The Michelin Guide, often referred to as the little red book, is renowned for bestowing the highest honors to restaurants.
Achieving a MICHELIN Star has become the ultimate goal for many renowned chefs and luxurious dining venues. High-end hotel chains such as Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental are also in pursuit of these prestigious stars, with Four Seasons proudly holding 34 MICHELIN Stars and Mandarin Oriental following with 26.
There is an air of intrigue surrounding the criteria for awarding MICHELIN Stars, and the company’s anonymous inspectors have become legendary in the culinary world. To uncover more about the process, we reached out to MICHELIN.
A representative revealed, “The methodology of the Guide has been in place for 120 years and is still reliant on anonymous field visits by our inspection teams.” At MICHELIN, there are five fundamental criteria that guide the awarding of these prestigious distinctions.
The representative emphasized that these evaluations are “derived from the table test and solely from the contents of the plates:
– The caliber of the ingredients.
– Proficiency in cooking methods.
– The balance of flavors.
– Consistency both over time and across the menu as a whole.
– Personality conveyed through the culinary creations.
Michelin three-star chef Cesar Troisgros cooks at his hotel-restaurant “Le Bois sans Feuilles” in Ouches on June 9, 2023. At just 36 years old, Cesar has taken the reins of the Troisgros kitchen this year, continuing a family legacy as the fourth generation of chefs to earn three Michelin stars for over fifty years.
The MICHELIN Guide first emerged in France at the turn of the 20th century.
The origins of the company trace back to Clermont-Ferrand in central France in 1889. Brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin launched their tire business at a time when there were fewer than 3,000 automobiles on the roads in the nation. To assist emerging drivers in planning their excursions, and to stimulate car sales as well as tire purchases, the Michelin siblings created a small red guidebook aimed at inspiring more individuals to embark on road trips. This guide was packed with travel details, including maps, instructions for changing a tire, locations for refueling, and listings of eateries and accommodations.
In addition, the Michelin brothers set out to build a team of anonymous diners, who came to be known as restaurant inspectors, tasked with secretly visiting and evaluating restaurants.
In 1926, the guide started assigning stars to upscale dining venues, beginning with a single star. By 1931, a structured rating system was established, incorporating zero, one, two, and three stars. According to the MICHELIN website:
Currently, the guide is reported to evaluate over 30,000 establishments across more than 30 regions spanning three continents. To date, over 30 million copies of MICHELIN Guides have been sold around the globe.
The company introduced its inaugural North American Guide in 2005, focusing on New York. Subsequent guides followed, covering Chicago in 2011, Washington, D.C. in 2017, and California, with San Francisco in 2007 and the statewide edition in 2019. More recently, MICHELIN has included new restaurants in Miami/Orlando/Tampa, Florida in 2022; Toronto in 2022; Vancouver in 2022; Colorado in 2023; Atlanta in 2023; and has plans for Mexico, Texas, and Quebec in 2024.
Signage for the French Laundry restaurant located in Yountville, Napa Valley, California, run by chef … Thomas Keller, is recognized as one of the few eateries in the United States to hold three Michelin stars, a distinction received on November 26, 2016. (Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).
According to Michelin, the inspectors maintain the same standards and selection process that were applied by the original inspectors, now operating across various global destinations.
“MICHELIN Guide inspectors operate with complete independence in their choice of restaurants to evaluate,” a spokesperson explained. “Their expertise in the local culinary landscape, combined with thorough research, monitoring, and documentation, lays the foundation for identifying the venues they wish to explore. There is no predetermined list and no applications from restaurants. The inspectors are perpetually seeking new culinary trends worldwide.”
It’s crucial to note that inspectors always cover the cost of their meals and never ask for any special treatment. This practice ensures their anonymity and independence, enabling them to experience the same service as any other guest and to provide genuine, fair recommendations.
This element of secrecy is a significant aspect of the MICHELIN brand.
“Chefs are never informed about an inspector’s visit, and the inspector’s identity remains undisclosed. To maintain and protect this anonymity, inspectors only visit each restaurant once, but each establishment is reviewed multiple times by different inspectors to verify the consistency and quality of the dishes,” the spokesperson elaborated. “The decision to award Stars to a restaurant isn’t made by one individual, but is a collective decision made by the entire inspection team.”
The enigmatic inspectors are believed to possess extensive experience within the restaurant sector. They traverse various destinations in search of hidden culinary treasures and exceptional dining experiences.
French chef Yannick Alleno holds the 2017 Michelin Guide, the prestigious little red book that grants the highest culinary awards for his restaurant Le 1947 located in Courchevel, Savoie. This moment was captured on February 9, 2017, in Paris, France. Chef Alleno regained a third star for Le 1947 at the Hotel Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, where he had previously earned three stars for his Parisian restaurant, Le Pavillon Ledoyen. (Photo by Frederic Stevens/Getty Images)
“These individuals are previous professionals from within the industry and undergo a specific training process when they become part of the MICHELIN Guide. They are spread across the globe, each with their unique cultural and professional backgrounds,” the spokesperson stated. “The inspectors share core values. They have a deep passion for culinary traditions and a thirst for knowledge, allowing them to appreciate the incredible variety of international food scenes with consistent professionalism and dedication.”
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