A total of 26 restaurants in Shanghai have been rated with stars by The Michelin Guide Shanghai. (Photos/GT and courtesy of Michelin China)
The power of the dining guide compiled by French tire manufacturer Michelin can't be undervalued. Friday morning, local media reported that Tai'an Table, a one-star restaurant in The Michelin Guide Shanghai that launched Wednesday, was suspected of operating without a license from the industry and business administrative department. By the time the newspaper report was printed, Tai'an Table had already been shut down by the related department in Changning district.
A blogger called Shanghailander wrote on douban.com that he was one of Tai'an Table's last customers Thursday night. He wrote that after being seated for a while, the kitchen told him that it had some problems and that he couldn't dine there.
As he got up to leave, he wrote, a manager persuaded him to stay, saying they couldn't open the door because officials had gathered outside.
In a follow-up Saturday, the Shanghai Morning Post quoted an anonymous witness as saying that "the restaurant didn't open the door to the officials until police came half an hour later, and diners left when officials came in."
Fortunately for a foodie like Shanghailander, before he left he got to taste two dishes prepared by the chef, "who might have wanted to comfort us bewildered customers," he wrote.
"The two dishes were really good," he wrote in his blog. "The presentation followed a minimal style, while the food provided rich and multiple flavors."
The Shanghai Morning Post wrote that the restaurant, located in a residential compound, plagued its neighbors with kitchen smoke and noise.
"It's surprising that such a restaurant that started its business only a few months ago without a proper license and constantly receiving complaints from its neighborhood would be rated with one star by the Michelin Guide," the newspaper commented.
But it quoted Michelin Guide company officials as saying that its restaurant evaluations in the city abide the guide's long-standing universal criteria, which don't include restaurant management.
Heated discussion
Claire Dorland-Clauzel, executive vice president of brands and external relations for the Michelin Group, noted the same at the guide's launch ceremony Wednesday, when asked about rating methods.
Shanghai is the first city on the Chinese mainland that the guide has published about, and the 29th city in the world included in the series, which started in 1900.
Wherever the book goes, it judges restaurants on five major criteria: quality of dishes, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the "personality" of the chef in his or her menu, value for money and consistency between visits. Based on their evaluations, a group of anonymous inspectors rate restaurants on a star system.
One star means "high-quality cooking, worth a stop," two stars means "excellent cuisine, worth a detour," while three stars means "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."
The guide also recommends Bib Gourmand restaurants, which are the "inspectors' favorites for great food under 200 yuan ($29.99)" in Shanghai. The Shanghai guide lists 25 Bib Gourmand restaurants, 18 one-star and seven two-star restaurants, and Chinese restaurant T'ang Court as the only three-star recommendation.
The first edition of The Michelin Guide Shanghai, which in total recommends more than 120 restaurants and 30 hotels, instantly became one of the most professional guides for diners in the city, especially for travelers unfamiliar with the local culinary scene.
The Michelin Group said it formed a team of inspectors for Shanghai four to five years ago, and jiemian.com quoted Bruno de Feraudy, president of Michelin China, as saying that the majority of the inspectors are Chinese who have backgrounds in catering and accommodation.
