[UPDATE]: It Seems Sukiyabashi Jiro Will Not Open in Beijing

UPDATE: It seems venerable sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro will not be opening in Beijing after all. In a correction to their original post, the Wall Street Journal quotes the Ono family as saying they have no plans to open a sushi restaurant in Beijing and that they do not know John Zing, the man who claims to be the financial backer of the restaurant. The WSJ contacted Mr. Zing by phone on Saturday. He initially stood by his claim and promised to provide further details, but apparently since then stopped answering calls. Way to get our hopes up, dude.

Here's what we wrote on Friday:

Renowned three Michelin starred sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro is expanding outside of Japan for the first time with a location in Beijing slated to open at the beginning of August, says the Wall Street Journal.

The restaurant, owned by octagenarian chef Jiro Ono, stepped into the global spotlight in 2011 when it was featured in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The Beijing branch will be spearheaded by Jiro's son Takashi, who leads the original restaurant's second branch in Roppongi Hills.

The restaurant once again garnered attention in China and abroad earlier this year for refusing to serve cooked sushi to a Chinese customer, who posted a scathing (if unfounded) rant online. The customer later deleted her post and returned to the restaurant to apolgize to the chef – an apology he graciously accepted but that didn't quell the abuse hurled at her by her fellow Chinese netizens.

The Beijing branch's financial backer John Zing says he has already invested more than USD 800,000 in taking the "brand" overseas. The new branch will retain the perfectionism and dedication of the original.

When it does open, don't forget your wallet: expect a meal in the 12-seater restaurant to set you back upwards of USD 200 per person.

Photo: l8r (Flickr)