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Most haute cuisine restaurants -and their variants- have a dress code and regulations that are often undefined or unwritten, but which diners will respect when they sit at one of their tables. Something similar happens with sushi restaurants, where basic laws must be followed, such as not wearing perfumes, colognes or strong body sprays.
As if it were an extension of the dress code, in Japan, one of the rules when going to sushi restaurants is not to wear perfume, as the smell and taste are totally linked to a culinary belief that interferes with the food.
London restaurant Sushi Kanesaka put it bluntly back in the day, asking diners to avoid strong smells. “We would like all our customers to have a great experience, but sometimes this is hindered by the excessive use of perfumes. So please be mindful of this and use perfume more subtly.” And sommeliers do not use perfume or cologne, because they can override the bouquet of a wine.
Just as chefs are advised not to wear certain perfumes that may alter the experience of the culinary process or its outcome, diners are also asked to do the same, as they somehow cannot fully savour if there is a strong smell that gets in the way of eating in “harmony”, as the Japanese suggest.
In Japan, it is a common rule if you visit a Michelin-starred or high-end sushi restaurant, not to wear perfume. “Smells matter when it comes to eating. It’s all part of creating the right ambience,” chef Hatanaka tells Delicious.
