In the first Asian venture of its 107-year history, the French tire maker’s guide sprinkled more stars on the Japanese capital than any other city in the world.
Famed Michelin Guides have bestowed 191 stars to 150 restaurants in Tokyo — more stars than in any other city in the world
TOKYO: From tiny underground sushi bars to a full-scale French chateau rebuilt next to a shopping mall, Michelin’s first guide to dining out in Tokyo showcases the breadth of gourmet experiences the city has to offer.
In the first Asian venture of its 107-year history, the French tire maker’s guide sprinkled more stars on the Japanese capital than any other city in the world, silencing critics who had doubted foreigners could appreciate the local cuisine.
“High praise for our food culture,” the Sankei Shimbun trumpeted in a headline, while almost all the other papers splashed across their front pages pictures of the first Japanese chefs to receive the top three-star rating. TV variety shows were also abuzz with the news.
About 60 percent of the starred restaurants in the Michelin guide serve Japanese food, from sushi to tempura, buckwheat noodles to deep-fried tempura and even the potentially fatal charms of fugu or blowfish, which is poisonous if prepared incorrectly.
That opens up what has often been a world closed to foreign visitors. Hidden locations, menus — where there are any — written only in Japanese and a frequent ‘no credit card’ policy have made seeking out gourmet food in Tokyo a daunting experience for tourists.
Most of the other listed restaurants are French, partly a reflection of the fact that many top Japanese chefs spend years of apprenticeship there.
“They have shown they understand our food culture by awarding three stars even to restaurants that are small and where the surroundings are not particularly luxurious,” food critic Yasuhiro Yamamoto told the Sankei.
“I apologise to those not included,” Michelin guide director Jean-Luc Naret told reporters this week.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}