Japan Has More Top Restaurants Than France Says Michelin Guide

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In the battle of sushi versus foie gras, sushi wins. Or so says the Michelin Guide, which has decreed that Japan has more top restaurants than France for the first time since the book started rating restaurants in The Land of The Rising Sun in 2008.

When you consider that Michelin is a French company and has produced the guide starting in 1900, that's quite a feat for Japan. The country racked up a total of 29 three-starred restaurants in the 2012 edition while France eeked by with just 25.

Of course, this only means anything if you believe the Michelin Guide to be the definitive arbiters of taste. Europeans and Western food critics are reportedly up in arms over the upset, accusing Michelin of grade inflation.

And they're not the only ones. Some Japanese also expressed some skepticism over the distinction, citing that foreigners couldn't possibly be qualified judges of what's good and bad in their hallowed cuisine.

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