2. Michelin chefs are chefs who work
at restaurants that have received a
star rating from inspectors of the
Michelin Guide, a restaurant and
hotel guide. The first Michelin Guide
was published in France in 1900
with the goal of making travels
easier for motorists by helping them
find quality restaurants and hotels.
Today, there are 25 Michelin Guides
covering 23 countries and over
45,000 restaurants and hotels.
Michelin Chefs
3. Michelin chefs are highly regarded because the Michelin star
rating is the only accurate, impartial assessment of restaurants
that exists. Michelin’s inspectors are anonymous, trained experts
who write detailed reports about restaurants after evaluating
them based on a wide range of criteria. On the other
hand, other restaurant rating systems, such as the Zagat
Survey, are based on patrons’ opinions and not on the unbiased
opinions of anonymous inspectors.
Contrary to popular belief, chefs cannot
receive a Michelin star rating; only
restaurants can. Nevertheless, a chef’s
work ethic, creativity, and skill are
fundamental to a restaurant’s ability to
earn a Michelin rating. Chefs who work at
restaurants that have received Michelin
ratings of one to three stars are commonly
referred to as Michelin chefs.
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London - Jocelyn Herland
4. To ensure that the reviews are
current, restaurants with Michelin
chefs are revisited by inspectors
several times per year.
Furthermore, Michelin has gone
great lengths to preserve the
anonymity of their inspectors, who
aren’t even allowed to tell their
parents about their line of work to
prevent their identities from being
revealed. Restaurants must be of
outstanding quality in order to earn
a Michelin star rating, but some
critics argue that the Michelin rating
system is biased in favor of French
cuisine and formal dining
l'Enclume in
Cartmel –
Simon Rogan
5. One Star. Very good cuisine in its category.
Two Stars. Excellent cuisine. Worth a detour.
Three Stars. Exceptional cuisine. Worth a special
journey.
One star Michelin chefs are rare, and Michelin chefs
with multiple stars are even rarer. Another rating
used by Michelin is “Rising Star,” which is reserved
for restaurants that have the potential to qualify
for a one star ranking or to earn another star. Since
1955, Michelin has also been using the “Bib
Gourmand” rating to acknowledge restaurants that
offer good food at moderate prices.
What Michelin Star Ratings Mean
Michelin awards ratings of one to three stars. This is what the
ratings signify:
6. For many chefs, the dream of
becoming one of the few
Michelin chefs in the world is at
the forefront of their career
goals. In fact, some chefs
embark on an overly-obsessive
pursuit to attain a Michelin
rating, such as the French Chef
Bernard Loiseau, who took his
own life in 2003.
Furthermore, once a chef earns
a Michelin star rating, he must
go great lengths to maintain it
because losing stars could lead
his restaurant to lose business
and prestige.
‘Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo
JIRO ONO
Sukiyabashi Jiro – Tokyo
Record Holder for “The
Oldest Michelin Three
Star Chef” at age: 83
(2009)
7. However, the prestige that
Michelin chefs have is not the
be all and end all of the
culinary world. There’s no
doubt that Michelin stars are an
impressive award, but
restaurants are ultimately
businesses, so chefs also have to
ensure that their restaurants
are making enough money. The
pressure to attain a Michelin
star rating is sometimes so
severe that restaurants go out
of business in the attempt to
attain it.
Alain Ducasse at The Plaza
Athenée - the Midas touch
