If you’re like me, I perk up when someone offers to buy dinner in a Michelin Star restaurant.
If you’re also like me, you will swoon over glossy food images.
Then you’ll wonder if you know all the ten things you need to know about a Michelin Star restaurant.
Contents
Who is Michelin?
If the adorable Michelin Man springs to mind, you’ve got it right.
Michelin is a French tire manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne region of France.
It is one of the four largest tire manufacturers in the world.
What is the Michelin Guide?
French entrepreneurs Michelin brothers Andre and Edouard started a tire company. They started the Michelin Guide in 1900.
The brothers decided that a star-rating guide for hotels and restaurants would compel drivers to travel more.
Hence, the drivers would use up their tires and buy new Michelin tires.
The Michelin Red Guide (French: Guide Michelin) is a series of printed guidebooks published annually by the Michelin brothers.
This is the oldest series of printed guidebooks before the idea of the internet was even conceived.
It was a simple plan that started the trend of traveling for good food.
If you’re thinking, then the answer is a loud, resounding YES.
Your great-grandgramps probably got one of these books to check out the restaurants to eat at on a road trip in those past years.
And if you have one of these rare ancient guides, read right to the end of the story.
Good food alone was a good enough reason to travel, even in the last century.
What’s inside the Michelin Guide?
At the turn of the century, the Michelin brothers wanted to turn the novelty of a Sunday family drive into a viable long-distance journey.
Michelin began to give out guides cataloging gasoline stations, the location of mechanics, and hotels throughout France.
According to Michelin, they went as far as possible to assist travelers.
As the number of travelers grew, so did the reputation of the tire company and its guidebook.
At the height of its popularity in 1920, Michelin started to charge for the booklets.
Finally, the guide expanded to rate fine dining establishments that made it famous.
The Michelin three-star system was born.
What is a Michelin Star Guide?
This series of guidebooks refers to the awards accorded Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments.
A Michelin Star is one of the highest honors a restaurant can receive.
Rare treasures! These three Michelin Guide booklets are coveted collector’s items, representing the pinnacle of culinary excellence and refinement.
Losing a Michelin Star?
The acquisition or loss of a star can dramatically affect a restaurant’s success.
In 2013, the British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay cried when his New York restaurant The London lost its prestigious two Michelin Stars.
Ramsay, known for his “meanness” and literary tearing apart chefs and restaurants for serving below-par food, may not have seen this coming.
How many Michelin Stars?
When a restaurant is awarded a Michelin Star, it is a sign that the owner/chef has achieved the highest extraordinary culinary merit level.
According to the Guide, one star denotes “an excellent restaurant,” two stars represent “excellent cooking worth a detour,” and three stars indicate “exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.”
Who are the Michelin Inspectors?
Michelin “inspectors” are anonymous.
All have an extensive background in the culinary arts.
Many are former chefs.
They must pass official Michelin Guide training in France before sending it out to over 24 countries across four continents.
The inspectors must remain anonymous and are barred from speaking to journalists.
Unlike food critics, the inspectors will often visit a restaurant multiple times unaccompanied before concluding.
They eat quietly. They do not take notes while eating.
Is that a perfect job or not?
In 2004, Former French inspector Pascal Remy’s tell-all book “L’Inspecteur se Met à Table” (“The Inspector Sits at the Table”) portrayed the coveted job as lonely, underpaid, and unglamorous.
If you want a copy of the book, you may purchase it on Amazon.
Photo: Amazon
Is Michelin is a brand-building tool?
The Michelin Star grade restaurants on their quality.
It makes or breaks fine dining establishments around the world.
From an image standpoint, Michelin is the ultimate premium, high-quality brand.
Michelin Guide is the Bible of all dining guides.
Michelin Star is the Oscars for Fine Dining.
There is no Michelin Guide Malaysia, so the closest we get is
Inaugural Michelin Guide Singapore
Two Michelin-star meals can be savored in Singapore for under S$10.
Two hawker stalls received the inaugural one-star ratings in the first Singapore Michelin Guide.
A bowl of Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle goes for S$5, with a recommendation from Singapore foodie friends.
I took the MRT there in 2014, the stall’s day off.
A plate of soy chicken rice at Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle costs as little as S$2.
In Singapore, many hawker stalls have queues of about 10 persons during lunch and dinner.
If you have the time to queue, you can earn bragging rights to eating at a one-star-rated establishment in Singapore.
You don’t have to mention that it wasn’t for fine dining.
Photo: Amazon
While on the subject, the feature photo shows a set of three Michelin guides dating from 1900 to 1902 (Image: argent.boursier.com)
In 2014, these books fetched a whopping €26,000. L’Argent & Vous Boursier reports the three guides (including) a 1900 edition in “near-mint condition.”
Tks for the informative writeup on what Michelin stars are all about. Now I know.
Just to add to your experience, I was also dissappointed when a few years back I patronised a foreign-based Michelin restaurant that opened a branch in Singapore. My initial excitement turned to a letdown – both in the quality of the food and in the dining experience.. I think the original stars awarded may have been applicable for the outlets the inspectors visited but there is that issue of maintaining consistency across all their other outlets.
Thank you Mabel Chan for sharing your dining experience. If I’m not mistaken the Michelin Star is for the individual outlet that the inspectors visit and can be revoked. Most establishments capitalise on the brand making aspect of this star rating and sadly fail to maintain the standards.
Wow, I never knew that Michelin-star restaurants adhere to guidelines and a certain dish quality to maintain this rating! My friend talked about treating his girlfriend to dinner on their anniversary next year. Perhaps we should look around for a downtown restaurant where has these certifications in the future.