Michelin star restaurant or p4p?

[e-smile]

Hey, they do have nomihoudais in restaurants too!

yeah but I'm not picky on food when I'm drinking so no need for a michelin
works with ladies too I guess

 

[DanniCake]

But you can easily serve dinner for ten people at the same time!

As someone who loves doing dinner parties of all varieties the ease of serving a good 10 person dinner and servicing 10 people is probably about the same level of stress and finesse.

Honestly the dinner would probably be harder depending on how impressive I wanted it to be.

 

[rblood]

Every time I visit Japan, I do both.

 

[User#8628]

what I find in Tokyo however, is that once you find a good restaurant with good food, they always change something and it goes down fast...

This is something i found very true. Not upscale places in my case and not as much in the quality of food. In most cases they chance the menu into things i can’t eat. In some cases my favorite places suddenly close down without warning. There is one place that i love where the food has really gotten worse. They sometimes serve vegetables raw in dishes where they are supposed to be cooked, but their menu is so good.

 

[User#8628]

I second Danni that if you have time to wait in line and/or you can arrive early, its a good idea to try a starred ramen place. I have personally never been at one (usually no options for me at ramen) but it seems like a cheap way to try Michelin if the star is all you are after and you don’t care about a specific type of food.

Also if you can usually budget 3 p4p experiences, i’d make it 1 restaurants and 2 p4p experiences on your next trip. Still p4p. You can also look into some cheaper p4p options although it can be hard to navigate for a tourist, especially if you do not speak Japanese. (I don’t know if you do.)

 

[JackWhiskey]

This is something i found very true. Not upscale places in my case and not as much in the quality of food. In most cases they chance the menu into things i can’t eat. In some cases my favorite places suddenly close down without warning. There is one place that i love where the food has really gotten worse. They sometimes serve vegetables raw in dishes where they are supposed to be cooked, but their menu is so good.

That seems to be a universal truth of the restaurant business. You either have a great chef that moves to another venue and the person replacing them isn't nearly as good, or the owners feel they need to cut costs and quality goes down. Throw in the occasional instance of treating staff poorly leading to most people quitting at the same time and that about sums up how places can't maintain a high level of quality over time.

 

[Exnocomment]

I never have a set schedule so long dated reservations are a problem but I’ve wanted to go to Narisawa for a very long time.

My unrefined palate can’t enjoy the difference between $150-200 and $300+ sushi

 

[Durg50]

I never have a set schedule so long dated reservations are a problem but I’ve wanted to go to Narisawa for a very long time.

My unrefined palate can’t enjoy the difference between $150-200 and $300+ sushi

Same. Ive been to some silly priced sushi places but once you get above around 2man for the omakase course its all the same to me.

 

[RightOn6975]

Michelin Star restaurants are overrated. I am sorry, but I have not tried anything that has been blow my socks off delicious. I tend to find the hole in the wall and mom and pop restaurants more delicious and easier on the wallet.

 

[Simonka]

I don’t see visiting a Michelin restaurant as being brand-oriented about your dining choices. If you’re traveling and don’t have much time to try & discover different local restaurants the Michelin star(s) guarantee the following: Ingredient quality, technical (kitchen) skills, balance between different flavors and consistency. Sometimes the atmosphere in three star Michelin restaurants could be hard to replicate; its more than simply consuming edibles, it’s a sensory experience.

If you don’t want to risk a restaurant visit, and have the budget for dining then these tried & tested options may work for you. However as chefs and the menu change, a restaurant may gain a star or lose it, so it’s important to check if their status is up to date.

 

[Ddddd]

Michelin Star restaurants are overrated. I am sorry, but I have not tried anything that has been blow my socks off delicious. I tend to find the hole in the wall and mom and pop restaurants more delicious and easier on the wallet.

The idea of eating in a Michelin Star restaurant is not to eat something delicious. In the same way that going to a fashion show is not to see clothes that would fit you.

I cook a delicious lassagna but in a Michelin Star restaurant I will be able to eat food prepared in a way that I will not be able to experience anywhere else. Also, the quality of ingredients tends to be the best and the service is perfect.

I don't say that they are better than mom and pop restaurants, I just say that the reasons to go to one or another are different

 

[Exnocomment]

Although an egg that is separated between yolk and white, cooked separately to the most ideal temperatures and reassembled is just plain better...

 

[Ddddd]

just plain better...

Maybe because I am an engineer, I find that better/worse are meaningless terms.

It all depends on what you are optimising for.

 

[rblood]

Actually, dining in a Michelin star restaurant is cheaper than doing p4p in most shops. It costs around 20-30k yen to dine in a Michelin star Kaiseki(traditionally Japanese) or French, 30k plus for upscale Sushi in Tokyo. Plus, a Michelin star restaurant is almost a guaranteed good experience if you are a foodie, while p4p is often a hit or miss if you don't do thorough research in advance.

 

[meiji]

My unrefined palate can’t enjoy the difference between $150-200 and $300+ sushi

Yup, this is the main reason I don't eat at Michelin star restaurants often (I haven't been to one in Japan).

 

[Durg50]

Actually, dining in a Michelin star restaurant is cheaper than doing p4p in most shops. It costs around 20-30k yen to dine in a Michelin star Kaiseki(traditionally Japanese) or French, 30k plus for upscale Sushi in Tokyo. Plus, a Michelin star restaurant is almost a guaranteed good experience if you are a foodie, while p4p is often a hit or miss if you don't do thorough research in advance.

You’ll double that if you’ve go a decent thirst on though, right?

 

[faboo2001]

I don't think you can "refuse" the star ...... but suspect if you made enough negative noise about the Michelin guide they would probably quietly drop you off next years guide. I am sure the Tokyo restaurant scene would have been very happy to continue on as in the pre-Michelin guide days ..... an influx foreign "foodies" is not always a good thing for a restaurant.

Hmmmm I could've sworn I read of chefs/stores refusing the star, but you may be right. But I know that I've read several stories and articles who don't care for them.

I never have a set schedule so long dated reservations are a problem but I’ve wanted to go to Narisawa for a very long time.

My unrefined palate can’t enjoy the difference between $150-200 and $300+ sushi

Agreed, especially the sushi part. I enjoy it from time to time but not a huge fan of it, so different levels of quality on the higher end side would be totally lost on me.

 

[Frenchy]

Actually, dining in a Michelin star restaurant is cheaper than doing p4p in most shops. It costs around 20-30k yen to dine in a Michelin star Kaiseki(traditionally Japanese) or French, 30k plus for upscale Sushi in Tokyo. Plus, a Michelin star restaurant is almost a guaranteed good experience if you are a foodie, while p4p is often a hit or miss if you don't do thorough research in advance.

Come to think of it, maybe Michelin should do a P4P version of its guide.
Who is 3stars in soaps, in DH, indies, on SA etc... there would be some demand for such guide. I’d volunteer to contribute. No salary needed, just reimbursement of the expenses

 

[MikeH]

Come to think of it, maybe Michelin should do a P4P version of its guide.
Who is 3stars in soaps, in DH, indies, on SA etc... there would be some demand for such guide. I’d volunteer to contribute. No salary needed, just reimbursement of the expenses

I thought that's why there is TAG?

And your expenses would probably be way higher than any salary they could afford to pay. And you would die from exhaustion in a year. You would die a happy man, I give you that, but you would still die.

 

[Frenchy]

I thought that's why there is TAG?

And your expenses would probably be way higher than any salary they could afford to pay. And you would die from exhaustion in a year. You would die a happy man, I give you that, but you would still die.

The dream. On my gravestone i want « this man happily sacrificed himself for you to avoid scammers, dead-fish-in-bed types and gold-digging hoes. Pay your respects, passer-by »

 

[Simonka]

Come to think of it, maybe Michelin should do a P4P version of its guide.
Who is 3stars in soaps, in DH, indies, on SA etc... there would be some demand for such guide. I’d volunteer to contribute. No salary needed, just reimbursement of the expenses

I know this comment was just tongue in cheek but as a provider it sounds like a terrible idea to me. Not that I’m too scared to get a bad review but.. The sheer possibility of going through an appointment with someone who had been there solely to “rate” you or look for different ways to denigrate you while you naively thought it was a great time is quite scary IMO.

 

[Frenchy]

I know this comment was just tongue in cheek but as a provider it sounds like a terrible idea to me. Not that I’m too scared to get a bad review but.. The sheer possibility of going through an appointment with someone who had been there solely to “rate” you or look for different ways to denigrate you while you naively thought it was a great time is quite scary IMO.

Thats why Michelin inspectors are good. They are completely stealth. Never introduce themselves as working for the guidebook. You would notice no difference.

 

[Majestyk]

I know this comment was just tongue in cheek but as a provider it sounds like a terrible idea to me. Not that I’m too scared to get a bad review but.. The sheer possibility of going through an appointment with someone who had been there solely to “rate” you or look for different ways to denigrate you while you naively thought it was a great time is quite scary IMO.

That would be a tough spot to find yourself, indeed, @Simonka.
Off subject, that’s a lovely posterior on your profile photo.

 

[Viggagadye]

Off subject, that’s a lovely posterior on your profile photo.

Agreed. They should give out Michelin stars for posteriors.

 

[Joe2017]

Thats why Michelin inspectors are good. They are completely stealth. Never introduce themselves as working for the guidebook. You would notice no difference.

In general it is true, although sometimes the inspectors of the Michelin Guide can introduce themselves to the maître or waiters once they have paid the bill. They usually ask to visit the kitchen and talk to the chef for some clarifications.
Good maîtres, who already have a Michelin star and are looking for the annual inspection, have a special talent for detecting inspectors.
I think @Simonka would be able to recognize an inspector with just a glance.
Particularly I prefer qualitative evaluations instead of quantitative ones. Standardization blurs special values out of the norm. Hotels are classified by five stars and inspected accordingly, but TripAdvisor realizad that was not enough and made a great business.