Many visitors use the Michelin Guide to narrow down Tokyo’s abundant dining options. While most focus on Michelin-starred restaurants, there’s another category that showcases affordable, high-quality options favored by locals. Meet Michelin’s Bib Gourmand recommendation.
Read on to explore the difference between a Michelin star and a Bib Gourmand and to learn where to experience ramen of Michelin caliber in Tokyo. For several years, Tokyo boasted three Michelin-starred ramen shops. But as of the 2024 iteration of the city’s Michelin Guide, those stars have been changed to Bib Gourmands.
While a star evokes fine dining with a high price point and challenging reservation, a Bib Gourmand represents the people’s food; it highlights restaurants that have stood the test of time, earning the loyalty of locals with high-quality food enjoyed by everyday diners. Whereas a Michelin star can feel like an ostentatious statement, a Bib Gourmand recommendation is more like a reliable best friend. In that sense, it’s fitting that the Michelin Guide’s ramen selections hold Bib Gourmands: Ramen is, after all, a meal for everyone.
Haru Chan Ramen Haru Chan is arguably the most quintessential Bib Gourmand on the list, as it is located in the bowels of salaryman Shinbashi. Shinbashi Ekimae Building 1, where you’ll find Haru Chan on the first floor, is a warren of pubs and standing bars for workers who stream into its underbelly before boarding the Yamanote Line home. Diners are se.
