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Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- The Michelin Guide gave top billing to nine restaurants in Tokyo, one more than last year, as Japan's capital tallied 227 stars, more than any city in the world, and tied with Paris for the number of three-star eateries.
All eight restaurants given the highest-possible three-star rating last year retained the accolade, joined this year by a ninth, Ishikawa, which serves traditional Japanese food. The dining guide gave two stars to 36 restaurants and one to 128, said Michelin, at a press conference in Tokyo. More than 60 percent of starred restaurants are Japanese. Gordon Ramsay's eponymous restaurant got a star.
``Tokyo's gastronomy has improved and evolved in the course of the year and the rise in stars shows that,'' said Jean-Luc Naret, director of Michelin Guides. ``There is great potential in Tokyo and it can get even more stars.''
The second edition of Michelin's Tokyo guide is going on sale as Japan's economy, the world's second-biggest, enters its first recession since 2001. Restaurant sales in Japan fell the most in at least six months in September when the latest round of the global credit crunch began, figures from the Japan Foodservice Association show.
``The top end of the market has its own clientele,'' Naret said. ``The restaurants that don't do well are those that aren't that good, and they would have to adjust.''
Michelin judges restaurants on their food and drink based on a set of ``unpublished criteria,'' according to the company's Web site. One star indicates a very good restaurant, two denotes excellent cuisine worthy of a detour, while three signals exceptional cuisine deserving of a ``special journey,'' the Web site says. The company released its first Tokyo guide last year.
Shoes Pictogram
This year's guide added new features unique to Japan: a pictogram showing eateries where shoes should be removed, and another for good sake.
Ratings were given based on anonymous visits by Michelin scouts in the past year. Naret said 95 percent of the evaluators were Japanese, without citing their number. The latest guide covers 13 wards in Tokyo, five more than last year.
``This is a guide book by the Japanese people, for the Japanese people and bought by the Japanese people,'' Naret said when asked if foreigners can accurately judge Japanese cuisine. ``You don't have to be French to understand French cuisine, and that's the same in Japan.''
Naret said 85 percent of the sales of the inaugural Tokyo guide were to Tokyo residents.
More Than Paris
Japan's capital has 190,167 registered restaurants, bars and other eateries as of March 2006, the latest figures available, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. That's more than 10 times the number of establishments in Paris, Naret said.
Michelin & Cie., the world's largest tiremaker, has published its restaurant and hotel guides since 1900. The company produced its first ``Red Guide'' at the turn of the 20th century to encourage motoring. Michelin says it now sells more than 22 million maps and guides in about 70 countries around the world.
Michelin will release its first Hong Kong in a fortnight, said Naret. The Tokyo guide goes on sale on Nov. 21.
Michelin also upgraded two restaurants to a two-star rating in its 2009 guide for Switzerland, details of which were released today.
The restaurants awarded three stars are:
Ishikawa, Classic Japanese
Hamadaya, Classic Japanese
Joel Robuchon, French
Kanda, Japanese
Koju, Japanese
L'Osier, French
Quintessence, French
Sushi Mizutani, Sushi
Sukiyabashi Jiro, Sushi
All eight restaurants given the highest-possible three-star rating last year retained the accolade, joined this year by a ninth, Ishikawa, which serves traditional Japanese food. The dining guide gave two stars to 36 restaurants and one to 128, said Michelin, at a press conference in Tokyo. More than 60 percent of starred restaurants are Japanese. Gordon Ramsay's eponymous restaurant got a star.
``Tokyo's gastronomy has improved and evolved in the course of the year and the rise in stars shows that,'' said Jean-Luc Naret, director of Michelin Guides. ``There is great potential in Tokyo and it can get even more stars.''
The second edition of Michelin's Tokyo guide is going on sale as Japan's economy, the world's second-biggest, enters its first recession since 2001. Restaurant sales in Japan fell the most in at least six months in September when the latest round of the global credit crunch began, figures from the Japan Foodservice Association show.
``The top end of the market has its own clientele,'' Naret said. ``The restaurants that don't do well are those that aren't that good, and they would have to adjust.''
Michelin judges restaurants on their food and drink based on a set of ``unpublished criteria,'' according to the company's Web site. One star indicates a very good restaurant, two denotes excellent cuisine worthy of a detour, while three signals exceptional cuisine deserving of a ``special journey,'' the Web site says. The company released its first Tokyo guide last year.
Shoes Pictogram
This year's guide added new features unique to Japan: a pictogram showing eateries where shoes should be removed, and another for good sake.
Ratings were given based on anonymous visits by Michelin scouts in the past year. Naret said 95 percent of the evaluators were Japanese, without citing their number. The latest guide covers 13 wards in Tokyo, five more than last year.
``This is a guide book by the Japanese people, for the Japanese people and bought by the Japanese people,'' Naret said when asked if foreigners can accurately judge Japanese cuisine. ``You don't have to be French to understand French cuisine, and that's the same in Japan.''
Naret said 85 percent of the sales of the inaugural Tokyo guide were to Tokyo residents.
More Than Paris
Japan's capital has 190,167 registered restaurants, bars and other eateries as of March 2006, the latest figures available, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. That's more than 10 times the number of establishments in Paris, Naret said.
Michelin & Cie., the world's largest tiremaker, has published its restaurant and hotel guides since 1900. The company produced its first ``Red Guide'' at the turn of the 20th century to encourage motoring. Michelin says it now sells more than 22 million maps and guides in about 70 countries around the world.
Michelin will release its first Hong Kong in a fortnight, said Naret. The Tokyo guide goes on sale on Nov. 21.
Michelin also upgraded two restaurants to a two-star rating in its 2009 guide for Switzerland, details of which were released today.
The restaurants awarded three stars are:
Ishikawa, Classic Japanese
Hamadaya, Classic Japanese
Joel Robuchon, French
Kanda, Japanese
Koju, Japanese
L'Osier, French
Quintessence, French
Sushi Mizutani, Sushi
Sukiyabashi Jiro, Sushi
Bloomberg
