Tokyo Tops Paris

The capital city of Japan is a metropolis of neon lights, face-paced shopping, lively districts and a confluence of global influences.  It’s also an extremely delicious place, according to Michelin Guides.  Toyko was recently crowned with the honor of possessing more Michelin 3-star restaurants than any other city in the world, even Paris.  The final tally (of 3-star establishments) was eleven to ten, Tokyo, squeezing it just above Paris.

Tokyo trumps Paris in battle for the 3-stars. From tedtalks.ning.com.

The 3-star designation translates, in Michelin terms, as: a restaurant with “exceptional cuisine, and worth the journey.”  Actually, food quality is really the only dimension on which the guide rates a dining establishment.

Jean-Luc Naret, Director of Michelin Guides, pictured with the "Michelin Guide Tokyo 2010". From Getty Images AsiaPac.

The city boasts some 160,000 restaurants, which is probably excluding a portion of the smaller, traditional establishments.  The sheer number of restaurants is arguably an overall advantage for Tokyo in such a contest.