Zagat publishes America's top Japanese restaurant guide

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13 Comments

rjd_jr at 08:28 AM JST - 4th June

‘‘When I was a boy I really thought the Japanese food was teriyaki and maybe sushi, and I thought sushi was probably a fraternity prank,’’ he said."

Lots of people feel this way my friend. But good for this guide, a way to sort out the pretenders from the real deal.
OssanULTRA at 08:44 AM JST - 4th June

Here in New York City it is estimated that there are over 250 "Japanese Restaurants". Out of which only a small percentage are oned a/o operated by Japanese. The vast majority are owned/run by Chinese and Korean entrepreneurs and for the most part, while their respective national dishes may be great, their Japanese food would be rejected by just about anyone who has spent time in Japan. These non-Japanese entrepreneurs sell themselves as Japanese restaurants because of the popularity and high demand from the American public, plus the customers usually can't tell the difference. Free enterprise is a wonderful thing.
evil_robot at 10:20 AM JST - 4th June

Oh ya? I think it's a good taste of their own medicine if you ask me. Ever try American food in Japan? I wouldn't be caught dead eating a lump of ketchup flavored rice covered in half raw egg with curry slime on top. Japanese food in America is about as real as any foreign food interpretation in Japan. You're lucky if you find the real thing, and you're even luckier if it stays real longer than 6 months(there USED to be a real Mexican restaurant in Naka Meguro, but after about 6 months of operation, the food is now half the size and the prices went up).
rk67 at 10:33 AM JST - 4th June

There are too many restaurants selling Sushi in America. Thai/Sushi, Chinese/Sushi and I even saw an Italian and Sushi restaurant.
sarcasm123 at 11:19 AM JST - 4th June

"Oh ya? I think it's a good taste of their own medicine if you ask me."

First of all, what is "American food" anyway?

Secondly, we are not talking about pizza with natto on it here. We are talking about a completely different level. We are talking about restaurants were Chinese or Korean food is sold as Japanese food. That and restaurants where ramen, sukiyaki, okonomiyaki, etc etc all look exactly the same: as udon. With a tomato in it!
nimbus at 11:22 AM JST - 4th June

Hmmmm...I miss my favorite Italian food in Japan....ketchup spaghetti.
angelheart at 11:48 AM JST - 4th June

And which restaurants came out as the winners? Where is the interesting information in this article - it's nothing more than a plug. Does your company employ any journalists at all? Seriously, do you?
movieguy at 12:38 PM JST - 4th June

Does anyone know the link for the ‘‘America’s Top Japanese Restaurants’’ on Zagat? I checked their site and no individual site turns up...
isthistheend at 09:46 PM JST - 9th June

I wish they'd change the name of their publication to "Forgat It"
Betting at 12:48 AM JST - 10th June

"The vast majority are owned/run by Chinese and Korean entrepreneurs and for the most part, while their respective national dishes may be great, their Japanese food would be rejected by just about anyone who has spent time in Japan".

Very true, but I also have reject most "western" food that is served up at those great "western" restaurants such as Denny's and Royal Host here. Until I came to Japan I never had a "hamburg" at a restaurant, we only eat them back home at barbeques. Plus some of the other stuff that they pass for "western" food, well, at least it tastes good, but I've just never seen it before.
OssanULTRA at 07:01 AM JST - 10th June

Alot of people here are criticising dishes like Omu-Raisu or Hamburg in Japan as being crappy attemnpts at American food. They aren't. They are Yo-shoku, oroginally western foods that entered Japan in the late 1800s and developed to Japanese tastes. There are some "American food" food places, including those famous burger joints in Sasebo.
Betting at 10:46 AM JST - 10th June

"They are Yo-shoku, oroginally western foods that entered Japan in the late 1800s and developed to Japanese tastes", I'm not going to debate that at all Ossan, you'll get no fight from me about it.

However, what I'm saying is that most Japanese people I've met over the last twenty years I've been here have thought that what is served in these restaurants is really "Western" food.
Sagecat at 10:56 AM JST - 10th June

You want authentic American food in Japan? Look no farther than McDonald's. There seems to be on on every corner here.