Japan’s Worst Beats France’s Best

Comment: "For all sorts of historical reasons there's no Chinese food in Japan, which is a shame."

Erm--I've lived in Japan for 11 years now and have no idea what Mr.Coren is talking about when he makes the above statement. He obviously has never been to Chinatown in Yokohama or Nagasaki, and must have been led around Tokyo blindfolded to miss all the Chinese restaurants in the city. And how could he miss the fact that some very popular staples of Japanese cusine are originally derived from Chinese dishes--such as ramen and gyoza. The rest of the interview I can live with, but this rather egregious error regarding Chinese food in Japan needs to be corrected--both with the magazine and with the author.

"For all sorts of historical reasons there's no Chinese food in Japan, which is a shame."

Erm--I've lived in Japan for 11 years now and have no idea what Mr.Coren is talking about when he makes the above statement. He obviously has never been to Chinatown in Yokohama or Nagasaki, and must have been led around Tokyo blindfolded to miss all the Chinese restaurants in the city. And how could he miss the fact that come very popular staples of Japanese cusine are originally derived from Chinese dishes--such as ramen and gyoza. The rest of the interview I can live with, but this rather egregious error regarding Chinese food in Japan is corrected--both in the magazine and with the author.

It really isn't a surprise that Tokyo is the gourmet capital of the world given that the Japanese have both advanced esthetics and a refined cuisine.

But who is Giles Coren to belittle France?

Judging from the photo in the physical magazine, he is a man who does not even know how to hold his cutlery properly. Being British, he probably grew up on a diet of marmite, microwaveable samosas and deep-fried cod. How can any person with a palate abused by what passes as food in England be a "restaurant critic"?

Coren accuses France of "parochial bigotry". Nothing is more parochial and bigoted than a Brit saying that "Japan's worst beats France's best".

Stergios Kaprinis
Thessaloniki, Greece