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Given that it's on the Michelin website, it may interest you to know that Japan is tied for 1st for number of restaurants with 3 Michelin stars. https://en.wik

Given that it's on the Michelin website, it may interest you to know that Japan is tied for 1st for number of restaurants with 3 Michelin stars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Michelin_3-star_restaurants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Michelin_3-star_restau... It has a stunning 25 restaurants. For a population of 126 million. The runner up, USA, has 15 restaurants with twice the population. As a frequent traveler Japan, I can say from personal experience, it is hard to find a bad meal in Japan.

keiferski 8y ago
One of the things that surprised me the most about Tokyo was the variety of “pretty good” cheap food. The “fast casual” equivalent was far better quality than whatever it would be in the US.
- komali2 8y ago
  Right! Especially meals that would be considered "a dinner out" in the USA, e.g. incredible ramen can be had fast for lunch, and relatively cheap.
  - JoshuaRLi 8y ago
    Don't forget about gyudon :)
factsaresacred 8y ago
Yes, it's incredible. Almost as many in Tokyo alone as in the entire USA. You'll notice too that Japan (along with other Asian locations) received their first Michelin star in only 2008. European restaurants have stars dating from the 1960s, so this is really just the beginning for the East. When they finally get around to surveying Bangkok I've little doubt we'll see our first street-food Michelin star.
- curuinor 8y ago
  Done already https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/singapore/articles/singapore-street-food-stalls-get-michelin-star/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/singapo...
  - factsaresacred 8y ago
    Neat, I had no idea. Michelin-star food for $2 is a steal!
- wenc 8y ago
  > European restaurants have stars dating from the 1960s, so this is really just the beginning for the East. My sense is that it's more that the Michelin inspectors have only started to explore the East (Tokyo in 2007). I've always felt that Michelin inspectors were late to the scene. Excellent restaurants have probably existed in the East long before this. I've visited many Asian countries and the food culture and passion for food there exceeds that of many European countries (and I've eaten at Basque restaurants).
dm8 8y ago
One my gripes with "michelin star" system is that it is heavily tilted towards European and Japanese food. There is absolutely no Indian, South American, Mediterranean, Thai, or Chinese restaurants (albeit few though) in it's catalog. They are pretty much missing the diverse and exceptional gastronomical experience in doing so. EDIT: Small change, looks like there are few Chinese restaurants!
- zht 8y ago
  there's a bunch of chinese restaurants. not sure about the others
- porphyrogene 8y ago
  They are pretty transparent about that fact. There are obvious factors that contribute to a restaurant being visited by Michelin judges, not the least of which is its location relative to other restaurants that are visited. There is also the matter of judges needing to be familiar with a cuisine in order to judge it properly. Without extensive knowledge of ingredients, preparation methods and presentation patterns it is difficult to issue a Michelin rating. If they do not know the culinary landscape how do you imagine they will issue a rating? Doing so would destroy their credibility as a knowledgeable school of critics. There used to be zero stars in Japan but that has changed over time as the Michelin system has embraced the cuisine and visa versa. It is easy to point out that many cuisines are not represented in the Michelin guide but what are the alternatives? That a limited number of people learn everything there is to know in an instant? That the ratings become so arbitrary that they are meaningless? There is nothing in the Michelin guide that claims that good food cannot be found elsewhere. I fail to see the controversy in a publication that is seemingly doing what it can to stick to what it knows while progressively broadening its horizons.
  - dm8 8y ago
    >> If they do not know the culinary landscape how do you imagine they will issue a rating? Doing so would destroy their credibility as a knowledgeable school of critics. By hiring more inspectors? I'm not saying there is cultural bias or something like that. I'm just pointing out the fact that they have certain cuisines that are not represented. If you consistently claim to be - "the world’s best known independent restaurant and hotel guide" with proudly boasting 100 odd year history, then you better show gastronomic variety. Else it just seems weird. [1] From their twitter handle description - twitter.com/MichelinGuideUK
runako 8y ago
> The runner up, USA, has 15 restaurants with twice the population. I believe I read that Michelin doesn't really evaluate most of the USA as part of its starring guide. For example, this [1] indicates that LA is not in the coverage area for the Michelin star system. Smaller cities like Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, etc. are therefore invisible despite having tons of people in aggregate. (Apparently the size of geographic regions and cost are factors.) Would be interesting to see the US ratio compared with population in the cities actually covered here. 1 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2016/06/01/did-the-michelin-guide-snub-los-angeles-by-choosing-d-c/?utm_term=.1d95013b27a8 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2016/06/01/did-t...
- beat 8y ago
  It doesn't. This has been an issue in Minneapolis, one of the best food scenes in the country. We've had restaurants that could legitimately compete for Michelin stars, but not a lot of interest in them coming here to look. I know of at least one place in Minneapolis that is now shooting for a star or two. There's a lot of preparation involved, far beyond the food alone.
  - hammock 8y ago
    Which are these places in mpls?
    - beat 8y ago
      Piccolo (now closed) was certainly on that level. Spoon and Stable probably is too. I know of at least one place that is actively trying to earn one, but I'm not naming names...
      - germinalphrase 8y ago
        How about just favorite tasty spots for us locals...
        8y ago
nihonde 8y ago
Michelin rating is prestigious in Japan, but Japanese customers are going to be equally/more impressed by a 3.9+ rating on Tabelog.
oska 8y ago
> it is hard to find a bad meal in Japan I'm a fan of the food and dining experience in Japan but I disagree with this blanket statement. Okonomiyaki is pretty awful. Ramen is rubbish (cheap, non-nutritional noodles remain cheap, non-nutritional noodles however you dress them up). Japanese curry is pretty repulsive stuff and an insult to the sub-continent tradition. I could go on.
- h1d 8y ago
  That's just your personal taste... They're all popular and I have nothing bad to say to those.

keiferski 8y ago

One of the things that surprised me the most about Tokyo was the variety of “pretty good” cheap food. The “fast casual” equivalent was far better quality than whatever it would be in the US.

komali2 8y ago
Right! Especially meals that would be considered "a dinner out" in the USA, e.g. incredible ramen can be had fast for lunch, and relatively cheap.
- JoshuaRLi 8y ago
  Don't forget about gyudon :)

factsaresacred 8y ago

Yes, it's incredible. Almost as many in Tokyo alone as in the entire USA. You'll notice too that Japan (along with other Asian locations) received their first Michelin star in only 2008. European restaurants have stars dating from the 1960s, so this is really just the beginning for the East. When they finally get around to surveying Bangkok I've little doubt we'll see our first street-food Michelin star.

curuinor 8y ago
Done already https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/singapore/articles/singapore-street-food-stalls-get-michelin-star/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/singapo...
- factsaresacred 8y ago
  Neat, I had no idea. Michelin-star food for $2 is a steal!
wenc 8y ago
> European restaurants have stars dating from the 1960s, so this is really just the beginning for the East. My sense is that it's more that the Michelin inspectors have only started to explore the East (Tokyo in 2007). I've always felt that Michelin inspectors were late to the scene. Excellent restaurants have probably existed in the East long before this. I've visited many Asian countries and the food culture and passion for food there exceeds that of many European countries (and I've eaten at Basque restaurants).

dm8 8y ago

One my gripes with "michelin star" system is that it is heavily tilted towards European and Japanese food. There is absolutely no Indian, South American, Mediterranean, Thai, or Chinese restaurants (albeit few though) in it's catalog. They are pretty much missing the diverse and exceptional gastronomical experience in doing so. EDIT: Small change, looks like there are few Chinese restaurants!

zht 8y ago
there's a bunch of chinese restaurants. not sure about the others
porphyrogene 8y ago
They are pretty transparent about that fact. There are obvious factors that contribute to a restaurant being visited by Michelin judges, not the least of which is its location relative to other restaurants that are visited. There is also the matter of judges needing to be familiar with a cuisine in order to judge it properly. Without extensive knowledge of ingredients, preparation methods and presentation patterns it is difficult to issue a Michelin rating. If they do not know the culinary landscape how do you imagine they will issue a rating? Doing so would destroy their credibility as a knowledgeable school of critics. There used to be zero stars in Japan but that has changed over time as the Michelin system has embraced the cuisine and visa versa. It is easy to point out that many cuisines are not represented in the Michelin guide but what are the alternatives? That a limited number of people learn everything there is to know in an instant? That the ratings become so arbitrary that they are meaningless? There is nothing in the Michelin guide that claims that good food cannot be found elsewhere. I fail to see the controversy in a publication that is seemingly doing what it can to stick to what it knows while progressively broadening its horizons.
- dm8 8y ago
  >> If they do not know the culinary landscape how do you imagine they will issue a rating? Doing so would destroy their credibility as a knowledgeable school of critics. By hiring more inspectors? I'm not saying there is cultural bias or something like that. I'm just pointing out the fact that they have certain cuisines that are not represented. If you consistently claim to be - "the world’s best known independent restaurant and hotel guide" with proudly boasting 100 odd year history, then you better show gastronomic variety. Else it just seems weird. [1] From their twitter handle description - twitter.com/MichelinGuideUK

runako 8y ago

> The runner up, USA, has 15 restaurants with twice the population. I believe I read that Michelin doesn't really evaluate most of the USA as part of its starring guide. For example, this [1] indicates that LA is not in the coverage area for the Michelin star system. Smaller cities like Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, etc. are therefore invisible despite having tons of people in aggregate. (Apparently the size of geographic regions and cost are factors.) Would be interesting to see the US ratio compared with population in the cities actually covered here. 1 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2016/06/01/did-the-michelin-guide-snub-los-angeles-by-choosing-d-c/?utm_term=.1d95013b27a8 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2016/06/01/did-t...

beat 8y ago
It doesn't. This has been an issue in Minneapolis, one of the best food scenes in the country. We've had restaurants that could legitimately compete for Michelin stars, but not a lot of interest in them coming here to look. I know of at least one place in Minneapolis that is now shooting for a star or two. There's a lot of preparation involved, far beyond the food alone.
- hammock 8y ago
  Which are these places in mpls?
  - beat 8y ago
    Piccolo (now closed) was certainly on that level. Spoon and Stable probably is too. I know of at least one place that is actively trying to earn one, but I'm not naming names...
    - germinalphrase 8y ago
      How about just favorite tasty spots for us locals...
      - 8y ago

nihonde 8y ago

Michelin rating is prestigious in Japan, but Japanese customers are going to be equally/more impressed by a 3.9+ rating on Tabelog.

oska 8y ago

> it is hard to find a bad meal in Japan I'm a fan of the food and dining experience in Japan but I disagree with this blanket statement. Okonomiyaki is pretty awful. Ramen is rubbish (cheap, non-nutritional noodles remain cheap, non-nutritional noodles however you dress them up). Japanese curry is pretty repulsive stuff and an insult to the sub-continent tradition. I could go on.

h1d 8y ago
That's just your personal taste... They're all popular and I have nothing bad to say to those.