8 questions about Michelin when coming to Vietnam

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 the 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 featured 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 the international director of Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec, Vietnamese cuisine is known around the world for its distinctive flavors, reflecting a thousand-year-old history and culture. Michelin Guide comes to the two largest cities of the country to introduce the best of Vietnamese cuisine 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 methodology. The assessors 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 appraisers," 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 Restaurants: 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 the Michelin Guide, honoring the efforts and contributions of the 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 restaurants in Vietnam to be awarded Michelin stars received the 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 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 given by the reviewers to a restaurant in the Michelin Guide. Three stars shows the excellent quality of the dishes, worthy of diners planning the 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 popular and better 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. Anăn Saigon and Hibana by Koki were similar. Chef Sam Tran of Gia said he had to stop taking reservations mid-day due to the high volume of bookings and wanted 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, what restaurants need to maintain is kindness and care in their work," Ms. Hanh said. This criterion is also in line with the Michelin Guide's motto: restaurants provide delicious food not to receive Michelin stars but for the main purpose of serving diners.

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 delicate way possible, so as not to hurt the restaurateur's feelings.

The latest restaurant to lose its Michelin star was Monnaie de Paris, owned 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 loss was not disclosed. The decision was only announced to the restaurant's owners.

Phuong Anh

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