W hen the famed Michelin food guide belatedly reached Asia recently, it seemed to make up for lost time, awarding more of its coveted stars to restaurants in Tokyo than are held by restaurants in New York and Paris combined. About time, too.
Whenever I'm in Tokyo, I spend most of my time eating. The restaurants really are exceptional — world class. In fact I'm remembering now an oyster that I ate last time, lightly cooked in a clear seaweed-style konbu-flavored soup with shallots, a few kinoko (mushrooms) and a ponzu (soy sauce and vinegar) sauce. Delicious!
But this is not a food column, and I must tear myself away from the memory of that little oyster. In any case, what do I know? I'm only a foreigner. Here's what a celebrated Tokyo chef, Toshiya Kadowaki, said when the Michelin results were announced: