The Michelin Star – being awarded one can make a restaurant & being stripped of one can break it. Gordon Ramsay, the celebrity chef known to mince no words or emotions when critiquing food, self-admittedly shed tears when his New York restaurant, The London was stripped of its two Michelin Stars in 2013.
We all know the Michelin guide is a curated directory of restaurants serving food par excellence. We know the stars are a coveted badge of honour, that maintaining & upgrading their Michelin Star status is as essential as breathing to chefs, that it is to the world of food what Oscars are to cinema. At the same time, it remains shrouded in mystery – who awards it, what is the criteria for receiving a Michelin Star, is it solely about food or the entire experience a restaurant has to offer – the questions are many. So, we decided to dig deeper into this elite term and find out what it really stands for, and bring to you – The Michelin Star: Decoded.
How it all began
If you’ve ever wondered whether the Bibendum aka Michelin Man, the living tyre, is the one behind the food industry’s most sought after listing – you were right! It is indeed the giant tyre, Michelin, that bestows the stars on the out-performers of the culinary world.
The tyre company was set up in 1889 by the Michelin brothers, Frenchmen Andre & Edouard. It was a time when France had a total of 2,200 cars, a yet-to-be-established road system, and fuel was available only at select pharmacies. It’s apparent that tyres weren’t a sought after commodity then, so, the duo chose to boom their business with a campaign reflecting the quintessential French charm – a restaurant and hotels rating guide to encourage drivers to bring out their cars more often and not just for special occasions, thereby wear out their tyres and buy new ones.
The Michelin Guide was first launched in 1900 as a free catalogue of hotels, restaurants, fuel retailers, and mechanics throughout France. In addition to the guide, road signs for their select locations was also a part of their campaign back then. With their guide gaining popularity, country-specific editions were launched by Michelin across Europe, and by 1920 the demand was so high that the free catalogues were revamped into chargeable books.
It was in 1926 that the ambit of the Michelin Guide expanded to include fine dining, and it was this step that lead them to become an authority in the food industry. Finally, the year 1931 saw the introduction of the three star system and the rest, as they say, is history.
How it works
From one destination in 1900 to 27 in 2017, the Michelin Guide has continuously strived to hunt down the best gastronomy addresses around the world. This is done by their inspectors, the staff who travel extensively to determine which restaurants best represent an overall vision of the local food of a particular city or country, and monitor the progress of establishments listed in the previous edition. The brigade of inspectors, including former chefs, comes with substantial experience in gastronomy arts and is required to complete the Michelin Guide training before embarking on projects. They are to visit each restaurant multiple times before presenting a conjecture on its performance, and remain anonymous all the while.
While discerning the restaurants, Michelin states that the only element that is judged is food. Following this principle, the guide has established five criteria according to which the inspectors rate the culinary skills of any establishment, these are – the quality of the products used, the mastery of the cooking process or the flavours when the products are served raw, the chef’s flair or personality of their cooking, the consistent quality of dishes, and the value for money. They insist that the restaurant’s class, location, service, or any other factor is not taken into account when awarding the stars.
Once the inspectors have done their recce, they award one of the five Michelin ratings to a restaurant, IF it meets the standards set by the organisation. The first two in line, Bib Gourmand and The Assiette (‘plate’ in French) aren’t stars, but ratings for promising restaurants which showcase potential to be starred in future. According to the guide, which leans towards secrecy even in its descriptions, all five can be defined as such:
With a structure that has functioned like clockwork for over a century, the guide has become the bible of the fine dining world across chefs, restaurants, food lovers, and culinary experts alike.
Where it stands now
While the Michelin Guide is revered by most, it is not without its fair share of criticisms. The organisation has been called out for favouring French gastronomy techniques, limited locations it covers, restricting itself to elite places, and the book by former inspector Pascal Remy, L’Inspecteur se Met a Table (The Inspector Sits at the Table), highlighting negligent standards and the isolated and unfulfilling role of inspectors.
However, Michelin dispels these rumours not only in their statements but in their actions as well. The guide has worked to introduce new cities every year and has broadened focus from fine dining to hawkers. While the critics may raise valid points, chefs & restaurants continue to work towards being included in the guide, with even the top of the pops of F&B industry swearing by it. So, as the guide evolves to incorporate changing food moods across the globe, we have good reason to continue believing in the Michelin Star as the highest accolade in the world of gastronomy.
Featured Image Courtesy: priceonomics.com
