Congratulations to the team at One Star Okeya Kyujiro, the 2023 MICHELIN Guide Vancouver Service Award Winner! Through an ultra-special approach to attention and following the Japanese philosophy of hospitality, this One Star team is able to create a memorable experience. Below, the team spills the tea on how they consistently make customers smile with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
What is a typical night at the restaurant?
Our Omakase experience is a chef’s choice menu of seasonal ingredients mainly sourced from Japan. It includes approximately 25 courses with mostly sushi. Dessert and a tea ceremony are also part of the experience.
What goes into preparing each night?
Before we welcome our customers, we unify our feelings to treat every service meaningfully, as if it's the first and last experience of their lifetime.
What's your favorite part of the guest experience?
We love to see our customers smile and bring a part of Japan with them when they leave the restaurant.
What does "really good service" mean to you?
We value customers by providing a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Omotenashi. Omotenashi is the highest quality of hospitality in Japanese culture, which does not expect anything in return.
How are you able to keep the team calm?
To calm our team, we respect each other by speaking polite language and with kindness, even within a team.
What is the biggest misconception about your role?
Our server's role is not just to serve food but also to share the beautiful Japanese culture with five different senses throughout the service.
Hero image: Kasumi/Okeya Kyujiro