Paul Lim comments

Some of the things you guys are saying utterly preposterous. Michelin stars CANNOT simply be a measure if greatness within the border of a country or a type of cuisine. Think of how ridiculous that is? So should michelin start rating taco booths in mexico or doner kebab places in turkey? What's the difference between doing that and giving a star to a yakitori place. I mean, within its culture, a particular taco booth might be the pinnacle of cultural culinary excellence. But comparing it to per se or French laundry?

Many of you have omitted a key piece of the calculus. Those of us who have been in Europe a lot in the recent years can attest to the European fascination with Japanese food. Its like the US and Canada in the 80s. Its weird. To Americans raw fish is about as interesting as a bowl of spaghetti, but to Europeans, its like some magical culinary orgasm. Sure, it took 30 years for Japanese food to filter across north america and cross the pond into Europe, but does that mean sushi some how got better than it was in the 80s? There were excellent Japanese restaurants across the US and Canada. How many have michelin stars?? All of a sudden, the fascination with Japanese food is the flavor du jour and people worship going to the mothership to see his the sausage is really made. Its like Americas fascination with French food in the 60s through 80s.

This over representation of Japanese restaurants in the michelin guide is basically a product of French ignorance. FULL STOP.

If you would like to see how worthy these places really are, go to tripadvisor. Some of these places have 1.5 stars based in people who live in Japan actually eating there! What does that tell you. Good grief.

Basically michelin is completely unreliable for japan. That is the ugly truth.