‘Extraordinary’ Tokyo remains Michelin’s most starred city
Some 33 new restaurants in the Japanese capital have gained stars in the 2019 edition of the red book, released this week, bringing its total to 230.
This is more than double Paris’ 113 sites, and triple London’s 71 starred dining rooms.
Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, praised the variety of Tokyo’s ‘extraordinary’ food scene. Restaurants listed in the 2019 edition range from Joël Robuchon’s three-starred French dining room, to ramen bars.
Tokyo usurped Paris as Michelin’s culinary capital when the red book first came to Japan in 2007, and has outranked the French city ever since.
The Japanese capital now boasts 13 three-star restaurants, compared to Paris’ ten. There are just five three-star sites in the UK, with three in London.
The 2019 guide saw Tokyo's L’Osier, which uses both Japanese and French ingredients, promoted to the triple rating.
Other new additions include the third one-star ramen restaurant in the city, Sobahouse Kiniro Hototogisu.
There was also the first star for a restaurant focused on onigiri cuisine, white rice formed in to triangular or cylindrical shapes, which is often wrapped in nori.
“This diversity of cuisine types and restaurant styles mean it is a great pleasure for our team of inspectors to continue to seek out and introduce our readers to the many high quality, and good value options, that the city has to offer,” says Poullennec.
Some 254 Tokyo restaurants also hold Bib Gourmands, awarded to restaurants serving quality food at good value, 44 of which were new for 2019.
