Michelin Guide Kansai 2014 Released

The new Michelin Guide Kansai 2014, covering the western Japanese regions of Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and Nara, has been released. Comparing with last year's guide for the same area, the 2014 Michelin Guide features two more three-star restaurants, now at a total number of 14 restaurants. The two new restaurants earing the prestigious three-star rating are Mizai, and intimate traditional Japanese eatery, seating only parties of two, and Kichisen, focusing on serving diners with the authentic Kyoto-style cuisine of the ritual cha-kaiseki, or "tea ceremony cuisine," focusing on local ingredients

Besides the 14 three-star rated restaurant, the 2014 guide includes 51 restaurants with two-star rating, and 202 given one-star. Kyoto boasts the bulk of the star distribution, though Osaka has the most one-star restaurants this year. New to this year, the guide will also feature Bib Gourmands, of restaurants offering a "value for money" meal, offering a menu or single plate item for under 5,000 yen, according to Eater. Only French and Italian restaurants were included on this "Bib Gourmand" list.

Here is a list of all the new Michelin-star rated restaurants in Kansai for 2014:

Three Stars
Kichisen 
Mizai

Two Stars
Akai
Miyamoto
Point

One Star
Kitaoji Otagi
La Biographie
La Famille Morinaga
Maeda
Reine des Pres
Shun ai Sasaki
Oimatsu Kitagawa
Rakushin
Sushi Hoshiyama
Utsubohonmachi Gaku
Wagen
Kojitsu
Koshimo Plus
Ryoriya Kudo
Ryowa Daido
Sushi Yamazaki

A hard-copy of the Michelin Guide Kansai 2014 will be available on Friday Oct. 25.