What would you think if you found out that the restaurant you keep coming back to has a big secret, like a sauce container that hasn’t been cleaned in decades, yet they still use it to serve your food? Would you go back?
A well-known restaurant in Tokyo, Japan went viral on social media after they admitted that for over half a century, they have never cleaned the container for their barbecue sauce.
Recently, the restaurant Abe-chan, a popular yakitori (barbecue) place, was featured on a Japanese TV show, where they proudly shared that the secret to their delicious yakitori is the sauce jar that hasn’t been cleaned for 60 years.
Many viewers were shocked to see the sauce jar covered with a thick layer of accumulated barbecue sauce. According to the owner of Abe-chan, the jar has not been cleaned since the 1960s, and he believes this is what makes their yakitori taste so good.
When the owner was asked if he was ever worried that customers might get sick or food poisoning, he confidently responded that the food they serve is clean, and even if the sauce jar looks dirty, they cook their food thoroughly over the fire, making it safe from bacterial contamination.
The sauce jar at Abe-chan went viral online, sparking discussions among Japanese netizens. Some were disgusted and said they would avoid eating at the restaurant. However, many regulars of Abe-chan defended it, saying they’ve eaten there many times without getting sick.
Because of the controversy, netizens and customers are now eagerly waiting to see if the restaurant will clean the sauce jar or continue the tradition that has been part of their establishment for decades.
