Tokyo is World Capital of Gastronomy

Written By: guyjin on November 18, 2009 No Comment

Major restaurants always covet Michelin stars, one of the food industry’s premiere signs of success. The latest edition of the Michelin Guide shows that Tokyo restaurants now have a total of 261 stars for 197 different restaurants. Eleven of these restaurants have three stars, and the Tokyo total is triple that of nearest competitor Paris, making the Japanese capital by far the most decorated city in the world.

Most of the restaurants with Michelin stars in Tokyo are Japanese restaurants, with the others serving French, Chinese, Italian, Spanish and Fusion food.

Under the Michelin system, one star signifies ‘very good’ quality, two stars signify ‘excellence’, and three stars mean ‘exceptional’ quality. The newest Japanese style restuarants to gain three stars this year in Tokyo are Esaki, Sushi Saito and Yukimura. Esaki is a traditional Japanese restaurant which serves a lot of organic foods. It is situated in Jingu-mae, Shibuya, near Omotesando Station. Sushi Saito is in Akasaka, directly opposite the US Embassy. It has no sign, and features only 6 counter seats. The chef controls the entire menu, and the restuarant is booked out long in advance. Yukimura is situated in Azabu-Juban, near the Azabu-Juban station. It is a ‘kaiseki’ restuarant with just 11 counter seats. It also requires reservations long in advance.

The Michelin Guide for Tokyo, featuring all 197 Michelin-awarded restaurants, goes on sale on Friday.

Source: Tokyo crowned world’s top Michelin three-star city