These days, the mere mention of Tokyo is enough to make gourmands drool. After garnering a staggering 227 Michelin stars this year, the city became the focus of the culinary world. So for several internationally renowned chefs who look to Japan for inspiration, traveling here last week to participate in the Tokyo Taste World Gastronomy Summit must have felt like a pilgrimage to Mecca.
The event at the Tokyo International Forum, which aimed to foster intercultural communication through the language of cuisine, brought foreign superstars such as Ferran Adria of Spain's El Bulli , Joel Robuchon of Paris' L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Pierre Gagnaire of Paris' Pierre Gagnaire restaurant together with local celebrities including Seiji Yamamoto of Roppongi's Ryugin and Yoshihiro Narisawa of Aoyama's Les Creations de Narisawa, as well as chefs representing the next generation of the avant garde. Over the course of three days, the chefs wowed audiences with displays of kitchen wizardry, producing fantastic creations using Japanese ingredients.
With Japanese restaurants numbering 25,000 worldwide and countless others serving dishes influenced by Japan, food translates into valuable cultural capital for the country. For many, a bite of sushi or a sip of miso soup is their first contact with Japanese culture.