“I don’t think I’m a prodigy,” admits Shion Uino. “Getting this much recognition, I think has a lot less to do with me.” Instead, the humble, young sushi chef credits all success to his many surroundings: his upbringing, his parents, his customers, and his mentor, Takashi Saito.
Uino worked under Saito — sometimes known as Japan’s “sushi god” — at the lauded chef’s three Michelin-starred restaurant, Sushi Saito — notoriously one of the most difficult reservations to get in Tokyo. On his own for the first time, Uino left Sushi Saito in 2017 to open his eight-seat omakase counter Sushi Amane inside New York City Japanese restaurant Mifune. The two restaurants very quickly gained popularity, and each its own recognition. Most notably, Uino’s downstairs sushi counter received a Michelin star within its first year.
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