How a 20-year friendship imploded at Salesforce Tower’s elite Japanese restaurant Besuto: Inside the vicious WhatsApps, drinking claims and legal threats: ‘Hope you can afford a lawyer’

By MADELEINE DAMO – WEALTH AND WORKPLACE REPORTER

Published: 09:42 EDT, 20 October 2026 | Updated: 09:42 EDT, 20 October 2026

A friendship breakdown between a renowned sushi chef and a prominent Sydney restaurateur has been laid bare before the Fair Work Commission (FWC), amid allegations of workplace drinking and punishing 70-hour work weeks.

Japanese chef Michiaki Miyazaki took his former workplace Besuto to the FWC after being sacked by venue owner Joel Best, his friend of 20 years.

The traditional Japanese restaurant, known for bespoke set menus starting at $280 per person and an extensive whisky list, is tucked away in the Salesforce Tower in Sydney’s CBD.

The Commission heard lengthy submissions about Mr Miyazaki’s arrangements, which saw him working upwards of 70 hours a week for $40,000 in wages, while his employment also covered his $700-a-week accommodation, gym membership and two annual flights to Japan.

According to Mr Miyazaki, around June 2025, Mr Best told him he could consume up to 720 millilitres of alcohol at work each week. Shortly afterwards, Mr Best became concerned about Mr Miyazaki’s health, noticing a decline in his energy, wellbeing and work performance – although the Commission made no finding in its recently published decision that alcohol caused those health issues.

Following a meeting with a sports massage therapist organised by Mr Best, Mr Miyazaki stopped drinking for four months.

However, in November 2025, Mr Best said he noticed Mr Miyazaki’s performance waning again and believed he had resumed drinking. According to Mr Best’s evidence, he considered Mr Miyazaki’s reliability, judgement, productivity and leadership to have declined during this period.

Mr Best claimed to the FWC that a major concern was what he saw as Mr Miyazaki’s inability to manage the kitchen effectively, particularly his failure to recruit, develop and retain enough staff to support the business.

According to Mr Best’s evidence, this decline meant management had to intervene in matters that should have been handled by the Head Chef. Mr Best was also worried about the long hours Mr Miyazaki spent at work, noting that routine tasks were taking longer to complete.

Japanese fine dining chef Michiaki Miyazaki took his former workplace Besuto to the Fair Work Commission

Michiaki Miyazaki and the venue’s owner, Joel Best, had a 20-year-long friendship

Excerpts of the WhatsApp messages exchanged following the dismissal were produced to the Fair Work Commission

Miyazaki had been working 70-hour weeks, the FWC heard

The FWC heard the pair had at least two discussions in which Mr Best raised these concerns about drinking on the job, and the standards expected of him as Head Chef.

According to the published decision, Mr Best said he had made it clear that immediate improvement was required, but clarified that these discussions were not documented, and some were informal and ‘may have occurred in the sauna’.

Other venue staff, including chef Ferix Louberto and sommelier Haruna Suzuki, gave evidence that Mr Miyazaki would ‘regularly’ drink alcohol in the kitchen and be offered sake by guests. Both colleagues said they had observed Mr Miyazaki open the wine fridge and pour himself a drink.

On one occasion in February 2026, while Mr Best was in Japan, his friend Annabella Sao stepped in to assist with food preparation and dishwashing. During this shift, she also noticed Mr Miyazaki drinking sake and alerted Mr Best, the FWC heard.

Upon his return, Mr Best recalled telling Mr Miyazaki words to the effect of: ‘I don’t want to have to make decisions that affect all of us. I don’t need to do that. Stop drinking, get your job done.’

During an all-staff meeting on March 5, Mr Best informed employees that multiple warnings had already been handed out for drinking on the job, and anybody who continued to do so would be sacked.

Shortly after, a casual employee was terminated for drinking on that shift. Mr Miyazaki told the FWC that he did not believe this disciplinary meeting was directed at him specifically, and said he had not been informed he was being given a formal warning or that his employment was facing termination.

Two days later, Mr Best approached Mr Miyazaki and asked whether he had the passion to continue in his role as Head Chef. Mr Miyazaki was ‘unable to answer the question’, the FWC heard.

Later, following the dinner service at around 11pm, Mr Best told Mr Miyazaki that he was terminating his employment. At that time, Mr Best observed that Mr Miyazaki appeared intoxicated – although the FWC would ultimately find there was insufficient evidence to establish that Mr Miyazaki had been intoxicated at work.

According to Mr Miyazaki’s account of the conversation, there had been no mention of his drinking on the job, and he hadn’t received any warnings or feedback indicating performance concerns. He also denied being intoxicated during this conversation.

During an all-staff meeting on March 5, Mr Best informed employees that multiple warnings had already been handed out for drinking on the job, and anybody who continued to do so would be sacked.

Mr Best messaged supplier group chats – still including Mr Miyazaki – stating that he had been ‘fired for drinking on the job and not being able to perform’

Just before 3am the next morning, Mr Best texted the staff group chat thanking them for ‘an amazing ride’, before removing Mr Miyazaki, Ms Suzuki and a third employee from the chat.

Mr Best then messaged the main staff chat again, stating, ‘Michi will no longer be working for Besuto. Please close chat.’

In a separate text to Mr Miyazaki, Mr Best wished him well and said he was ‘very sad’.

The following day Mr Best hand-delivered a termination letter to Mr Miyazaki’s residence, the FWC heard.

A few days later, Mr Best texted Mr Miyazaki again, stating: ‘Besuto Omakase is not closing. It is your choice to tell people that. It is my choice to tell people that you went back to Japan for family matters.’

The traditional Japanese restaurant offers bespoke set menus starting at $280 per person and an extensive whisky menu

The traditional Japanese restaurant is tucked away in Salesforce Tower, in Sydney’s CBD

The next day, Mr Best texted Mr Miyazaki saying lawyers and police could become involved in the dispute.

He wrote, according to the FWC decision: ‘You will hear from a lawyer to recover the $15k you owe me. Hope you can afford the lawyer fees. Or should I say you stole from the business and get the police involved? Let’s see how this plays out in the media and with lawyers?’

Mr Best then followed up with a copy of his solicitor’s letter demanding repayment of $28,000, which included a $25,000 loan and $3,000 for the alcohol he allegedly drank at work. He also told Mr Miyazaki by text that he had ‘a bar tab that sits at about 3k from your drinking on the job’.

Mr Best also sent messages to supplier group chats, which still included Mr Miyazaki, stating that Mr Miyazaki had been ‘fired for drinking on the job and not being able to perform’, the published decision states.

The FWC heard arguments from the restaurant that the dismissal followed the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code. This was disputed by Mr Miyazaki, who argued he was not given any warnings or opportunities to respond to specific allegations of serious misconduct.

Based on the evidence presented to the FWC, Deputy President Judith Wright said she did not accept that Mr Best believed Mr Miyazaki’s conduct was serious enough to justify immediate dismissal.

Deputy President Wright ultimately found there was insufficient evidence that Mr Miyazaki was intoxicated at work, insufficient evidence that performance issues justified dismissal and insufficient evidence that he had consumed the business’s alcohol without authorisation.

Instead, she found the real reason for his dismissal was Mr Miyazaki’s inability to answer Mr Best’s question about whether he still had the passion to continue as Head Chef.

The Commission found there was no valid reason for dismissal and that the dismissal was harsh, unjust and unreasonable. Besuto was ordered to pay Mr Miyazaki $11,753.84 plus superannuation.