Tokyo's Michelin Scene
(as published in the June 2015 issue of Philippine Airlines' Mabuhay magazine)
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| When in Tokyo, visitors feel like they're dining at a Michelin restaurant every time at just about any establishment because of the superb quality of food. |
Tokyo is the
first Asian city to have a dedicated Michelin guide and evidently, the creators
were right in their decision. Since 2010, it has surpassed Paris in terms of
the city with the most number of Michelin star-rated restaurants in the world and
has also been number one in having the most three Michelin star establishments since
2009. The guide lists restaurants ranging from washoku (Japanese traditional cuisine) to French and Italian contemporary.
Previous guides included restaurants in the Yokohama and Shonan areas, but this
year they had decided to focus on those in Tokyo.
As of last
year, an interesting addition was made to the Tokyo guide. This was the Bib Gourmand, a special feature on
quality food offered by restaurants at relatively affordable prices (JPY 5,000
or less). Previously only selected French and Italian restaurants were included
but in 2015, over half of the 596 establishments listed is comprised of washoku restaurants, with 22 categories including
udon, tempura and yakitori. This is after UNESCO recently listed washoku as an “intangible cultural
heritage.”
Tokyo’s Rise to Michelin Stardom
So how did
Tokyo surpass every city to become the Michelin capital of the world? Jean-Luc
Naret, previous editorial director for Michelin, was quoted as saying Tokyo was
“by far the world’s capital of gastronomy.” The incumbent Michael Ellis
believes “Japanese gourmet cooking is even more creative, inspired, and
inventive than in the past.” Some also say it’s because of using the finest ingredients,
“dedication to craft,” “quest for perfection” and “obsessive attention to
detail.” While I definitely agree to all of that, having visited Japan a number
of times I think it’s also because of the discipline instilled in the Japanese,
their minimalist aesthetic, personal involvement from the chefs and harmony
with the seasons that make them truly outstanding.
The Pinnacle of Modern Dining: Three
Michelin Stars
Usukifugu Yamadaya (Fugu
dishes)
If you’re
feeling adventurous (since you’re traveling after all), you can try a
distinctly Japanese delicacy: the fugu
(poisonous pufferfish). The tetradotoxin in certain organs of the fish is a
lip-numbing (the first symptom of its poisoning) 1,200 times deadlier than
cyanide with no known antidote and yes, people have died (or came close to
death) from eating it before. These occurrences rarely happen when prepared by
licensed, experienced chefs who have undergone over three years of training and
apprenticeship where only a third pass the final test, let alone by those recruited
by a three Michelin-starred restaurant. Chef Fumie Yamada of the Yamada family
is the fourth-generation heir to a family that has been managing their fugu restaurants all over Japan for
almost a century. Their first store that has been open since the Meiji Era is
located in Usuki on Kyushu Island, which is also where the fish are flown in from
daily to Tokyo.
If this
doesn’t discourage you the least bit, having a great story to tell about the
time you (most likely would have) survived from a potentially fatal but
nonetheless expensive situation, could be well worth the risk. Just be sure to
try the delicacy with hirezake, a flaming,
sweet sake that’s flavored with fins
of – you guessed it – fugu.
Chateau Restaurant Joël Robuchon (Modern French)
As the man who
has been awarded the most Michelin stars, it comes as no surprise that all of legendary
chef Joël Robuchon’s
restaurants in Tokyo are Michelin-starred and you can expect nothing short of
the quality all his other restaurants are known for worldwide. Chateau Joël Robuchon
Restaurant, in particular, stands out not only because of its three stars, but
also for being located in a flawlessly anachronistic, 18th-century
inspired Versailles chateau in the middle of Tokyo.
For the complete
Robuchon experience, try the full 12-course degustation menu. Cheese and
dessert carts await you at the end of your meal in addition to the vast breads
selection. The restaurant’s elegant champagne-colored interiors can be
described as no less than exquisite and their service, impeccable. Needless to
say, reservations are a must and the restaurant imposes a strict dress code, just
as you can be assured of a formal dining experience as children under 10 years
of age are restricted to dining in private rooms.
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| Tonkotsu (pork bone) Ramen. Believe it or not, some restaurants offer noodle refills of up to two times! |
Good to know:
- Now in English!
Much to every foodie and gourmand’s
delight, the free online version of the Michelin Guide’s Tokyo Edition 2015, as
well as other cities in the Kansai region, is available in English for the
first time. See it here: http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/restaurant/list/tokyo/
The printed version, however, will
remain exclusively in Japanese.
- From Rubber Tires to
Restaurants
Everyone is aware that Michelin is
both a company that makes rubber tires for vehicles and the prestigious “international
benchmark for gourmet dining.” But how exactly did this come to be? You’d be
surprised at the business ingenuity and basic principles of supply and demand
that was at play then.
Essentially, the company expanded their
business (drastically if I may add) in a span of just a few years. It was
simple, yet it was pure genius. The goal was to increase the demand for their
main business (tires) and in order to do this, they needed to increase the
demand for cars by giving people a reason to journey farther: a travel guide
that lists all the best restaurants and hotels. Naturally, this also included gas
stations along the way where they could change their tires.
- Did you know that the
Michelin Man actually has name? His name is Bibendum, which is taken from ‘Nunc est Bibendum’
(Now is the time to drink), a phrase from one of Horace’s Odes used by a French cartoonist in one of his drawings. As for the
popular mascot’s appearance, it came about when the Michelin brothers suggested
to the same cartoonist to replace the man holding a beer in the drawing with the
idea of a humanoid figure made from tires they had envisioned years earlier. Little
did they know that this iconic figure, which was intended for selling rubber
tires, would eventually lead the company to also being recognized as the
world’s restaurant authority.
- Mandarin Oriental now has
more Michelin stars than any other hotel chain.
Three of
which are in Tokyo, four in Hong Kong, and the remaining four in different
European countries.
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