Japan gets more three Michelin-starred eateries
The gastronomical gap between Japan and France has just widened with news that Michelin inspectors have admitted two more Japanese restaurants into the exclusive three-star club.
In the latest edition of the red guide for Kansai 2014, inspectors bestowed two restaurants in Kyoto with their highest accolade -- a three-star rating denoting "exceptional cuisine worth a special pilgrimage."
Mizai and Kichisen were singled out for serving “Japanese cuisine at a remarkably high level.”
After closing its doors in 2012, Mizai reopened in Kyoto this year and has succeeded in retaining its three-star status. The eatery serves traditional kaiseki, a ceremonious, multi-course affair that hinges on the use of fresh, seasonal and local ingredients.
Helming the kitchen of Kichisen, meanwhile, is Yoshimi Tanigawa, a chef who rose to fame after defeating celebrity Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto in the original "Iron Chef" series in 1999, with his interpretation of pike eel.
For the past few years, Japan has enjoyed a leading edge over France, birthplace of the red guide, with inspectors giving out more and more three stars to restaurants in the Asian country.
This year’s Michelin edition for Kansai -- which covers Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Nara -- also includes its first Bib Gourmand section, a selection of restaurants deemed “value-for-money” where a complete meal costs 5,000 JPY (about $50 USD) or less.
Here’s a breakdown:
***
14 restaurants, 2 new
**
51 restaurants, 4 new
*
202 restaurants, 16 new
Bib Gourmand
92 restaurants, 40 French cuisine, 52 Italian
