New Tokyo Michelin Ratings Due Next Week

[Mulboyne]

The 2009 edition of the Tokyo Michelin guide is due out on sale on the 21st of November. Anticipating strong interest, the bookshop TSUTAYA will be holding a "countdown event" from 11:30pm on the 20th with an appearance by Michelin guide director Jean Luc Naret. The company will be revealing the details of this year's star ratings next week on the 18th November.

Related FG Thread: Michelin Guide Unveils Top Tokyo Restaurants

[IkemenTommy]

Oh great, and those restaurants listed will be no longer be accessible to the ordinary Joe the Plumbers like myself unless you make reservations 3 months in advance.

[Mulboyne]

Oh great, and those restaurants listed will be no longer be accessible to the ordinary Joe the Plumbers like myself unless you make reservations 3 months in advance.

You could take a gamble that a top restaurant last year will keep its rating and book now.

[Mulboyne]

Six inspectors came up with the ratings this year and five were Japanese. Ishikawa in Kagurazaka joined the three star list while Gordon Ramsay picked up a star. Ishikawa's chef gave an interesting reaction which is a contrast to some of the sniping last year:

Chef Hideki Ishikawa appeared humbled by the recognition. "I am happy, but I'm not sure what to say. It hasn't sunk in yet," he told reporters at a reception for the city's three-star chefs."I just said 'Yes, thank you'," he said of his reaction after receiving the call from Michelin

Tokyo tops star count again in Michelin food guide

This year's guide also added marks to restaurants that offered a good selection of sake rice wine and those that required diners to take off their shoes, common in traditional eateries. "It could be useful for men, just to make sure their socks don't have holes, and for ladies who might have a dress on that day," Naret told Reuters.

60% of the starred restaurants serve Japanese cuisine. 40 restaurants make it in for the first time while 17 lost their ranking including the Hilton's Twenty One which suffered a menu misrepresentation scandal.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

just to make sure their socks don't have holes

I'm sure it's a very common trend amongst those that can afford to eat a starred restaurant.

[Mulboyne]

The new 3 star rated Ishikawa has encountered a small hitch:

Yomiuri: 3-star restaurant recalls bacteria-tainted beans

A three-Michelin star restaurant has voluntarily recalled jars of a black soybean product after a toxic bacteria was detected in several jars of the luxury food, it was learned Monday. Bacillus cereus, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning, was detected in jars of Kuromame Binzume sold by Kagurazaka Ishikawa, a high-class Japanese restaurant in Kagurazaka, Tokyo. No reports have been made of consumers being sickened by the beans. The product was made on license from Kagurazaka Ishikawa at the Kobe factory of Osaka-based food processor Tsukezen Shoten, the restaurant said. The bacteria was found in items with an expiry date of Dec. 30, 31 and Jan. 1., with 120 jars having been shipped to date. The product is mainly sold at the Takashimaya department store's Tokyo outlet in Nihonbashi, Chuo Ward, as a year-end oseibo gift or at gourmet events.

[Mulboyne]

Asahi: Opinions still simmering over restaurant stars

Neither the hoopla nor the criticism has abated since last year's arrival of the Michelin Guide Tokyo. Some--especially those listed in the French tire maker's little red guide--praise the book for revitalizing the dining industry. Others -- including those not listed -- still scoff at the criteria used by the editors. Now, publishers and even a government Olympic campaign are trying to cash in on the buzz. When the Michelin Guide Tokyo came out in November 2007, Tokyo was hyped as the "city with the most stars in the world." With the 2009 edition, which hit shelves last month, Tokyo now equals Paris in terms of number of three-star restaurants. Both have nine, with Tokyo's consisting of three French restaurants and six Japanese ones, including two that specialize in sushi.

Kojyu, a Japanese restaurant on a back street in Ginza, received a top-rated three stars. Owner and chef Toru Okuda, 39, is no longer surprised when foreign guests take notes about every move he makes in the open kitchen. Since the Michelin guide hit the market, foreign diners have increased to account for more than 20 percent of patrons at his restaurant. Okuda also gets e-mail from as far away as Finland and Italy, asking for opportunities to learn how to prepare soup stock or how to wield a fish knife, for instance. "These people are really eager to learn Japanese cooking," Okuda said.

The 2008 edition sold 270,000 copies in Japanese and 30,000 copies in English. The book has had a definite ripple effect, according to some episodes noted in the grapevine. According to one source: "The president of an upscale resort hotel in the Maldives was in town with 10 chefs from hotels in several countries belonging to the same chain. They visited various Tokyo restaurants with Michelin stars." Another source says some Japanese restaurants now stock Japanese wine at the request of foreign diners.

Some of the chefs rated by Michelin feel blessed. "Michelin has long been the object of my adoration and my guiding light," said Yoshinaru Kikuchi, 42, owner-chef at Le Bourguignon, a French restaurant in Nishi-Azabu that won a single star for the first time this year. "I've always wanted to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant, but it wasn't something I ever aimed at gaining for myself," he added. Hiromitsu Nozaki, 55, executive chef at Waketokuyama, said his one-star Japanese restaurant in Minami-Azabu has always had many foreign diners. "We don't feel the number has increased dramatically since we were covered by Michelin," said Nozaki, whose restaurant kept the one-star status this year. But he said the guide may be useful because few Japanese nowadays really understand Japanese cuisine. "I wonder if more people now appreciate food based on the information they get (from guides like Michelin)," he added.

Toshiya Kadowaki, 48, owner and chef of Kadowaki, a Japanese restaurant in Azabu-Juban, said his restaurant declined to be rated by Michelin last year. That was because he doubted the value of being evaluated with the same criteria used for other Japanese restaurants, even though each has its own characteristics. However, he changed his mind this year, and his restaurant received two stars. "I was advised by people around me (to be rated by Michelin). I think it encourages our employees," he said. A head chef at a restaurant that lost a star this year had this to say: "Although I don't think we lowered our quality, I'm OK with the result. I intend to continue to work hard with other staff to please our customers. "Last year, we were inundated with phone calls for reservations. I thought Michelin was good at publicizing restaurants," the chef said.

The Tokyo metropolitan government has also used the Michelin Guide for publicity--in the capital's campaign to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. During the Beijing Olympics in August, the Tokyo government set up a PR booth in a Beijing hotel that featured a poster of the Michelin Man posing in front of Tokyo Tower. Its message: "Tokyo: new gourmet capital of the world." "We hope members of the International Olympic Committee who are connoisseurs will show interest," said a Tokyo official in charge of the Olympic campaign.

However, criticism remains over what some say is the opacity of the rating criteria in the Michelin guide. Another problem is an imbalance among the types of restaurants covered in the Tokyo guide: There are 41 French restaurants rated, compared with eight Italian restaurants and no yakitori or Korean barbeque eateries. Jean-Luc Naret, director of the famous red books, had a blunt response to that problem. "It reflected the restaurant scene in Tokyo. There were no restaurants (in those categories) worthy of stars," he said.

On the heels of the Michelin Guide Tokyo's release last year came several similar restaurant guides mimicking the ranking method and undercover research technique. In addition, an issue of a men's magazine that carried a story critical of the Michelin guide sold out. A food website appeared that compares customer ratings of restaurants covered by Michelin with the book's evaluations. "In autumn, we expanded sales space for restaurant guides," said an official at the Maruzen bookstore outlet in Tokyo's Marunouchi district.

The latest edition of "Tokyo Ii Mise Umai Mise" (Delicious restaurants in Tokyo), released in October from Bungeishunju Ltd., saw a 40-percent jump in sales from a year ago. The guide, started 41 years ago by haiku poet Kenkichi Kusumoto and others, features short descriptions of each restaurant and maps. Unlike Michelin Guide Tokyo, it has no glossy color photos. Yasuo Terui, editor in chief of "Tokyo Ii Mise Umai Mise," is pleased with the arrival of the Michelin guide. "Public interest in restaurant guides as a whole is on the increase (thanks to Michelin)," he said. The cover of his book this year, however, contains a provocative message: "French people don't understand."

Yoshiki Tsuji, president of Tsuji Culinary Institute, also welcomes the Michelin Guide Tokyo. "What has evolved in Tokyo (since its arrival) is a business to make use of the Michelin brand," Tsuji said. "There may be errors in assessments of individual restaurants, but no other vehicle has revitalized the restaurant business as much." The Michelin guides were extended to cover New York in 2005, San Francisco in 2006, and Los Angeles and Las Vegas in 2007. This month, Michelin introduced its Hong Kong and Macao edition.

[kusai Jijii]

"...Tokyo: The new gourmet capital of the world..."


Yeah right.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2175/1855297878_32061eb51d.jpg?v=0

[GuyJean]

NJR, but..

Mystery at Michelin-Starred Eatery as Hundreds go Sick
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/03/06/britain.restaurant.blumenthal.sick/index.html

As many as 400 people may have gotten sick after eating at a renowned Michelin-starred restaurant in England, health authorities said Friday.

The Health Protection Agency is investigating an outbreak of diarrhea and vomiting among diners who ate at The Fat Duck restaurant in Berkshire, run by award-winning chef Heston Blumenthal...

GJ

[Mulboyne]

There's been a case of food poisoning at Ogasawatei in Shinjuku. The restaurant has one Michelin star. It's striking how food poisoning cases now make it into the national headlines if the restaurant happens to have a star. That's at least the third one in Tokyo that I can recall hearing about.

[Mulboyne]

The new Tokyo ratings are out. Bloomberg has details of the 3 star rated restaurants here (ENG). The Yomiuri also details the other starred restaurants (JP)

[Greji]

The new Tokyo ratings are out. Bloomberg has details of the 3 star rated restaurants here (ENG). The Yomiuri also details the other starred restaurants (JP)

The Media this morning is proclaiming gleefully that they got more three stars than Paris.....

[Yokohammer]

The Media this morning is proclaiming gleefully that they got more three stars than Paris.....

Yes, I can hear the beating of chests and rustling of flags way up here in Miyagi.

Of course no one has even considered the following stats:

Tokyo population: 12.8 million (approx.)
Paris population: 2.2 million (approx.)

According to my handy-dandy desk calculator, that means Tokyo has about 5.8 times more people to feed than Paris. More restaurants, maybe?

[2triky]

[Yokohammer]

I think the larger population has been acknowledged in several articles I read about the recent edition of the Michelin guide...but I don't think that totally accounts for the greater number of 3 star establishments...

Hell even Kyoto has more 3 star restaurants than a huge city like New York.

NYC population: 8.2 million
Kyoto population: 1.45 million

With respect, it's obvious many Japanese restaurants are so fanatical about quality and taste that it's no wonder they eclipse some of their Western counterparts.

Well ... New York ...

Aw, I'm just playing devil's advocate here. But I hadn't seen the population differences acknowledged on any of the TV shows that have been harping on about Japan's conquest in yet another field since yesterday, so I thought I'd bring it up. The difference cannot be insignificant.

A couple of the places that got good ratings in Kyoto are places I've been going for years, and they really are outstanding. And I'm certainly in agreement that the quality of food in many places in Tokyo is stellar. I just get annoyed when the media presents things all out of perspective and context ... which is most of the time. The average viewer just accepts everything that's on the tube at face value. That's why, for example, some people actually believe that foreigners perpetrate more crimes in Japan than the Japanese.

You might say I'm campaigning for a "balanced view."

[2triky]

[quote="Yokohammer"]Well ... New York ... ]

Right on, man. I can appreciate your perspective and desire for an accurate depiction of the situation. Media bias is inevitable I guess but that's not to say that it should be disregarded, as you imply.

In any case, I agree that both Tokyo and Kyoto have some exceptional restaurants that merit recognition on the international stage. Japan definitely compels attention in regard to its tradition for sublime food, especially vis-a-vis other nations.

[Samurai_Jerk]

TOKYO – The Epicurean king who oversees the Michelin Guide fears he may be banished from France.

His shocking crime?

Awarding Tokyo more three-star restaurant ratings than Paris, thereby crowning the Japanese metropolis the new gastronomic capital of the world.

"Trust me, they'll wait for me at customs there," Jean-Luc Naret, director general of the famed guide to exceptional eateries, joked Thursday at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan. "Because they'll say how dare could you have more three-stars in Tokyo than in Paris?"

Michelin's latest Tokyo edition goes on sale in Japan on Friday, and Naret has been in town this week promoting what many consider to be the bible of culinary skill. This time, Michelin's undercover team of inspectors has bestowed its highest three-star rating to 11 restaurants in Tokyo, one more than in Paris.

Tokyo also beats Paris in the total number of stars received — 261 awarded to 197 establishments.

That's 34 more than when the venerable guide made its Asian debut in Japan in 2007. ...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091119/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_france_michelin_guide

=======================================================================

I think Japanese food is great. I think the way they do Western food is not. Fuck Michelin.

[Captain Japan]

[Yokohammer]

Hang on ... this is likely to get messy.

This is the Michelin Guide, right? A French publication, right? So it is a publication that evaluates restaurants from a French perspective, n'est-ce pas? WTF is wrong with that? The local media feels that foreigners are not capable of properly evaluating Japanese food? For who? Are Japanese publications that evaluate restaurants in France ... or New York ... or London ... or where-the-f*ck-ever (and there are plenty of 'em) referring to local experts and incorporating their opinions in their reports? Of course not ... because they're evaluating from a Japanese perspective. There's nothing wrong with that. Is the difference that the Michelin guide is published in languages other than French? So why aren't Japanese international food guides translated into English or other languages? Is it perhaps because they're usually done half-assed on the cheap without due research by non-experts who just want to sell books/magazines rather than actually creating a guide of lasting value, not to mention the fact that they're written from a not-very-cosmopolitan cultural perspective?

(gasp ... pant-pant ... let me catch my breath here ...)

I just don't understand the need to take control of a foreign publication and turn it into a Japanese thing. It's the Michelin Guide, fer f*ck's sake! Why not just accept it as that? Oh ... but it pulls weight ... it's influential! Of course it does/is! It's a very old, established, and highly regarded publication! It is respected precisely because the evaluations are done with great care by people who really understand food ... from a French/Western perspective ... for people who pursue food from a French/Western perspective. But now that they're evaluating Japanese food and providing a Japanese-language edition it's all wrong?

I mean, I love Japanese food, but PSHAW!!!

Enough ... I'm going back to my bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

Enough ... I'm going back to my bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau.

You cleaning an old engine tonight or something?

[Yokohammer]

You cleaning an old engine tonight or something?

Why would I want to ruin an old engine?

Nah. I drink precisely one bottle of the stuff per year when it's released. It helps me appreciate good wine. It also helps me write long wine-fueled rants on Internet forums.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Tokyo noodle shop awarded world's first ramen Michelin star

A tiny Tokyo noodle shop joined the ranks of the world's top restaurants Tuesday as it scooped up a star from the respected Michelin Guide.

The food bible gave a nod to nine-seat Tsuta -- a first for a ramen eatery -- as Tokyo also kept its title as the world's culinary capital with the most Michelin-starred restaurants.

Ramen is one of the most common fast foods in Japan and small shops serving the soup-and-noodle concoction can be found on almost every corner.

In recent years, the dish's popularity has exploded with restaurants popping up in major cities around the world, from Hong Kong to New York.

Tsuta -- which sells bowls from $7 to $9.75 apiece at its shop in the north Tokyo neighbourhood of Sugamo -- features gourmet offerings such as rosemary-flavoured barbecued pork and soy sauce ramen with a hint of porcini mushroom.

[Takechanpoo]

btw seems like western gaijin dudes do not regard smell of tonkotsu as stinky and disgusting, compared to japanese regarding.

coz a smell of pork soup ramen is resemble to you westerners body odor to some extent? eh?:roll:

in my childhood, pork soup ramen of Hope-ken in sendagaya was a social phenomenon and i went to eat it with my family. but that tonkotsu ramen made me almost vomit and get diarrhea. since then, i wholeheartedly hate the smell of tonkotsu ramen. its just like a smell of a dog which havent been washed for over a year.

[Samurai_Jerk]

btw seems like western gaijin dudes do not regard smell of tonkotsu as stinky and disgusting, compared to japanese regarding.

coz a smell of pork soup ramen is resemble to you westerners body odor to some extent? eh?:roll:

in my childhood, pork soup ramen of Hope-ken in sendagaya was a social phenomenon and i went to eat it with my family. but that tonkotsu ramen made me almost vomit and get diarrhea. since then, i wholeheartedly hate the smell of tonkotsu ramen. its just like a smell of a dog which havent been washed for over a year.

I used to work near a tonkotsu ramen shop. The staff at my office was about 50/50 Japanese/Westerners and the gaijin complained about the smell all the time. I never heard any of the Japanese complain though.

[matsuki]

Just to be clear, the star has nothing to do with the venue?

[Takechanpoo]

already in front of the ramen shop....

20151203-00000057-sph-000-2-view.jpg

[matsuki]

What's the local opinion on the place? (before the hype train got to shinkansen status)

[Samurai_Jerk]

What's the local opinion on the place? (before the hype train got to shinkansen status)

Judging by the Tabelog ranking it seems to be pretty high.

[matsuki]

What's the local opinion on the place? (before the hype train got to shinkansen status)

Judging by the Tabelog ranking it seems to be pretty high.

Nice! Sounds like they're going to be busy for a loooong while

[Samurai_Jerk]

What's the local opinion on the place? (before the hype train got to shinkansen status)

Judging by the Tabelog ranking it seems to be pretty high.

Nice! Sounds like they're going to be busy for a loooong while

I looks like old-school shina soba which I really like. That stuff isn't so easy to find anymore since everyone seems to have gone crazy for heavier soups like tonkotsu. I don't think I'll be going to check out anytime though as I'm not willing to wait in line for hours for a bowl of noodles unless maybe a visiting friend REALLY wants to go.