10 ms·

He's not the only one. [1][3] In fact some places like Kyo Aji from Kenichiro Nishi - who is apparently a very good and famous chef - go as far as ban michelin

He's not the only one. [1][3] In fact some places like Kyo Aji from Kenichiro Nishi - who is apparently a very good and famous chef - go as far as ban michelin tourists. Or at least try to. Just look at this discussion on chowhound [2]. Interesting comment: > Kyoaji is probably sick of rich foreigners trying to book via 5 star hotel concierges. Maybe change your strategy, and stay at a budget salaryman hotel and use their concierge? [1]: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/business/worldbusiness/24guide.html?mcubz=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/business/worldbusiness/24g... [2]: https://www.chowhound.com/post/secure-kyoaji-reservation-930916 https://www.chowhound.com/post/secure-kyoaji-reservation-930... [3]: https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/top-chefs-michelin-stars https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/09/top-chefs-micheli...

lgas 9y ago
> Maybe change your strategy, and stay at a budget salaryman hotel and use their concierge? You could just have your fancy concierge use the budget concierge.
- devdoomari 9y ago
  turtles all the way down...
  - sitkack 9y ago
    Hey kid you now where to get a hair cut and home cooked meal?
ue_ 9y ago
>“Japanese food was created here, and only Japanese know it,” Mr. Kadowaki said in an interview. “How can a bunch of foreigners show up and tell us what is good or bad?” I feel like this has a xenophobic undertone to it; nobody's showing up anywhere, it's a guide which attempts to find good restaurants and food around the globe; what makes the Japanese in his view so specially qualified to judge the food? If the food was only found to be tasteful for Japanese tastes then I doubt it would have made its way into the Michelin guide, no?
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- KGIII 9y ago
  > nobody's showing up anywhere I suspect they are? I mean, if they weren't showing up then the restaurant would be out of business, no? It does read a bit xenophobic, but it might be a pressure thing more than a nationality thing. People try to put pressure on those establishments. Sometimes, it's the chefs themselves who put the pressure on, sometimes it is visitors. People have committed suicide due to the pressures involved in trying to get onto the list and to maintain, or increase, their stars. Failure is difficult and may even result in financial ruin, as if restaurants weren't already inherently risky. So, I'm not sure that it is so much xenophobic as it is simply not wishing to be so publicly judged and/or pressured.
  - ue_ 9y ago
    >I suspect they are? I mean, if they weren't showing up then the restaurant would be out of business, no? Sorry, I was under the impression that he's talking about the Michelin rating people showing up and telling them how good or bad his food is rather than simply visiting and writing a guide which contains his restaurant. I can understand the pressure of being on the list and maintaining one's position, but there's no reason why he couldn't let that slip; being lower on the list is better than not being on the list at all in terms of prestige, so he obviously doesn't care much what a "foreign" guide writes about him. The idea that only Japanese people can judge Japanese food seems to me very xenophobic; if that wasn't his intention then he should have spoken in general rather than targeting "foreigners".
    - KGIII 9y ago
      English may not be his native language and I'm just speculating. To me, it read more about the pressures exerted and the desire to not have to conform to an ideal presented by people who aren't members of the same culture. I'm not sure that qualifies as xenophobic, or even a bad thing. Should a Mexican restaurant be pressured into serving food that is more acceptable to the Canadian palate? (Pressured, not forced.) From what I've read, and a documentary, it's pretty high stress to meet the expectations and to do things in a certain manner. I can understand the desire to get out from under that. By foreigners, it may mean, 'not my usual customers.' So, I'm not sure if that's really xenophobic. I'm not seeing any fear involved, just displeasure about external pressures.
vacri 9y ago
> stay at a budget salaryman hotel and use their concierge? Budget hotels have concierges?
- cbcoutinho 9y ago
  I think the technical term at the budget hotels for concierge is 'the front desk'

lgas 9y ago

> Maybe change your strategy, and stay at a budget salaryman hotel and use their concierge? You could just have your fancy concierge use the budget concierge.

devdoomari 9y ago
turtles all the way down...
- sitkack 9y ago
  Hey kid you now where to get a hair cut and home cooked meal?

ue_ 9y ago

>“Japanese food was created here, and only Japanese know it,” Mr. Kadowaki said in an interview. “How can a bunch of foreigners show up and tell us what is good or bad?” I feel like this has a xenophobic undertone to it; nobody's showing up anywhere, it's a guide which attempts to find good restaurants and food around the globe; what makes the Japanese in his view so specially qualified to judge the food? If the food was only found to be tasteful for Japanese tastes then I doubt it would have made its way into the Michelin guide, no?

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
KGIII 9y ago
> nobody's showing up anywhere I suspect they are? I mean, if they weren't showing up then the restaurant would be out of business, no? It does read a bit xenophobic, but it might be a pressure thing more than a nationality thing. People try to put pressure on those establishments. Sometimes, it's the chefs themselves who put the pressure on, sometimes it is visitors. People have committed suicide due to the pressures involved in trying to get onto the list and to maintain, or increase, their stars. Failure is difficult and may even result in financial ruin, as if restaurants weren't already inherently risky. So, I'm not sure that it is so much xenophobic as it is simply not wishing to be so publicly judged and/or pressured.
- ue_ 9y ago
  >I suspect they are? I mean, if they weren't showing up then the restaurant would be out of business, no? Sorry, I was under the impression that he's talking about the Michelin rating people showing up and telling them how good or bad his food is rather than simply visiting and writing a guide which contains his restaurant. I can understand the pressure of being on the list and maintaining one's position, but there's no reason why he couldn't let that slip; being lower on the list is better than not being on the list at all in terms of prestige, so he obviously doesn't care much what a "foreign" guide writes about him. The idea that only Japanese people can judge Japanese food seems to me very xenophobic; if that wasn't his intention then he should have spoken in general rather than targeting "foreigners".
  - KGIII 9y ago
    English may not be his native language and I'm just speculating. To me, it read more about the pressures exerted and the desire to not have to conform to an ideal presented by people who aren't members of the same culture. I'm not sure that qualifies as xenophobic, or even a bad thing. Should a Mexican restaurant be pressured into serving food that is more acceptable to the Canadian palate? (Pressured, not forced.) From what I've read, and a documentary, it's pretty high stress to meet the expectations and to do things in a certain manner. I can understand the desire to get out from under that. By foreigners, it may mean, 'not my usual customers.' So, I'm not sure if that's really xenophobic. I'm not seeing any fear involved, just displeasure about external pressures.

vacri 9y ago

> stay at a budget salaryman hotel and use their concierge? Budget hotels have concierges?

cbcoutinho 9y ago
I think the technical term at the budget hotels for concierge is 'the front desk'