Book That Flight: Le Sushi Bar Invites Chef Sayaka Sawaguchi to Beirut

Is it dramatic to say that we’d book a flight to Beirut just for sushi? Maybe. But when it comes to Le Sushi Bar, it’s entirely justified.

Long before Japanese cuisine became a regional obsession, Le Sushi Bar, founded by Mario Jr. Haddad in 1998, introduced Beirut to its very first authentic sushi experience. Today, nearly three decades later, it remains a defining address for fine dining in the Middle East — and they’ve just given us one more reason to go back.

From July 9 to 19, the iconic Downtown Beirut establishment is hosting an exclusive chef-in-residence program with none other than Chef Sayaka Sawaguchi, a rising star in Japan’s next-gen culinary vanguard. Known for her reverent approach to fermentation, precision, and the slow alchemy of true craftsmanship, Chef Sawaguchi is curating a limited-edition menu that brings the spirit of Kudawari — the Japanese philosophy of obsessive dedication to perfection — to life.

For 10 days, diners will be immersed in a culinary narrative where every bite is the product of discipline, patience, and unflinching respect for ingredients. Chef Sawaguchi’s take on sushi isn’t flashy. It’s emotion in disguise, built on broths that simmer for hours, rice treated like treasure, and sauces that quietly evolve through fermentation.

And this is not just a trendy reinvention. Le Sushi Bar, always one step ahead of its time, is once again giving Beirut a taste of something timeless and deeply rooted.

When Mario Jr. Haddad opened Le Sushi Bar, it was an audacious move: to introduce Japanese fine dining to a Lebanese audience that had never tasted maki, let alone Crazy Maki (which they invented, by the way). Fast forward to 2025, and that spirit of innovation continues. Beyond its impeccable menu, the restaurant’s award-winning design by Gregory Gatserelia, and its curated bar program led by an acclaimed mixologist, elevate the experience into something cinematic.

This new residency with Chef Sawaguchi isn a real statement. A celebration of female talent in a traditionally male-dominated craft, a tribute to slow gastronomy, and a love letter to Lebanon’s long-standing appetite for excellence. In a city that knows how to savor, Le Sushi Bar remains the gold standard. And with this residency, they’re not just reinforcing their legacy but are rewriting what it means to host a restaurant that dares to evolve without ever compromising authenticity.

To be honest, we’d come back to Beirut for the sushi alone. And Le Sushi Bar is exactly why.

For reservations and more information:
📍 Downtown Beirut
📱 @lesushibarbeirut
🌐 lesushibar.com
🗓 Residency: July 9 – 19, 2025