Japanese sushi bar seating

Hi,

I recently went to a Japanese sushi bar near the Asakusa Kannon temple during the late evening, there were only japanese customers inside. I got seated in the only free table and I ordered a sushi set on the english menu they brought me, However I noticed that there were 3 continuous free seats at the bar so I requested from the waitress to sit there so I can watch the sushi-making but when she asked the chef he declined. Everything else (service, food) was very good.

Does anyone know why I couldn't sit on the bar ? is it like some kind of priviledge seat for those who pay/order more stuff or are repeat customers or is it because I'm a "gaijin" ?

Maybe the chef felt that the counter (counter-top space) might be a bit small for the "set menu" plate? In sushi restaurants, people who sit at the counter tend to order sushi in pairs (meaning just two sushi at a time), so they don't need that much space at the counter.

And who knows, there might have been some expectations on the part of the chef for a few regular customers (who tend to chat with the chef at times) to show up soon. Or the chef was just shy knowing that he will be really *closely watched* by you? :) Or maybe he was not too confident of his ENglish that he was afraid he would be able to talk with you even if you wanted to...I can't point to a reason, though.

As AK suggested, at a sushi bar you can either order a set menu with everything included, or you can decide your next pair of sushi as you eat, just as you would order shots of short alcoholic drinks as you drink them.

To order the pairs as you eat, you NEED to sit at the counter, because the chef puts the sushi on your plate as he makes them. Basically, no waiter(esse)s will be involved. So I suppose the chef felt the need to reserve the counter for those who order by pairs.

Btw, when you order by pairs at an authentic sushi bar, you never know the price until you get the bill at the end of your dinner. Also, you need to know what names represent what kind of fish. In other words, ordering as you eat at the counter needs experience to a certain extent.

But I can assume that any place with an English menu welcomes foreign customers with open arms.

There is no written rule on this, but locals understand sitting at the counter means you are going to order by two pieces and are willing to pay whatever the bill will be. Which can imply that you are a regular there and know the range of price.