JAPANESE CUISINE

There is traditional Japanese cuisine and the modern version.  Those who are moderately familiar might recall Washoku, based on rice, miso soup, sashimi, pickled vegetables and a variety of small dishes.  Then there is Kaiseiki, featuring dainty and artistically arranged works of art, derived from the Imperial Court, Buddhist temples and samurai times.   While Japanese food originated in China, more recently there has been a mix of international influences, the dominant one being French.  The best fusion restaurants feature Japanese chefs who trained in those foreign countries for a decade or so and returned home to start their own.

The gastronomical standard is Michelin.  There are 137 3-Star restaurants around the world, with leaders being:

1. 32  Japan
2. 27  France
3. 14  USA

Interestingly enough, Paris has 134 total stars, while Tokyo has 304, when you include all 1-, 2- and 3-Star restaurants.  For a French publication to so honor Japanese cuisine is indeed extraordinary.

On my previous trip to Japan I dined at Joel Robuchon, which got a Japan 3-Star ranking in 2008, the year Jiro also was so honored.  Alas, because he is so popular, this sushi bar does not take reservations anymore, and lost a star this year.  It was seven years ago that Jiro personally served me.  I paid $350 for 18 sushis and a large bottle of beer.  Today, a set costs 40,000 Yen, or just under $400, plus liquor.

The other international rating steeple is Pellegrino.  They have a Best 50.  I've dined at #2 Noma and #4 Gaggan and a dozen others, including #22, Narisawa of Tokyo.  Chef Rene and Chef Gaggan, each to my left.  It was cold in Copenhagen:

But back to Japan, the ultimate is Wagyu Beef.  The best comes from Miyazaki, and I try to go there annually, as I have for the past two decades or so, for they now also feature locally raised sturgeon for caviar, while their mangoes have just about replaced musk melon as the ultimate fruit gift in the country.

About wagyu, a typical supermarket price is $250/pound for the best cut.  So the reality is that the lowest possible cost of a one pound steak meal of this beef must be at least $500.  

However, this article purports to suggest that you can find affordable Kobe beef in Kobe.  First, it says go to lunch, for dinners are double the price for almost the same thing.  Second, seven restaurants for less than $50 are listed.  The catch is that nowhere is the amount of beef listed.  

Sure you can get wagyu for that price, but the weight of the meat is less than a quarter pound, if that, and the quality is probably low.  Here is an explanation.  The best is A5.

The restaurant we go to with regularity is Iseya in Sendai.  Surely, each piece must be around half a pound.  Yet, the whole meal costs 8000 Yen, or $73.  

I might add that not only is wagyu exceptional in taste, but is almost healthy.  To quote:

Wagyu beef has been likened to olive oil and salmon in terms of its health benefits. It has up to 300% more monounsaturated fat than normal beef due to the high marbling of the meat, as well as incredibly high omega 3 and 6 content.

Wagyu beef has the lowest cholesterol levels of all meats, even lower than fish or chicken, and it contains oleic acid which is considered good for your heart. It’s also believed to have anti-carcinogenic properties. 

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Super Cyclone Ambali has strengthened to 155 MPH with a track towards Madagascar, but Mauritius and Le Reunion are also in danger.  In addition Tropical Cyclone Belna has developed, headed straight for Madagascar:

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