Can a dhaba rustle up the lip-smacking three stars that a ramen joint has?

That a ramen eatery in Tokyo has won a Michelin star should enthuse gourmands worldwide. After all, everyone knows that the best food in the world is not necessarily served only in establishments with fancy decor, huge wine lists and high prices. That a humble ramen place that boasts just nine seats and one major signature dish can be awarded a star denoting superlative quality puts the focus back where it should be in such food guides: on the food.

As a couple of dozen other ramen joints in Japan have been awarded bib gourmands — the precursor to the three levels of starred recognition by Michelin — this underlines an overdue return to basics. With more and more people looking for ‘real’ experiences even when it comes to food, it makes sense for the guide to identify them.

Of course, it may be some time before streetside restaurants in India get similar recognition from the Michelin guide, and not merely for reasons other than the flavour and quality of their fare — such as hygiene. It is evident that Indian food is yet to inspire the admiration and awe that Japanese culinary creations engender in western palates, which now ranks second only to French cuisine. Indian food — as made in India, that is — needs an image makeover, so that visiting juries of such guides are appropriately bedazzled.