To experience the best service on the globe, you'll have to journey to Japan, where Shin Miyazaki was recently honored as the world's best waiter.
The 35-year-old waiter at Chateau Restaurant Joel Robuchon in Tokyo won the title from the Georges Baptiste Cup, an international competition founded in 1961 in France. Miyazaki bested competitors from 14 different countries
The AFP gives a glimpse of an emotional Miyazaki upon receiving his award:
"I practised every day for years, I'm hooked, and now I get this award ... But this is only the beginning, tomorrow I go back to work to do my best."
Waiters were judged on nearly every aspect of service with special attention given to speed, grace and accuracy.
The Georges Baptiste Cup is actually three different competitions. The oldest is for French waiters only, and another for European applicants was founded in 1991. The third, an international competition, is the youngest. Its first event took place in 2000, nearly four decades after the Cup's founding. That year, it was held in Canada, and in later years in France, Mexico and Vietnam. For more about the Cup's history, check out its web site. Fair warning, it's in French.
Click through the below gallery for a taste of Shin Miyazaki's skills.
