The 2019 Michelin Guide will go on sale this week and it again confirms that Tokyo is a foodie’s dream place to be, with the highest number of starred restaurants out of any city in the world.

Tokyo has 230 Michelin starred establishments, 13 of which have the 3 star top rating, reserved for only the finest restaurants, one of these, French restaurant L’Osier in Chuo-ku has been newly promoted this year and joins the others on this elite list.

Michelin stars are awarded for maintaining the highest standards of cooking, creativity and consistency and this is reviewed every year, stars can be taken away if these criteria are not met year on year. Michelin reviewers (commonly called “inspectors”) are anonymous; they do not identify themselves, and their meals and expenses are paid for by Michelin, never by a restaurant being reviewed.

MICHELIN Guide Tokyo 2019 Selection Summary
13 three star restaurants (1 new)
52 two star restaurants (3 new)
165 one star restaurants (29 new)
254 Bib Gourmand restaurants (44 new)
2 Ryokans and 33 hotels (2 new)

This edition also marks a milestone for four establishments that have held three stars in every edition, Kanda (Japanese, in Minato-ku); Quintessence (French cuisine in Shinagawa-ku); Joël Robuchon (French cuisine in Meguro-ku); and Sukiyabashi Jiro Honten (sushi in Chuo-ku).

One of this editions firsts is the inclusion of an onigiri restaurant called Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku. Onigiri in case you are unaware is white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, usually with a type of filling and wrapped in nori (seaweed). People often eat onigiri bought from a convenience store or made at home so for this place to reach Michelin star level they must be doing something extra special with the finest ingrediants.

On the restaurants website they say Onigiri Asakusa Yadoroku has been serving onigiri since 1954 when white rice was a luxury item. Our long-time patrons include grandparents who visit with their children and grandchildren. We hope you too will visit Yadoroku and enjoy our special onigiri made from carefully selected ingredients. We are located behind Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa.

We select rice from across Japan best suited for each season. We use only local Edo-mae seaweed, famous for its rich flavour, to wrap our onigiri. Fillings are carefully chosen from all over the country. We also feature seasonal fillings.

Check out their site for yourselves and next time you are in Tokyo maybe pay them a visit, if you can get in, as their popularity will surely rise.

http://www.onigiriyadoroku.com/english.html

If you’re looking for fried chicken in Japan look no further than Sekai no Yamachan!

Nagoya’s famous fried chicken wings, now one of its most popular foods, started out as an idea at a restaurant way back in 1965, which had piles and piles of discarded chicken wings that nobody thought to use. These were reimagined into a mouth-watering new dish, which made it to the restaurant’s menu, and thus the wings were born.

Then on 14 June 1981, Yamachan opened his own little 13-seat, 13m² stall in Shinsakae, selling the very same amazing wings you get to eat today.

Located all over the country and also a few stores dotted around the rest of Asia I visited one of the stores in Osaka.

After an hour or so playing around in the games centre working up an appetite we went over the road and up some stairs to a large but quite a simple looking place and took a seat. The first thing I noticed pinned to the side of our booth was the shops guide on how to eat chicken wings correctly which made me laugh as it actually really works.

First things first a jug of Asahi was put on order then a look at the menu, straight away eyes on the chicken, the thing the shop is famous for.

The wings are sold per portion from 1 portion (5 wings) all the way up to 10 (50 wings). Just from the picture in the menu you can tell you are going be in for a treat.

We started off by just ordering the 5 wings and some extra side dishes that they have on offer in the izakaya style menu. This proved to be a mistake.

The mistake being 5 wings between 2 people is nowhere near enough. The wings are so tasty, before the last wing was even thought about, the buzzer was pressed and another 15 wings were on the way, all the time I was regretting that I had wasted valuable stomach space on the other dishes we had ordered, not to say these where bad by any means, everything was tasty but the wings were next level tasty.

Wings and beer I was in heaven. It didn’t take long for the metal bucket for the chicken bones was filled to the top after a couple

The wings are seasoned with salt and a fiery pepper kick and that’s what gives them their unique flavour. They are by far the best fried chicken wings I have eaten and Sekai no Yamachan is now one of the top priorities on my list of places to eat when I visit Japan.

Please, Please, Please open a store in New Zealand Yamachan!!! Or at least send me the secret recipe!

A lot of people may not heard of awamori, I hadn’t until I visited Okinawa last year, but once you discover it you will see why it is the Okinawan ‘go-to’ alcoholic beverage.

Awamori is indigenous to Okinawa and dates back over 500 years during the days of the Ryukyu kingdom and originates from the Thai drink Lao Khao. The Okinawans refined the distillation process, incorporating techniques from nearby countries, making it more suitable for the subtropical climate and incorporating the unique local black koji mould. From the 15th to 19th century, awamori was sent as a tribute to Okinawa’s powerful neighbours, China and Japan.

The drink is produced at around 48 distilleries each with their own individual flavours. Unlike sake on the mainland, Awamori is not the direct product of brewing but of distillation (like shochu). It is made from Indica rice which is imported from Thailand as local production of the rice wouldn’t be able to cope with the demand.

It is typically 30-45% alcohol but some types can be stronger 60%+ although export brands tend to be around 25%. It is also sugar free and has no amino acid and also very low calories with the biggest bonus being that it doesn’t cause bad hangovers like a lot of strong alcoholic beverages.

Traditionally Awamori is aged in clay pots to improve its flavour and mellowness and like a lot of alcoholic spirits the general price increases as it ages. Awamori that has been aged for more than 3 years or more is called kusu and has a smother taste which helps it go down really well.

The most popular way to drink awamori is with water and ice and it is typically served accompanied by a container containing ice and a carafe of water although it is also drunk neat and can be used in cocktails. Personally I prefer to drink it neat.

If you’re feeling brave or believe in ancient superstitions you can purchase a type of awamori called Habu-Shu which contains a habu snake. A habu snake is able to mate for as long as 26 hours, which causes some to believe that a drink of Habu-Shu may help sexual dysfunction in men. A common superstition is that these strengths are passed on to those who drink it.

Coming to a convenience store near you (well if you live in Japan) from this Monday 15^th October is one of the best collaborations in a while, everyone’s favourite potato chip brand, Pringles teaming up with noodle brand Super cup to release two limited release products.

Pringles Sour Cream and Onion-flavoured instant fried noodles and Pringles Jalapeno and Onion instant cup ramen.

Product makers say the Sour Cream and Onion Yakisoba has the same combination of onions and garlic, sour cream and cheese, which can be topped up with a seasoning sachet.

The Jalapeno and Onion Super Cup has a strong flavour of potato and onion. The sachet of jalapeno seasoning means you can choose your spice level for those that can’t handle the heat.

The product came about to celebrate Pringles 50^th anniversary as well as Super Cups 30th birthday!

I really hope my local Japan Mart are able to get hold of some stock cos it sounds like something I defiantly want to try.

If you have seen the 2011 documentary movie ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’ you would defiantly know of Jiro Ono the owner of the 3 Michelin starred Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo. He is credited as being the greatest sushi chef on the planet and his restaurant is recognised as the place to go for the best sushi.

At the age of 92, his dedication towards making the best sushi is rock solid. Having started working in a restaurant at the age of seven, till date Ono leaves no stone unturned in his attempts to better his craft. Even after seven decades of professional cooking, Ono maintains his daily routine—rising early in the morning and doing the exact same thing as he did yesterday and the day before.

Jiro Ono was born on October 27, 1925 in the city of Tenryu (present-day Hamamatsu) in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan and at the young age of seven, he started working at a local restaurant. Two years later, he left home for Tokyo to study as an apprentice.

In 1951, Jiro finally became a qualified sushi chef and he eventually opened his own restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo in 1965.

Despite being small and located out the way in an underground corridor near a Tokyo subway station, Sukiyabashi Jiro has rightfully earned its place on the culinary map. It seats not more than ten people and reservations of which are needed to be made at least 2-3 months in advance.

The shops appretices and even Jiro’s son must spend 10 years learning to use their knives before they’re allowed to cook even eggs. The goal? To become a shokunin, a skilled craftsman, someone who does the same exact thing every day to the highest possible level in the neverending pursuit of perfection.

At Ono’s Sukiyabashi Jiro, there is no menu as the dishes are selected by Ono himself and it depends what is available that day at the local fish market. A standard meal, roughly covering 20 courses, won’t come cheap though at the restaurant, the experiance costs anywhere from $300 to $400 per person. Some people have also said the meal can sometimes be as short as 30 minutes so it works out around $10 a minute!

Over the course of his lifetime, Ono’s Sukiyabashi Jiro has become the finest and the greatest sushi restaurant in the world. It has three Michelin stars to its credit and a long list of loyal fans including current PM of Japan Shinzo Abe, former USA President Barack Obama, world-renowned chefs Joel Robuchon of Taillevent and Ferran Adria of El Bulli, and Hollywood bigwigs Tom Cruise and Hugh Jackman.

Hub is found all over Japan and is a chain of bars based on the good old British pub as opposed to the traditional Japanese izakaya.

They serve a wide range of British tap and bottled beers like Guinness and London Pride as well as their own Hub ale and Hub Beer and the food range consists of traditional British dishes such as fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and roast beef as well as some interpretations of their own.

I have been there many times and the atmosphere is always lively and fun with a wide range of clientele from business people and tourists to people having parties. It is a great place to socialise with friends or family or even just to have a beer by yourself. The staff are always friendly and helpful and in their own words it feels like a home from home.

The décor is in a traditional British style with many old style beer themed pictures on the wall and pictures of famous stars from Britain and they play music or live sporting events on the televisions. They also host events like music nights and have new promotions and deals running constantly as well as the all-important daily happy hour specials.

Hub was founded in 1980 by Isao Nakauchi after he fell in love with the pubs he visited during a business trip to England. He was impressed with how friendly they were and how simply they operated with their cash on delivery system by paying at the counter or bar straight away when you wanted to order a drink or food

So he brought the concept to Japan and after some trial and error during the early days the brand now operates over 100 stores throughout Japan. They are usually found not too far from train stations so you don’t have to go too far to continue your commute home at the end of the night.

Feeling hungry? Love Noodles? Want to win a prize?

If you answered yes to all of the above questions then you need to get yourself to Azumaya restaurant in the Iwate prefecture, north of Tokyo and home of soba noodles to take on the All-you-can-eat Wanko Soba challenge!

For about Y2750 or around $35NZ you get a never ending bowl of soba noodles served in small mouth sized bowls as soon as you finish it will immediately be refilled by your wait staff who will encourage you with shouts of ‘Jan, Jan’ or ‘more, more’ and the finished bowls are stacked up beside you so you can see how much, or how little you have eaten (15 bowls are roughly 1 full portion).

The record for this challenge is a stomach bulging 570 bowls!!!

The realistic aim for people though, and what you need to achieve to prize is 80 bowls for women or 100 bowls for men! Still a hell of a lot of noodles! As soon as you stop its game over so the best tactic is to just slurp them down and move onto the next before your body realises what is happening.

To break up the taste of the noodles you will get a variety of side toppings such as nori, pickled vegetables and egg roll.

I am defiantly up for the challenge next time I visit Japan! But will have to not eat for 24 hours before and wear sweat pants!!

When I think of Okinawan cuisine, one food comes to mind above all others….PORK! There is pork everywhere in all cuts and cooked in an abundance of yummy dishes. It is said that Okinawans eat every part of the pig apart from its squeal and I can say from experience this is probably true.

Pork is an essential ingredient for local Okinawans and is included in many home cooked meals due to its richness in vitamin B1 which is said to be highly effective in relieving fatigue. In order to get by in the areas hot climate, pork is an indispensable ingredient in the daily lives of Okinawans, whose dietary habits are believed to be associated with their extraordinary longevity. It’s said to be pork that helps the hardworking Okinawans always feel healthy and full of energy.

As mentioned above, just about every part of the pig is used for food in Okinawa including the face, feet, stomach and even the tongue and ears. Some of the best and local favourite dishes include….. Rafute, a slowly braised pork belly in a mixture of brown sugar, soy sauce and awamori until fork-tender, which is very tasty!  Salted pork belly locally known as suchika. Thin slices of pig’s ear called mimiga and tebichi, or simmered pig’s feet, are some of the most widely enjoyed pork dishes in Okinawa.

Others include, Mirudaru which is sliced pork marinated in black sesame paste, sugar and soy sauce, then steamed, and this is the dish that best represent Ryukyuan palace cuisine. In addition, inamudouchi, which is a type of miso soup with pork and vegetables, or belly soup with pork tripe is prepared for special occasions.

If you want to try something extra special you should go for Aguu, Okinawa’s premium pork. Aguu is a high-grade local breed of pig originally bred from a native pig of the same name that has inhabited the island since the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

These pigs provide a very succulent meat. It is rich in umami and is marbled much like the better known beef of the similar name Wagyu beef. It melts in the mouth and is probably the best thing I ate on my visit to Okinawa.

One of the best things in Japan is the high quality of Japanese Family Restaurants.

New Zealand has Denny’s, Valentines and Swashbucklers etc, but thinking about Japanese “FAMI-RES” (we call it like this) we miss the quality tastes, variety of menus and good atmosphere with hospitality … So this article will show you some tips of the best FAMI-RES.

SAIZERIYA – The best affordable priced Italian foods

As a founder and chef, Mr. Shougaki faced an issue that not many customers came to his Italian restaurant in 1973, so set up the Italian meal prices surprisingly at 70% off, keeping the qualities. Since then, the prices haven’t changed (or even dropped more!) and it has been one of the top family restaurants in Japan. Currently they have 1424 stores in the world, including Australia!

Milano Doria is only 290 yen, and house wine is 100 yen per glass.

DENNY’S – King of long-established family restaurant

Since 1984 the Japan Denny’s gained its trademark rights from American Denny’s so started developing own menus such as mix of Japanese and Europeans. While the prices are middle to high, the high quality of tasty foods and friendly comfortable atmosphere are attractive to people. Seasonal menus and delicious desserts are also their strong points.

BIKKURI DONKEY – Hamburg-focused friendly restaurant chain

“Bikkuri” means surprise in Japanese. First of all, the uniqueness of shop exterior will never make you forget this Hamburg restaurant. Then the simply well-served dishes will realise you their love towards Hamburg.

COCO’S and JONATHAN’S are also very popular for families. A steak restaurant ROYAL HOST has a bit more expensive priced menus due to the high standard meals cooked by chefs.  Relating steak, standing-eating styled IKINARI STEAK gets expanded its business recently after opening a first shop in 2013. They serve steak by order-cutting so you can decide how many grams you want and enjoy fresh beautiful beef steak.

Natto is a traditional Japanese food that is basically made from soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis var natto. It is typically a breakfast meal but can be eaten anytime and it is served with soy sauce, karashi mustard and Japanese bunching onion and usually served on a nice bowl of rice.

It is also a very acquired taste. It has a very strong, pungent smell and a slimy, stringy texture which makes it a food that you either love it or you hate it. Much like Marmite in New Zealand.

I have tried Natto a few times and I am really not a fan, the smell and texture don’t agree with my western taste buds but every Japanese person I know, my family included can’t get enough of the stuff. It is estimated that over 70% of the nation like natto, and even the people that don’t still eat it purely for the health benefits.

Natto is highly nutritious and rich in protein, Vitamin K2 and B2, Calcium, Iron and dietary fibre and is also gluten free with no preservatives so you can see why people who dislike the food still eat it.

When eaten with egg and rice the Japanese call it the perfect nutritious meal.

So try it…..you will either love it or hate it, but you will be healthy either way.