Tokyo still tops for dining after Michelin announcement

The gourmands of Tokyo can rest easy, the city is still on top. In a video released Tuesday, the 2022 Michelin Guide for Tokyo awarded stars to 203 restaurants in the capital — nine less than last year but still the most of any city in the world.

“Tokyo was the very first Asian destination our Michelin inspectors revealed,” said Gwendal Poullennec, the Michelin Guide’s international director. “And since then, the Michelin Guide has never ceased to be the privileged witness of Tokyo’s gastronomic excellence and dynamism.”

All 12 of the restaurants that earned the highest distinction of three stars in 2021 retained their ratings this year, though no new restaurants were added. The guide awarded 41 restaurants two stars, including three new additions promoted from one star: the sushi shop Nihombashi-kakigaracho Sugita and French restaurants Asahina Gastronome and Crony. Finally, 150 restaurants were awarded one star and 229 were selected for the Bib Gourmand classification.

The French guide commended Quintessence, Joel Robuchon and Kanda for keeping their three-star status since 2008, when Michelin first made its foray into Tokyo.

“Fifteen years ago I received the great honor of three Michelin stars, which changed my life and the world around me,” said Hiroyuki Kanda the owner and chef of Kanda in the Moto-Azabu area, and awardee of Michelin’s first Mentor Chef Award. “I think it was the Michelin stars that helped me to always be ambitious about the position of Japanese cuisine and my position in the culinary world.”

Michelin also awarded 14 Green Stars, introduced in 2020 for the 2021 edition, given to restaurants for sustainable cooking. This year the awardees include La Paix, Den, Florilege, Narisawa and Lature. A Service Award was given to Mayuka Arai of Hommage, a two-star French restaurant in Asakusa.

At one star, new additions include Sezanne and Est.

Denkushiflori, a collaboration between the chefs Zaiyu Hasegawa of Den and Hiroyasu Kawate of Florilege, was also awarded one star. Japan Times food critic Robbie Swinnerton writes that the kushi (skewer)-centered restaurant in Omotesando “tethers contemporary Japanese to modern French cuisine in a style all its own.”

Shoto Lamp, Gracia, Bistro Nemot, An Com, Katsuo Shokudo and Sowado are some of the 35 new additions for Bib Gourmand, which are awarded for “good quality, good value cooking.”

In October, Michelin released similar videos for star reveals for Kyoto and Osaka, as well as Wakayama Prefecture, which the guide added only this year. There were 108 restaurants that received one or more stars in Kyoto, 96 in Osaka and eight in Wakayama.

In line with COVID-19 guidelines, the government is strongly requesting that residents and visitors exercise caution if they choose to visit bars, restaurants, music venues and other public spaces.