Tokyo loses gourmet status to west Japan
Source: Agencies |
October 19, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WESTERN Japan yesterday challenged Tokyo for its status as the global center of gourmet dining, with the Michelin guide awarding restaurants there more of the coveted three-star ratings than it gave to establishments in the capital.
A total of 15 restaurants in the Kansai area, centered on Japan's second-largest city of Osaka and the ancient capital of Kyoto, were awarded top three-star ratings, three more than last year and one more than Tokyo received this year.
Tokyo last year received more Michelin stars than any other city in the world for the fourth year in a row.
Of the restaurants named in the newest edition of the guide to the Kansai region, a popular tourist area known as the heartland of Japanese traditional culture, 12 serve Japanese cuisine and two fusion. The last serves "contemporary French."
New to the guidebook this year were the cities of Kobe and Nara, accounting for three of the three-star establishments. Michelin defines three-star ratings as "exceptional cuisine, worth a journey."
Wa Yamamura, a Japanese restaurant in Nara, leapt to the top of the awards in its first listing.
The restaurants Fujiya 1935 and Koryu in Osaka, whose inhabitants have long been light-heartedly known in food-obsessed Japan as "those who court financial ruin by extravagance in food," were promoted to three stars from two.
Among the 300 establishments given stars, 61 - including two traditional inns - received two stars while 224 were given one.
Bernard Delmas, president of Nihon Michelin Tire, said: "Japan is truly a unique country, where many cities have cuisine of a very high quality. That is why, even in the fifth year of the arrival of our Michelin guide in Japan, we continue to discover new stars to introduce to our readers."
The award is especially respected in Japan, where diners are willing to wait in long lines and pay high prices at noted establishments.
Included in this year's guide for the first time were Korean restaurants.
A total of 15 restaurants in the Kansai area, centered on Japan's second-largest city of Osaka and the ancient capital of Kyoto, were awarded top three-star ratings, three more than last year and one more than Tokyo received this year.
Tokyo last year received more Michelin stars than any other city in the world for the fourth year in a row.
Of the restaurants named in the newest edition of the guide to the Kansai region, a popular tourist area known as the heartland of Japanese traditional culture, 12 serve Japanese cuisine and two fusion. The last serves "contemporary French."
New to the guidebook this year were the cities of Kobe and Nara, accounting for three of the three-star establishments. Michelin defines three-star ratings as "exceptional cuisine, worth a journey."
Wa Yamamura, a Japanese restaurant in Nara, leapt to the top of the awards in its first listing.
The restaurants Fujiya 1935 and Koryu in Osaka, whose inhabitants have long been light-heartedly known in food-obsessed Japan as "those who court financial ruin by extravagance in food," were promoted to three stars from two.
Among the 300 establishments given stars, 61 - including two traditional inns - received two stars while 224 were given one.
Bernard Delmas, president of Nihon Michelin Tire, said: "Japan is truly a unique country, where many cities have cuisine of a very high quality. That is why, even in the fifth year of the arrival of our Michelin guide in Japan, we continue to discover new stars to introduce to our readers."
The award is especially respected in Japan, where diners are willing to wait in long lines and pay high prices at noted establishments.
Included in this year's guide for the first time were Korean restaurants.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
