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Tuesday, 29th November 2011
In General Japan News,
Tokyo remains Michelin?s best
Tokyo remains the city of choice for food lovers across the world having retained its five-year grip on the title of most highly-acclaimed gourmet city, with more Michelin starred restaurants than Paris.
The Michelin guide issued its three-star rating to 16 restaurants in the city, compared to its nearest rival, Paris, which saw just ten eateries clinch the honour.
Among the new entries into Tokyo’s top restaurants were Sushi Yoshitake and Ryugin, as well as Koan in Shonan, which all gained the coveted three-stars.
According to Reuters, 16 of those renowned restaurants served up traditional Japanese cuisine, while just two boasted top French tastes.
The entire Tokyo-Yokohoma-Shonan region can boast 17 three-star Michelin rated eateries as Koan debuted on the list this year.
Interestingly, a Korean restaurant in Tokyo, named Moranbong, helped bolster the city’s food appeal after joining the list with a two-star rating.
Jon Pyong Ryol, president of the Moranbong, explained the reason why he thinks the restaurant made the quality-control cut.
He told the news provider: “In Japan most people think of barbequed beef as the main dish for Korean cuisine but it is not. That’s something Koreans living in Japan started after World War Two.
“We serve traditional court dishes. And for us winning the Michelin stars is a recognition that authentic Korean food has been recognised in Japan.”
Almost 250 restaurants across Tokyo feature some kind of Michelin star-rating, including 179 with one and 52 with two stars.
That is in contrast to what is often perceived as the international cuisine capital, Paris, where just 70 restaurants feature the prestigious rating.
Some 70 per cent of Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo serve Japanese food, with the remainder coming from Italian, Chinese, fusion and other ethnic cuisine eateries.
Last week, it was revealed tourist interest in Japan hit its post-March 11th peak, according to traffic figures from TripAdvisor.
Posted by Susan Ballion