LONDON —
After years of criticism from environmentalists, two top Japanese restaurants
in London are now advising diners to avoid selecting the endangered bluefin
tuna—but have still kept the fish on their menus.
Environmentalists have
slammed the compromise, saying the two restaurants in central London owned by
famous Japanese chef, Nobu Matsuhisa, should take the dish off their menus
entirely.
The contradiction was discovered by environmental journalist
Charles Clover who has been researching the demise of fish stocks and the
response from the restaurant industry.
Many eateries in Britain have
taken bluefin tuna off their menus, following pressure from environmental
groups.
But several high-end Japanese restaurants in Britain still have
it on their menus and the two Nobu establishments had, until recently, resisted
the pressure to follow the prevailing trend. The restaurants are popular in
London with A-list celebrities.
Clover, who has been preparing a film on
the decline of the Atlantic bluefin tuna, said that he first did some undercover
testing on the tuna served at Nobu to ascertain whether it was bluefin. The
restaurants don’t actually state what kind of tuna is served, only the cuts,
such as toro (the belly).
DNA tests proved it was Atlantic bluefin and
then he was able to secure an interview with one of Nobu’s partners, Richie
Notar.
As a result of this meeting, Nobu agreed to put an asterisk next
to dishes containing bluefin and a warning about its endangered
status.
Under the asterisk it is stated, ‘‘Bluefin tuna is an
environmentally threatened species please ask your server for an
alternative.’’
The asterisk appears on several sushi and sashimi (raw
fish) dishes at Nobu’s restaurant in Berkeley Street, Mayfair.
However,
although the warning appears on the menu at its other London restaurant, no
asterisk appears against any of the fish dishes. The warning has only been put
on the menus of the London restaurants, but crucially the bluefin can still be
served if the customer wants.
Giles Bartlett, from environmental charity
World Wide Fund for Nature, told Kyodo News he was ‘‘surprised’’ by Nobu’s
rather contradictory move.
‘‘We want Nobu to take bluefin off the menu
and replace it with a sustainable alternative, such as albacore or big eye. We
feel that such high-class establishments should be setting the best
environmental precedent,’’ he said.
Environmentalists have for many years
urged the world to reduce its consumption of bluefin tuna due to dwindling
stocks which are not being replenished due to over-fishing, particularly in the
Mediterranean.
The bluefin tuna from Europe is much prized by Japanese
who like its fatty quality and have traditionally eaten the fish raw.
Due
to the popularity of Japanese cuisine in Europe, more people have become aware
of the status of bluefin and have put pressure on restaurants to take it off
their menus. A few years ago, British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay bowed to
environmental pressure, and now many consumers now opt for yellowfin tuna or
more sustainable alternatives.
No one from Nobu in London was available
for comment despite several requests for comment.
Matsuhisa, who was born
in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, has over 24 restaurants in 20 countries and opened
his first outlet in the United States with the help of actor Robert de Niro. He
opened his first London restaurant in 1994 and his cooking, which is a fusion of
Japanese and South American styles, has picked up several awards, including
coveted Michelin stars.