Taian

Set near a big shopping district and with a strip-​mall-​restaurant feel to it, I’m pretty confused about how this place got its 3 Michelin stars. I’ll break it down:
Service was okay, but truly average compared to any Japanese restaurant that tries to charge more than $ 20 a head for dinner. English skills were marginal, chefs rotely and wordlessly go about their tasks, servers merely drop food off and don’t have much to say even when I asked questions.
The food was, at times, inspired, but mostly took advantage of local ingredients that are considered delicacies (and hence expensive) but not particularly tasty. Some examples include a condensed seaweed appetizer served cold that felt stringy and slimy to my (admittedly, not well-​developed) Western palate. Dishes like blowfish, which are impressive to locals but lost on Western tastes, abound. More details here:
The interior décor was simple and well-​laid-​out, but the atmosphere of the place was overly casual and didn’t line up with the 3-​star experience I was expecting. People chat loudly, stare at their phones. Unshaven chefs look in the distance as they wait for their turn to help prepare a dish. The overall spirit of the place felt disheveled and confused. I enjoyed my meal, but wouldn’t return.

Taian was on my list to try. It’s run by Chef Hitoshi Takahata and a 2015 Michelin 3 Star restaurant in Osaka. Osaka has one of the largest list of Michelin stars. I can taste why after dining at a few restaurants in the area. The food in Japan is one of the best I’ve tasted in my life and trust me on that. Taian doesn’t allow pictures of patrons or of the restaurant. However, you’re allowed to take pictures of the food which is a fine compromise for me like taking a woman out on a date and not putting out.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I absolutely fell in love with Japan’s food culture. Chef Takahata was extremely down to earth and was kind enough to take a picture with us then walked us out. I realized the Japanese take their profession very seriously and the level of detail in preparation is obsessive like your ex-​boyfriend.
US 2015 Michelin 3 Stars Count: 8 down. 4 more.
2015 Michelin Rated Restaurant Count: 12
San Pellegrino 2014 World’s 100 Best Restaurants Count: 5
San Pellegrino 2015 World’s 100 Best Restaurants Count: 7