When Mitsuhiro Araki announced that he would be vacating his position as head of The Araki, Michelin packed up the restaurant's three stars as well. The Araki in London has only nine seats, not including the one the chef fills. The Araki London received two stars in 2016 before picking up another one in 2018, becoming the UK's first Japanese restaurant to attain a three star profile (per The Independent).
Prior to the UK location, Araki ran another eponymous restaurant in Tokyo which had been awarded three stars thanks to an adherence to traditional Japanese culture and food.
MICHELIN STARS SERIES
This sushi restaurant, located in London's Mayfair, was one in a series of successes for the well known chef, as (per CNN). The Araki London was founded in 2014 by Japanese chef Mitsuhiro Araki. Starting from zero, The Restaurant Marco Pierre White received one star in 2001 and again in 2002 under new chef Robert Reid before it closed a year later. When he did, each Michelin accolade was returned. The Restaurant received this "Best in Class" designation in 1998, prompting White to retire in 1999.
The goal was set to achieve a higher "five red forks and knives" rating from Michelin. He moved the restaurant into a larger location in the Oak Room at Le Méridien Piccadilly Hotel. The Guardian notes that at 33, the chef was the youngest person to ever receive this honor.Īt this point, Pierre was said to have become further driven with the Michelin process (via The New Yorker). White's outstanding French cuisine exploded in popularity, bringing three stars to Restaurant Marco Pierre White in 1995. After previously winning two Michelin stars at Harveys, Chef Marco Pierre White opened his namesake restaurant specifically in pursuit of a third star. The Telegraph reports that Restaurant Marco Pierre White opened in the Hyde Park Hotel in London in September 1993.