Following the guide published last month for Kansai (West) region including Osaka and Kyoto, Michelin Guide 2014 for Tokyo and surrounding area has been published on early December 2013.
Let's see what happened and changed.
Michelin Guide Tokyo Yokohama Shonan 2014 includes
14 three-star restaurants - one less from the last year and no new face on the list.
Well, they are ones for Japanese cuisine; Azabu Yukimura, Ishikawa, Yamadaya(Fugu), Esaki, Kanda, Koju who recently opened a restaurant "Okuda" in Paris, Sukiyabashi Jiro as many know for the film about the oldest Michelin star chef, Mizutani who had worked for Jiro, Yoshitake who also run sushi restaurant with Michelin 3 stars in Hong Kong and Rygin.
Total 243 restaurants in Tokyo are awarded Michelin star either *, ** or *** stars.
Among these 243, 17 are newly awarded and 2 are promoted from 1star to 2star including one Korean restaurant.
In addition to these Michelin star restaurants, from 2014 version, the guide includes the selection of "Bib Gourmands" for high-cost performance French and Italian restaurants. These 157 either French or Italian restaurants are selected by Michelin within many offering a meat at less than Yen 5000 per person. The number of restaurants exceeding 150 tells you that Tokyo is a good place to enjoy good French and Italian dishes at reasonable cost as well as Japanese ones.
Bib Gourmands list is the biggest news and feature for the most popular restaurant guide Tokyo 2014. People are relatively calm this year maybe because of no new 3star restaurant is listed, we guess. Hope it changes next year.
By the way, no information about English version is on Michelin's press release. Michelin stated it will launch Michelin guide English version for Japan in online format, when the second last version 2013 was published. It seems that it has not been yet come true. We, Japanese speakers, have Michelin guide digital version, thanks to Gourmet navigator. It's great and easy to search on and bring it for travelling! Hope it will be made soon for English version!!
Related information:
Michlin Press release
