8 common questions that many people have asked Michelin Guide since late last year when the organization announced its arrival in Vietnam to evaluate dining establishments.
What is Michelin Guide?
The Michelin Guide is a culinary guide published by the French tire company Michelin. Since its first publication in 1900, the Michelin Guide has introduced the cuisine of more than 40 global destinations.
Representatives of two Michelin-starred restaurants in Vietnam shared on June 7, one day after receiving the award. Photo: Michelin Guide
Why Michelin Guide to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City?
According to Michelin Guide International Director Gwendal Poullennec, Vietnamese cuisine is known around the world for its distinctive flavors, reflecting a thousand-year-old cultural tradition. Michelin Guide visited the country's two largest cities to introduce the best of Vietnam to tourists and diners at all price points.
These are the two cities that Michelin chose for its first assessment in Vietnam. In the following years, the assessment will gradually expand to other provinces and cities.
What criteria are used to select restaurants in Vietnam?
Every restaurant must meet five criteria: quality of ingredients, culinary skill, harmony of flavors, the way the chef expresses his personality through the dishes, and the consistency of the dishes over time.
The Michelin Guide is available in many countries. It is important to ensure that each restaurant is evaluated using the same criteria and in the same way. The judges are not influenced by commercial relationships or local cultural norms. They rely solely on the food and the culinary experience. The experts work independently and completely anonymously.
"They look like regular customers. It's very possible that the customer sitting next to you yesterday was one of our reviewers," said a Michelin Guide representative.
What do the 4 Michelin Guide awards given in Vietnam mean?
On the evening of June 6 in Hanoi, Michelin Guide honored for the first time 103 restaurants and 3 individuals in 4 categories: Michelin Stars, Michelin Selected, Bib Gourmand and Michelin Guide Special Awards.
Michelin recommended restaurants: establishments that meet the examiner's criteria and are included in the culinary rating system, but do not meet the criteria required to receive a star or a Bib Gourmand award.
Bib Gourmand Restaurants: Restaurants that are favorites of reviewers or deemed to have “good food at a reasonable price.” Value for money is a very important factor in evaluating every dining establishment on this list.
Michelin Star Restaurant: Top restaurants based on reviewer ratings.
Special Award (also known as Michelin Guide Award): If the above awards tend to honor the collective, this special award is recognized by Michelin Guide, honoring the efforts and contributions of restaurant staff. They can be waiters, kitchen staff or lobby staff, who have worked with passion and high expertise to bring unforgettable culinary experiences to diners. The judges will select the award recipients independently and by majority.
Representatives of the first four Michelin-starred restaurants in Vietnam received their awards on June 6. Photo: Michelin Guide
What do Michelin stars mean?
One star: the restaurant has high quality food, worthy of diners stopping to enjoy. A restaurant with one Michelin star is a culinary business that uses quality ingredients, serves carefully prepared dishes with unique flavors.
Two stars: the restaurant has excellent food quality, worthy of diners turning around and stopping by to enjoy. Two Michelin stars also show the personality and talent of the chef, clearly shown through the delicately and professionally prepared dishes.
Three stars: is the highest title that the appraisers give to a restaurant in the Michelin Guide. Three stars shows the excellent quality of the dishes, worthy of diners planning to experience and the outstanding cooking talent of the chefs at the peak of their profession. The ingredients used are of the highest quality, cooking is elevated to an art form. The dishes are honored as classics.
Are the Michelin Star, Michelin Recommended and Bib Gourmand restaurant review processes different?
Selection criteria are applied consistently to all restaurants, following a global standard evaluation process.
What are the benefits of Michelin-starred restaurants?
Restaurants will become more famous and well-known. "More customers mean better business," according to a representative of the Michelin Guide.
Four Michelin-starred restaurants in Vietnam reported increased bookings after receiving the award. Tam Vi Restaurant reported full tables on the first morning after receiving the award. The same was true for Anan Saigon and Hibana by Koki. Chef Sam Tran of Gia said he had to stop taking reservations in the middle of the day due to the high volume of bookings and the desire to serve customers attentively.
Ms. Bich Hanh, the only person with two restaurants receiving Michelin Guide certification in the Michelin Selected category, Quan An Ngon and Ngon Garden, said that the number of customers to the restaurant increased by one and a half times after the award ceremony. The two restaurants offer a menu of nearly 400 traditional Vietnamese dishes. "I think that more than an award or a certificate of recognition, what restaurants need to maintain is kindness and meticulousness in their work," Ms. Hanh said. This criterion is also consistent with the Michelin Guide's motto: restaurants provide delicious food not to receive Michelin stars but for the main purpose of serving diners.
The dishes at Quan An Ngon are on the Michelin recommended list. Photo: Lan Anh
Do restaurants keep their Michelin awards forever?
They will keep their stars or certificates if they consistently meet the five criteria set out in the Michelin Guide. If they fail to meet the standards, they will lose their stars, certificates or be removed from the recommended list. Gwendal Poullennec said the de-starring will be done in the most sensitive way possible, so that restaurateurs do not feel hurt.
The latest restaurant to lose its Michelin star was Monnaie de Paris, by Guy Savoy, the world's best chef, on February 27. The 69-year-old French chef had held the three-star Michelin title for Monnaie de Paris since 2002. The reason for the stripping was not disclosed. The decision was only announced to the restaurant's owners.
Phuong Anh
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