Food and artisans are taken seriously in France and the French are justifiably proud of it. President Nicholas Sarkozy even put a bid to declare French cuisine a "world intangible heritage"—and last November 2010, it was awarded thus by UNESCO. Paris and Lyon have large international food and agricultural salons twice a year, with many smaller fairs spread through the year in different régions and départements. In 1992, France started a new autumn tradition, La Semaine du Goût, which has spread abroad to other countries in Europe and beyond. Basically it's a national week devoted to taste and gastronomy—a chance for people to appreciate and learn about local foods and their cultural heritage, as it applies to cuisine. The French even take the art of table setting to a higher level in Le Grand Prix Des Arts de la Table. Viva la France!
Recently I learned about Le Meilleur Ouvrier de France awards—a future post will cover MOF, but today I wanted to know what's all the fuss about les etoiles? Back in February, I noticed that our local bookstore featured a stack of Michelin Guides Rouges in its main display window. Now that I'm living in France—the birthplace of the Michelin Guide—I wanted to know, "What is the Michelin guide, is it related to tires, and what do the stars mean anyway?"
In 1889 two brothers Michelin founded Michelin et Cie, a rubber factory to make tires for the fledgling automobile industry, in the Auvergne région of France. In 1900 the brothers published their first Michelin Guide Rouge (free at that time) to help French travelers find auto repair shops, lodging, and places to eat. Over the past century, Michelin et Cie has grown from a small factory of 52 employees to a giant multi-national company with factories all over the world. Besides the Michelin brand, it also owns BFGoodrich, Uniroyal and other brands—its biggest rival is Bridgestone. At the same time, the Red Guides have since evolved into a world-renowned institution. Today Michelin has expanded its reviews beyond France to include a number of countries as well as selected cities—though there is much controversy around the countries, the bias for French cuisine, and the way the stars are awarded.
Chefs toil for years, hoping to garner a star someday. A Michelin star can lend a restaurant star status while losing a star can lead to despair. Does having a Michelin star really drive traffic to a restaurant; does being demoted (in terms of stars) really have a major affect on a restaurant's business? Probably "oui" to the former and "pas trop" for the latter. With this in mind, one wonders what the Michelin brothers would think of their legacy to foodies and to the world?
What do the stars mean?
One star: "A very good restaurant"
Two stars: "Worth a detour"
Three stars: "Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey"
When awarding stars, what criteria are evaluated?
It's a common understanding that Michelin stars are awarded for not only the cuisine but also for ambiance, decor, and setting. As in, is real silverware used, and how perfectly placed is the silverware on the table? But this is not true. Ambiance, setting and decor have a different rating (on a scale of 1 through 5) and is symbolized by a crossed fork-and-spoon. When awarding Michelin stars, these are the only criteria that are evaluated.
- Quality of ingredients
- Chef's skill in preparing ingredients
- Creativity
- Culinary standards
- Value for money
By 2010, a total of 19 Red Guides were published for 8 countries.
- France
- Germany
- The Netherlands
- Belgium/Luxembourg
- Italy
- Spain and Portugal
- Switzerland
- Great Britain and Ireland
- Paris
- London
- Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka
- Hong Kong and Macau
- New York City
- San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Las Vegas
- Main Cities of Europe
- Guide Voyageur Pratique (independent travel)
- Guide Gourmand (good-value restos, bistros, etc)
- Guide Escapade (quick trips)
- Guide Coup de Cœur (favorite hotels).
INTERESTING TRIVIA
How many Michelin three-starred restaurants are there?
Every year this number rises—in 2010, there were 86. In 2011, we see a total of 97 three-starred restaurants worldwide.
How many Michelin-starred restaurants are there in Paris?
Less than you'd think. In 2010, it trailed another city's 266 Michelin starred restaurants with only 64 starred restaurants, of which there were 10 three-starred, 13 two-starred and 41 one-starred. Use the ViaMichelin site (in English) to search for them.
Which country has the most number of Michelin starred restaurants?
In 2010, France garnered 558 stars: 26 three-starred; 77 two-starred; and a whopping 455 one-starred restaurants.
Which country has the most three-starred Michelin restaurants?
In 2010, the answer is still France. This is not surprising, as the Red Guides started in France and many think it is biased towards French cuisine, as well as the fact that Michelin employs many reviewers in France than other countries. But if Michelin had decided to do a Japan guide for 2010, then Japan would have tied with France for having 26 three-starred restos.
Which city has the most number of Michelin starred restaurants?
In 2009 and 2010, Tokyo had more Michelin starred restaurants than Paris. When the Tokyo Red Guide was first published in 2009, not everyone wanted to be included; some chefs opted out, questioning the ability for foreign critics to judge the nuances of Japanese cuisine. Due to the controversy, local experts with deep knowledge on Japanese cuisine have been employed to conduct the reviews. In 2010, the Tokyo Red Guide listed 266 starred restaurants in the greater Tokyo area, of which 14 were three-starred, 54 two-starred and 198 one-starred.
In 2010, Main Cities of Europe guide had 341 starred restaurants, of which 15 were three-starred.
What eateries would I love to eat at (star or non-starred, restaurant, patisserie or boutique)?
My impression is that the Michelin guide is a good resource, but mainly if you're a fan of French cuisine and have a bit of dispensable income. With Japan's gastronomic rise (in terms of starred restaurants), things might change in the future. But what if you're a fan of Taiwanese food, or Schezuan, or Teo Chew food? I guess the Hong Kong and Macau Red Guide is a good start.
For now, I am watching the pocket book carefully, but if I could I would love to make a special journey to El Bulli, French Laundry, Noma, The Fat Duck, Hakata TonTon, O-Ya, Lenotre, Pierre Herme, to name a few. I doubt I can get a table at El Bulli, especially since it is ceasing operations as of July 31, 2011 but thankfully reopening in 2014. The next time you're at Harvard or in Boston, see if you can spot Mr. Ferran Adria. He was teaching molecular gastronomy to physics undergrads at Harvard last fall, and he might still be in and around Boston.
Which city has the most number of restaurants?
Tokyo—the most populous city in the world, with more than 35 million people—has 160,000 restaurants compared to Paris' 25,000 and New York's 13,000 restaurants. It is terrible what is happening in Tokyo at this time, with the record 9.0 earthquake, ensuing tsunami, and then the nuclear reactors. It is a pretty frightening time but I hope everyone stays strong, positive, and resilient. All my extended family, my friends and their loved ones are safe and ok for now. Please send good thoughts and/or money (or pray for those of you who are religious) for everyone over there.
Can you name Michelin's famous mascot?
Created in 1898 (almost 10 years after the founding of the company) for an ad campaign, Michelin's company logo and mascot is known as the "Bonhomme Michelin", and affectionately nicknamed "Bibendum".
For you Latin geeks out there, Bibendum is not French but Latin! The original ad campaign featured the Michelin Man with the phrase "Nunc est bibendum", Latin for "Now is (the time) for drinking". The marketing message that Michelin wanted to send was that Michelin tires will devour all obstacles on the road because of its superiority.
One of the Green Guides, the Guide Gourmand pays homage to the Michelin Man, and is also known as the Bib Gourmand (but more on that later).
How many Michelin-starred restaurants are there in the Canton of Geneva?
The 2011 Red Guide for Switzerland lists 9 starred restaurants, none of which I have tried yet. Read more at Suite101.
- Buffet de la Gare des Eaux-Vives
- Le Chat Botté, Right Bank
- Vertig’O, Right Bank
- Rasoi by Vineet, Right Bank
- Anières, Left Bank: Le Floris
- Cologny, Left Bank: Lion d’Or
- Thônex, Left Bank: Le Cigalon
- Troinex, Arve/Rhône: La Chaumière. The 2011 edition says this restaurant lost its star...
- Satigny/Peney-Dessus, Right Bank: Domaine de Châteauvieux
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