Tokyo, famous for its sushi, has overtaken Paris to become, officially, the world leader in gourmet dining.

The Japanese capital now has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city on the planet.

The city's leading food outlets scooped a total of 191 stars, almost double that of Paris (97). New York took third spot with 54 stars, followed by London (50) and San Francisco (42).

Eight eateries in Tokyo, five serving Japanese cuisine and three French, were given the prestigious three-star rating by the first edition of the Tokyo Michelin Guide. Twenty-five Tokyo restaurants were awarded two stars, while 117 were given one star. Every restaurant listed in the new Tokyo Michelin Guide has at least one star.

Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin guides, told a press conference in Tokyo: "We were so surprised by the quality of the cuisine here. Not only Japanese making French cuisine, but Japanese food in all sorts of genres such as kaiseki, kappo, fugu, soba kaiseki, sushi, tempura, teppan yaki and unagi."

He added: "A star won in Japan has exactly the same significance as a star in Las Vegas or Paris."

Jean-Luc Naret, Michelin guides: "We were so surprised by the quality of the cuisine here. Not only Japanese making French cuisine, but Japanese food in all sorts of genres."

A team of three undercover European and two Japanese inspectors pre-selected 1,500 Tokyo restaurants and, after more than 18 months of anonymous meals, narrowed down their selection to just 150 establishments.

Tokyo's three-star eateries are Hamadaya (Japanese), Kanda (Japanese), Koju (Japanese), Sukiyabashi Jiro (Japanese) and Sushi Mizutani (Japanese), Joel Robuchon (French), L'Osier (French) and Quintessence (French).

Paris, however, still leads Tokyo when it comes to restaurants with three stars. The French capital has 10 which fall into this category. New York is home to three, while London, San Francisco and Rome have one apiece. Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant on Royal Hospital Road is the only London eatery with the coveted three-star rating.

But what do the ratings mean? One star indicates a very good restaurant in its category; two stars mean excellent cooking, worth a detour and three stars mean exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey. A restaurant that receives one or more stars is not only one of the best in its country but also one of the best in the world, according to Michelin.

The first Michelin guide was published in France in August 1900. Today, 108 years later, the collection comprises 21 guides covering 22 countries. In addition to 20 countries in Europe, the collection also includes North America, which is covered through four guides - New York City, San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country and Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The guide awards stars based on the following criteria - product quality, preparation and flavours, the chef’s personality as revealed through his cuisine, value for money, and consistency over time and across the entire menu.

Michelin is expected to announce a guide to a second Asian city in early 2008, according to newspaper reports.

Sample menu

Funazushi - Crucian carp pickled in salt for a month, washed, pickled again with cooked rice and matured for at least six months.

Takoyaki - Octopus dumplings with chopped onions, cabbage and pickled ginger topped with Aonori seaweed or dried tuna.

Koyadofu - Tofu "freeze-dried" by a traditional method.

Source: Hamadaya, one of the three-star restaurants in Tokyo

The article Tokyo tops Michelin star chart originally appeared on 999 Today