Japanese cuisine is popular worldwide

Japanese cuisine is popular worldwide
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World’s best cities for Japanese food outside Japan

Whether you're craving a bowl of ramen, fresh sushi or crispy tempura, these cities are the best places to head for Japanese food if you can't make it to Tokyo or Osaka.

An analysis by Japanese food subscription box company, Sakuraco, has ranked 63 global cities outside Japan for the quality of their Japanese food. Each city is ranked out of 50 based on average Google review score and the number of restaurants per capita, including cheap eats, fine dining and Michelin-recommended

The study found New York City has the world’s best Japanese restaurants (outside of Japan), scoring 25.7 out of 50. "From the Michelin star ramen bar, Mr. Taka, to the small basement bar in East Village, Decibel boasting a huge Sake selection with complementary authentic snacks, NYC is a Japanese food-lover’s paradise," Sakuraco said, noting that the city is home to the largest Japanese community on the US east coast. 

Germany’s Hamburg came a surprising second place in the city rankings for impressive Japanese food. The city’s restaurants have an impressive average review score of 9.4 out of 10 and a total score of 22.90 out of 50. 

Another standout was Samut Prakan, near Bangkok in Thailand. The city is pegged at the third position with a total score of 22.68. In terms of the number of Michelin-recommended Japanese restaurants, the city tops the table, scoring a perfect 10 out of 10. 

The 10 best global cities for Japanese food: 

  1. New York: 25.7
  2. Hamburg: 22.90
  3. Samut Prakan: 22.68
  4. Milan: 22.61
  5. Paris: 22.36
  6. Los Angeles: 21.85
  7. London: 19.21
  8. Medellín: 19.06
  9. Chicago: 18.37
  10. Rome: 18.21
Hanh Dinh
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