For Fine Dining, Tokyo Reigns Supreme

Local cuisine is ranked

(NEWSER) - Paris is for lovers—food lovers. The city came in first on a Forbes list of the world’s best cities for eating well, based on a 2009 survey ranking 50 cities. Notably absent from the top 10 are New York and London, which don’t boast much of a “local” cuisine. A sampling, along with some favorite regional dishes:

1. Paris: Steak frites; sourdough; chocolate tarts
2. Rome: Square slices of pizza with zucchini; gelato; Caprese sandwiches

150-member crew pulls off fast, stunning ripoffs

(NEWSER) - Frustrated Interpol investigators are coming up empty in their frantic bid to shut down the "Pink Panther" gem gang, responsible for the most brazen jewel heists in history, from nervy ripoffs of super luxe Paris gem stores to cool grabs in Monte Carlo. "They are very well organized and they know exactly what they are after," one official tells the Guardian . The gang originated in the former Yugoslavia and now includes heisters from throughout the Balkans, including men once active in various strong-armed governments. Police believe the gang has some 150 members and has been operating since the 1990s. More»

(NEWSER) - London has tumbled off its perch atop the list of priciest places to buy residential property, the Financial Times reports, allowing Monaco to swoop in and take the crown. Monaco’s top properties now fetch $68,000 per square meter, compared to $38,000 for London and $22,500 for Manhattan. That’s thanks to a 17% plummet in London prices over the past year; only Hong Kong has taken a bigger beating, with values there down 25%. More»

Feisty writer's meal was 'barely adequate,' complain diners

(NEWSER) - Even by the standards of food-obsessed Paris, the exacting tastes of François Simon stand apart: The acerbic critic for the newspaper Le Figaro called one superstar chef "a clown" and "a fake peasant," and once described a meal as "a three-star crucifixion." But last month, Simon took a risk: he cooked for five nights at a busy bistro downtown. After bashing other chefs for 20 years, how did Simon measure up? "Barely adequate," reports the New York Times. More»

Hong Kong master began as chicken-plucker

(NEWSER) - The Michelin Guide's first three-star Chinese chef is no celebrity who's pushing cookbooks and TV shows, the New York Times reports. Chan Yan-tak, who grew up as a kitchen hand and worked his way through Hong Kong restaurants, even quit the business to take care of his daughter. "My old colleagues started teasing me about when I’d get back to work," said Yan-tak. "I thought they were joking.” More»