As usual, the Michelin Guide has curated the best culinary and hospitality destinations in the Japanese cities of Kyoto and Osaka; unusually, the guide singles out Cajun and Pakistani fare for recognition.

The Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka features 419 restaurants (including the Bib Gourmand section), 51 hotels and 27 ryokans (traditional Japanese inns). The guide are available for purchase now.

There are a total of 32 cuisines represented in the guide. International director Michael Ellis said that the Michelin inspectors expanded consideration to other types of cuisine – such as Cajun and Pakistani – to highlight the evolution of the dining landscape in the region. Of course the Japanese cuisines of izakaya, soba, sushi, udon, obanzai, okonomiyaki, and tempura also made the cut. Washoku, the speciality of Kyoto and Osaka, remains well represented in the current edition.

Two restaurants in Kyoto, Ifuki and Noguchi, have been awarded two stars by the guide. In total, that brings it to 46 double-starred restaurants in the region. There are 10 restaurants (down 1 from last year) that attained the coveted three-star rating in both regions. Four new Kyoto restaurants and eight new Osaka restaurants were awarded their first star. The restaurants covered feature all sorts of cuisines, including Spanish and French, to sushi and yakitori.

The selection in English can be found at http://guide.michelin.co.jp/.