Michelin-approved “stuffed peppers”? Six Michelin “Bib Gourmand” journalist-recommended restaurants for the common man.

Tokyo” is again the world’s most “starred city” this year

The biggest concern for restaurateurs is the release of the Michelin Guide. On December 5, 2011, the launch of the “Michelin Guide Tokyo 2024” was held at the National Art Center, Tokyo.

This year, 194 Selected Restaurants, which are not rated as stars or Bib Gourmands, were newly added to the guide, making the total number of restaurants listed 504 (168 new restaurants), the largest number ever. The number of starred restaurants in Tokyo totaled 183, making it the most starred city in the world again this year. The number of three-starred, two-starred, and one-starred restaurants is also the highest in the world, at 12, 33, and 138, respectively.

It is gratifying to see that Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has become the number one gastronomic city in the world. However, the mere mention of the “Michelin Guide” may put some people off from the very beginning because of the perceived high hurdles and high price tag. However, some of the restaurants listed in the Michelin Guide are “value for money.

Food that is more satisfying than its price” … Bib Gourmand restaurants.

It is a “Bib Gourmand restaurant. Bib Gourmand is defined as “food that provides satisfaction beyond its price.” Until the 2020 edition, it was under 5,000 yen, and until the 2022 edition, it was under 6,000 yen, but from the 2023 edition, the price is no longer mentioned. In recent years, casual lines such as ramen, onigiri, okonomiyaki, curry, and izakaya have been added to the Michelin Guide’s “cuisine category,” almost all of which are Bib Gourmand.

The Michelin Guide has a budget statement, expressed as a number of “¥” in the Japanese edition. In the Japanese edition, the budget is indicated by the number of “¥”, with “¥” representing “within budget” and less than ¥5,000, “¥¥¥” representing “moderately priced” and between ¥5,000 and ¥10,000, “¥¥¥” representing “special occasions” and between ¥10,000 and ¥30,000, and “￥￥￥￥” representing “no expense spared” and ¥30,000 or more.

Restaurants listed as Bib Gourmands in the “Michelin Guide Tokyo 2024” are either “¥¥” or “¥¥”. In other words, the restaurants listed in the “Michelin Guide Tokyo 2024” are those that are listed for up to ¥10,000. Selected restaurants, on the other hand, range from ¥¥ to ￥￥￥￥, with a minimum price of ¥5,000 and a maximum price of ¥30,000, meaning that there are many restaurants with high prices.

Bib Gourmand and Selected restaurants are compared: the former is “rated” and the latter is “not rated”, but the former is less expensive. Bib Gourmand is more accessible than a starred restaurant, but less expensive and more highly rated than a Selected Restaurant.

The regular “Bib Gourmand” French restaurant offers a 10-course “omakase” course for 6,600 yen!

We would like to pick up a few restaurants from this Bib Gourmand.

The French restaurant “Las ” is a regular Bib Gourmand restaurant in Omotesando. The 10-course omakase course is 6,600 yen, and the wine pairing of champagne and four wines is 5,500 yen. The price for the “omakase” course is 6,600 yen for a 10-course meal, and the wine pairing of champagne and four wines is 5,500 yen.

Click here for the official website of L’AS.

Roku” in Sangubashi is a counter French restaurant run by a husband-and-wife team. Owner-chef Shinpei Sasagawa’s course for lunch includes an appetizer, fish, meat, dessert, and drink for 3,850 yen. His wife, Tomoka, a pastry chef, is in charge of the “Hachette Desserts,” and also sells petit gâteau for takeout.

For the official website of “roku”, click here.

Faro” in Daikanyama is a bonfire Italian restaurant by Hitonori Kashimura. Although it is on the basement floor, it does not feel cramped, and the “Ro-no-ji counter” gives it a real sense of presence, making it ideal for dates. The menu is mainly a la carte, so you can order as you like. The famous roast pork “porchetta” (from 3,200 yen per cut) is a must-try.

Click here for the official website of falò.

Osoba no Koga is located near the Nishiazabu intersection, but has a nice hideaway atmosphere. You can enjoy soba noodles made from stone-ground flour. The seasonal “Sudachi Soba” (market price) is also very tasty, and the four-course “Sobamae Course” (4,500 yen) is also very satisfying. The four-course “Sobamae Course” (4,500 yen) is also very satisfying, and the sake available by the glass is the perfect accompaniment.

Click here for the official website of Osoba no Koga.

Fans rejoice!　New Bib Gourmand” is a long-established “pork skewer restaurant” established in 1949

The new Bib Gourmand restaurant of note is Shinjuku’s Torishige, a pork skewer restaurant founded in 1949 and the originator of the now-popular stuffed bell peppers. The restaurant is run by the third generation of the family, Sakamaki Yuji. The restaurant is known as a famous restaurant, and its fans are all overjoyed that it has finally been listed on the website. The courses are very reasonably priced, starting at 2,200 yen, so even though it is a large box, it is packed with people every day.

Monobis ” opened by Tsuyoshi Ishii, the chef and owner of Shibuya’s “Monolith,” which has received one star, also deserves a special mention. The restaurant offers a new type of French set meal called “Frenchi Gozen,” including “Yamagata Pork Thick Cut Low-Temperature Ginger Yaki Gozen” (4,500 yen) and “Bui Iabesu Gozen” (6,000 yen).

For the official website of Monovis, click here.

Selected Restaurants” for unique restaurants

Let us introduce you to Selected Restaurant.

Pizza Bar on 38th” is an exclusive gastronomic pizza restaurant with only eight seats at Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo. Executive Chef Daniele Carson personally makes the dough and bakes it in the oven. Hatsushi is an up-and-coming Japanese restaurant in Kagurazaka. The owner, Kohei Ikeda, brings a free spirit to traditional Japanese cuisine. Eman” is a modern Spanish restaurant located in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa. Chef Satoru Kobayashi communicates Japan’s connection to the seasons and producers with local Spanish cuisine.

Sushi Kagura in Shinbashi is a stylish restaurant with jazz music playing in the background, where the owner, Masashi Mochizuki, serves sushi using seasonal ingredients. His signature dish is tuna, which he procures from a trusted middleman. Laila, a French restaurant in Akasaka, has long been known for its modern French cuisine by Takeshi Narikiyo. The restaurant offers a good balance of modern plates and classic dishes, and the presentation is superb.

According to the Michelin Guide’s definition, a three-star restaurant is “outstanding cuisine worth the trip for,” a two-star restaurant is “excellent cuisine worth the detour,” and a one-star restaurant is “excellent cuisine worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood. We hope that you will feel free to visit a Bib Gourmand restaurant, as if it were a starred restaurant, without being so uptight, but simply because you can enjoy “food that is more satisfying than the price”.