Tokyo crowned new gourmet capital by Michelin

Friday 20th November, 06:19 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 40 Total Comments Show All

roomtemperature at 05:16 PM JST - 20th November

GW, I could see what you quoted and what you wrote yourself. That's not the problem. But...."hence stacking the deck". Come again? Tokyo got a lot of stars because it was "arranged" in some way? That's what you're trying to say?
5SpeedRacer5 at 06:05 PM JST - 20th November

Sorry poolly. You should take me out to the really nice places.

I am talking 10000 per person, no drinks. That is way way too much for most people to spend on a meal. If you think you cannot get some great food for that amount, then you could probably learn a thing or two from me.
Shaolin7 at 06:49 PM JST - 20th November

Has anyone been to these places? Honestly, alot of them seem pretentious beyond belief, and cater to a like minded crowd. I see the same rich, empty vessels patronizing art galleries; disturbing to actually listen to and see in action.

You can find truly great food in all sorts of out of the way corners, hidden away in quiet niches and nondescript places, with people working away for the love of their craft -- and I agree wholeheartedly with Badsey and 5SpeedRacer5, it doesn't have to mean spending excessive amounts. Go do some exploring on your own, guys!
sydenham at 07:31 PM JST - 20th November

Shaolin, thou speaketh the truth.
soothsayer at 08:28 PM JST - 20th November

"Tokyo has NO taco bell so this can't be true"

Since when is Taco Bell called "gourmet"?

Ahh, I was hoping someone would get sucked in. Well done, Hellhound!
TravelingSales at 11:15 PM JST - 20th November

How can they taste the food in the cloud of tobacco smoke?
Hotbox08 at 11:23 PM JST - 20th November

There are some great restaurants in Japan with very creative and talented chefs.

55SpeedRacer5, I have to agree with you on that point. I've never seen so many kinds of fusion and ethnic restaurants in my life. I've tried fusion Japanese-French food, Pacific Island-French, unique Vietnamese, and some great Thai food here. I've even heard that many patiissiers that have been experiementing with vegetable ingredients like lotus root, spinach, tomatoes, and gobo root in their cakes.
Fadamor at 12:45 AM JST - 21st November

Shaolin7, reserve your judgement until the guide comes out. The whole point of it is to find the places that have the best FOOD, not the places with the best ambiance. All those restaurants with the glitzy atmosphere but cardboard food will be notably absent from the Michelin review. There may be a few "mom and pop" restaurants that get the stars.
5SpeedRacer5 at 05:10 AM JST - 21st November

Hotbox.

Fusion: That is exactly what I am talking about. I have one place I really like that does kind of sashimi/French. The bakeries you are referring to are also very much fun for me (I bake my own.). People are experimenting with new smells from yeasts and mushrooms that are great. There is one chef at a place I know who seems to be trying to do traditional French, but with Japanese ingredients, so it takes almost a cajun feel to it.

Pies and soups and sauces and salads. I am amazed. I find that the cheaper courses are much more fun than the expensive a la carte items. That middle ground on the menu is where the chef is relaxed and I can relax too.

I get ideas and come home and try to cook them. It is tremendous fun. I mess it up frequently, which makes me appreciate their skills and sense of balance.

Anyway, if these chefs wind up at the best restaurants in Tokyo, then those restaurants must be truly great. I would bet that Tokyo's 30th best restaurant is much much better than the 30th best of any city in the world because of Tokyo's breadth and depth.

" tomatoes, and gobo root in their cakes."

Tomatoes have so many flavors in them that I would bet you could make at least 20 different-tasting breads and cakes using them. How wonderful that someone is trying.
sydenham at 05:27 AM JST - 21st November

Fadamor, thou speaketh the truth, too.
movieguy at 07:38 AM JST - 21st November

I love all of the delicious food choices in Tokyo, but doesn't Tokyo have 12 million people and Paris like 2.5 million??? Seems to me that Paris would still be the gourmet capital.

That being said, isn't obvious why they would "crown" Tokyo the gourmet capital just before the release of the their 2nd edition of Michelin???

I was lucky to get a guide as a gift last year and I just use it to be aware of restaurants I would never hear about.
kirakira25 at 05:07 PM JST - 21st November

You can find truly great food in all sorts of out of the way corners, hidden away in quiet niches and nondescript places, with people working away for the love of their craft

This is SO true, one of the best Japanese meals I ever had was in a makeshift restaurant under a tarpaulin down a tiny side street somewhere in Naka Meguro. It obviously had a reputation as there was a huge queue to get in.

My brother in law is a trainee Japanese chef, and believe me they suffer for their art. It is going to take him over 20 years to train up, through many layers of hierarchy (even washing pots is around level 4!) he makes 180k/mth after 10 years of this so far, and he works 2-3 weeks straight before finally getting 2-3 days off, often putting in 16-18 hour days.

Personally I think he`s mad, but the guy obviously REALLY likes cooking!
Shaolin7 at 07:49 PM JST - 21st November

You know, Fadamor, you're right to an extent. I shouldn't judge yet, but I still feel more than few places will be overlooked if they don't have the same shine as the glitzy, no substance spots. Kirakira25, thanks for sharing that. I also have had the chance to befriend a few cooks / restaurant owners (including one who makes some of the best okonomiyaki I've had, he's in Kabukicho -- Yamamoto-san, this is a shoutout to you!) and I admire their resilience and passion for their craft very much.

If you have the chance, guys, please do some exploring on your own, with or without a guide in hand. Overall the quality of food is very commendable.
borscht at 11:38 AM JST - 24th November

kirakira25, I met a Japanese guy who wanted to be a French chef but side-tracked that whole 20-year apprenticeship. He moved to France for five years then came back and opened his own French restaurant that was a hit from day one. 24 years later, he's still going strong. As for Michelin's guide, he worked in a three-star place in France but ate in street cafes.
PepinGalarga at 09:45 PM JST - 25th November

i bought the guide, and it's great. I'm already calling a few of the places. Expect a three month wait average.

Some places are truly "holes in the wall" according to western standards, but since Michelin only rates "whats on the plate" many smaller joints can receive due recognition. They have another classification for decoration and ambiance, but that's not as important as the stars.

Chef's have committed suicide in the past for losing a single star, so it's big pressure time for these locals.

I did notice a lot of places in Michelin that were not in Zagat, and this was very surprising since Zagat tends to review any type of joint. I guess they didn't get enough reviews on the more expensive joints to get statistically significant scores.

Michelin uses professionaly trained reviewers, so i would believe what Michelin guide says over Zagat, but Zagat always gives you the word on the street.