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Tokyo and Michelin


food1

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Im perplexed, has anybody got the slightest idea why Tokyo has been awarded so many stars? 227 I believe. It just seems a little strange when you think of how many stars are handed out in the whole of the UK each year. What was it last year, about ten. I can't help thinking what a hard deal we get here when compared to the recent Tokyo guide. Im certainly no expert on Japanese cuisine but I have wondered how a French guide can be so 'generous' in their awards. Does this sort of outcome devalue the red guide and can we expect a big increase in star handouts, this coming January!

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Im perplexed, has anybody got the slightest idea why Tokyo has been awarded so many stars? 227 I believe. It just seems a little strange when you think of how many stars are handed out in the whole of the UK each year. What was it last year, about ten. I can't help thinking what a hard deal we get here when compared to the recent Tokyo guide. Im certainly no expert on Japanese cuisine but I have wondered how a French guide can be so 'generous' in their awards. Does this sort of outcome devalue the red guide and can we expect a big increase in star handouts, this coming January!

Have you ever been to Japan? It's very easy to understand why Tokyo has so many stars once you've tried some of the top restaurants. In the top restaurants (and many non-starred places, too, I'm sure), Japanese pride themselves on using top-quality ingredients, and they are meticulous in all aspects--from food preparation to service.

The Michelin guide for Tokyo not only covers Japanese cuisine, almost half the 3-stars are French restaurants.

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What was it last year, about ten. I can't help thinking what a hard deal we get here when compared to the recent Tokyo guide.

The UK actually has 140 stars (107* 24** 3***). Japan has a population of 130 million compared to the UK of 60 million so you would expect it to be able to support more starred restaurants. Although I wouldn't take this logic too far as it means China should have 2,227 stars...!

I agree with Prasantrin in his comment on the Japanese food culture. On the whole food quality seems to be taken a lot more seriously than the UK. The quality of most Japanese suburban restaurants (even holes in the wall) far exceeds most of what is found on the average British high street. Although Japan's obsession with Starbucks does take some explaining.

The UK has a few good restaurants but I feel the overall quality is pretty dire especially given the amount of media coverage food gets. Take as an example the rash of Tapas bars in London (Brindisa, Barrafina ect). They are OK, in-fact compared to the high street they are very good, but in absolute terms are they good? How would the measure up in Spain? During a perfectly good, and enjoyable, 4 hour lunch at Barrafina I started to think about the sheer variety and artistry you get in Spain. Great food without the pretension and attitude (one waitress was especially bad on this visit), I suspect many of these bars would struggle to establish a reputation in Spain let alone gain all the plaudits they get here.

If we really had a good food culture these types of places would be the norm rather than destination restaurants. If we had that sort or solid middle ground we would deserve more stars - at the moment we actually may have more than our fair share.

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it caused a lot of debate at the time, but people i know who have experience of dining/living there say much of it is way beyond what's going on in UK/europe/US.

for a quick intro, try jay rayners book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Who-Ate-World-...27254187&sr=8-1

thinking about it, the japanese bit may have been in the observer food monthly at some point if you have a google.

you don't win friends with salad

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The UK actually has 140 stars (107* 24** 3***). Japan has a population of 130 million compared to the UK of 60 million so you would expect it to be able to support more starred restaurants. Although I wouldn't take this logic too far as it means China should have 2,227 stars...!

If you compare cities, London has something like 47 stars for a population of about 7.5 million (Greater London Area) while Tokyo has 227 stars for 12.4 million (Greater Tokyo Area, though Tokyo itself only has 8.3 million). London has 6.3 stars/million people vs. Tokyo's 18.3 stars. Once Michelin does an Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe guide, you can expect the number of stars in Japan to rise a great deal (I doubt the Kansai area would approach the number of stars in Tokyo, but I would expect at least 150). Other areas may add a few stars here and there (mostly Nagoya and Fukuoka, I would guess, but there are little gastronomic havens all over Japan)

I agree with Prasantrin in his comment on the Japanese food culture. On the whole food quality seems to be taken a lot more seriously than the UK. The quality of most Japanese suburban restaurants (even holes in the wall) far exceeds most of what is found on the average British high street. Although Japan's obsession with Starbucks does take some explaining.

I think only France, Italy, and maybe Spain take food as seriously as Japan does, generally speaking. That being said, I've had crappy food in Japan, too, though it's usually the Japanese version of western food that's crappy, not Japanese food, itself. Bad Japanese food is usually just mediocre, not horribly bad (in my experience). (The Starbucks phenomenon can only be explained by cheap coffee--coffee used to be about Y700 for a standard cup with no refills, so Y400 for a large coffee really is cheap in Japan--and comfy chairs. And young people with no taste. :wink: )

(I'm actually a "she", though my username is that of a "he" :biggrin: )

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I'd agree with Rona (in part because I know what's good for me).

The Japanese do take their food and beverages with an obsessive attention to detail, and that works well with the Guide's criteria. As Rona says, a good portion of the Red Book is concerned with French cuisine in Tokyo, so there's a common yardstick (or meter rod, sorry) to work between the two.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 5 months later...

Once Michelin does an Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe guide, you can expect the number of stars in Japan to rise a great deal (I doubt the Kansai area would approach the number of stars in Tokyo, but I would expect at least 150). Other areas may add a few stars here and there (mostly Nagoya and Fukuoka, I would guess, but there are little gastronomic havens all over Japan)

And I was right. Osaka/Kyoto got a total of 189 stars, including 6 3-stars in Kyoto (all kaiseki places from what I can tell), and only 1 3-star in Osaka (a French place).

FWIW, all the inspectors were Japanese. And a Kobe guide is tentatively scheduled for release in 2011 (or 2012?).

Edited by prasantrin (log)
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