13 hours Ago By [email protected] (Joe Hoeffner)
The city with the most restaurants with Michelin stars is not, as you might assume, Paris. It may have been long considered by some to be the gastronomic capital of the world, and it may be the capital of the country Michelin Tires , but it does not have the most awarded restaurants. Neither does , London, or Hong Kong.
No, the city with the most Michelin stars is none other than Tokyo, which boasts 194 restaurants with at least one star. Tokyo is the largest city in the world, with its greater metropolitan area housing a population of over 37 million, so it stands to reason it will attract some of the world's greatest chefs. As you might imagine, the majority of the Tokyo restaurants recognized by Michelin specialize in Japanese cuisine, often served as kaiseki (a formalized tasting menu) or kappo (a somewhat more relaxed fixed menu.
) Kagurazaka Ishikawa, Kanda, and Ginza Kitagawa are all fine examples. There are plenty of sushi restaurants recognized, too, although some of the most famous examples are ineligible for Michelin stars. Sukiyabashi Jiro, the subway sushi counter immortalized by "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," had its three Michelin stars removed in 2020 because they no longer accept reservations from the public.
The same is true of Sushi Saito, another restaurant stripped of its three Michelin stars. (A branch of Sukiyabashi Jiro in the nearby Roppongi Hills, which does accept reservations, has two stars.) Tokyo's Michelin-starred restaurants offer more than Japanese cuisine Although the majority of Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo serve Japanese fare, not all of them do.
Some restaurants, even those with the highest distinction of three Michelin stars, focus on other cuisines, whether fused with Japanese cuisine or on its own. There is plenty of French representation, with restaurants like Quintessence, L'Osier, and Joël Robuchon Tokyo (founded by ) all earning three stars. There's also Sazenka, a restaurant founded by the Japanese chef Tomoya Kawada as a fusion between Japanese and Chinese cuisine.
There's even an Italian restaurant, Aroma Fresca, although don't go in expecting spaghetti with red sauce: the focus is on Japanese-sourced ingredients utilized in unique ways, such as a capellini pasta with botan ebi shrimp. Fine dining is rarely cheap, and that's as true in Tokyo as it is anywhere else. At Sazenka, for instance, the Signature Degustation Course will set you back 49,500 yen — or $345.
32. At Ishikawa, meanwhile, a tasting menu may come out to 35,250 yen ($245). Neither of these restaurants, however, are as pricy as the most expensive Michelin-starred restaurant in Tokyo, .
Recommended.
