chef Jiro Ono, who was featured in the hit documentary Jiro Dreams Of Sushi (pictured), is said to make each piece of the meal himself and serve it directly to the diners Hand-made: The menu at the restaurant, which was the first sushi restaurant to earn three Michelin stars, is made up daily and the diners have no say in what the chef makes them

'That's some good sushi right there,' Obama said to a crowd of journalists waiting outside. Abe said they had discussed 'a wide range of topics in a relaxed atmosphere' and added even more praise for the food. 'The sushi I had too was the best I had in my life, so far,' Abe said. The leaders were joined by American Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice. Satisfied: After the meal, Prime Minister Abe said that it was the best sushi he has had in his life Smile for the cameras: Obama didn't let on that he stopped halfway through the meal Chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga refused Thursday to be drawn on exactly how much the US president had eaten, saying only: 'It's true that he ate a good amount'.'I can tell from his expression he was very much satisfied,' he added. The dinner 'played a great role in building trust between the leaders as they had talks in a relaxed atmosphere.'Trade is one of the thornier issues at play in the three-day visit, with the two leaders under pressure to make progress on auto and agricultural market access issues blocking agreement on the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.

His restaurant serves only sushi. It has 10 seats at a counter. It is in the basement of a Tokyo high-rise, not far from a subway stop. sushezi sushi maker cheapIt has been awarded three stars, the highest possible rating, by the Michelin Guide. samurai sushi menu chino hillsDavid Gelb's "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" is a documentary about a man whose relationship with sushi wavers between love and madness. gry online youda sushi chefHe is a perfectionist, never satisfied, and if you go to work for him as an apprentice, you will have to spend weeks learning how to squeeze out a towel properly before moving on to learn how to slice a hard-boiled egg.sushi grade fish grand rapids

He agonizes about the placement of mats on his counter. Great attention is paid to where along the counter the 10 customers are seated in relationship to one another. sushi grade fish grand rapidsJiro's 50-year-old son, Yoshikazu, works with him in the restaurant and will inherit it someday. sushezi sushi maker where to buyA younger son runs an associated sushi bar elsewhere in Tokyo. At Jiro's, there is a three-month wait for a reservation. A typical meal will cost you more than $300. It will not take very long to eat.This is a portrait of tunnel vision. Jiro exists to make sushi. Sushi exists to be made by Jiro. Even at the high prices of his premium fresh ingredients, you realize he must be a rich man. But to what end? The existence of his sons are an indication that he has a wife, although we never see her.

He must have a home, although we never visit it. There must be hours when he cannot be at work, but the film indicates no amusements, hobbies or pastimes. The idea of his courtship of his wife fascinates me: Forgive me, but I imagine that even while making love, he must be fretting about the loss of valuable sushi-making time. As a documentary about world-class sushi, this film is definitive. It runs only 81 minutes, but the subject is finite. While watching it, I found myself drawn into the mystery of this man. Are there any unrealized wishes in his life? If you find an occupation you love and spend your entire life working at it, is that enough? Standing behind his counter, Jiro notices things. Some customers are left-handed, some right-handed. That helps determine where they are seated at his counter. As he serves a perfect piece of sushi, he observes it being eaten. He knows the history of that piece of seafood. He knows his staff has recently started massaging an octopus for 45 minutes and not half an hour, for example.