The first Shanghainese edition of the Michelin Guide will be published this fall. And people in the food and beverage industry say the century-old guidebook will likely elevate the status of several chefs, and maybe even turn a few into celebrities.
It will be Michelin's first guide on the Chinese mainland. "Michelin Guide Shanghai 2017" will only feature restaurants in the city. As a world-renowned benchmark for the food and beverage industry, some local consumers say they are interested in which restaurants will make the grade.
"I have heard Michelin-star restaurants are very upscale and that the food is delicate. I think I will go," Ji He said.
"I know it from Europe, where I live, and I've been to quite a lot of Michelin-star restaurants in fact. So, actually when I travel to countries I will consult with it and see what restaurants they have," Lars Weihe said.
"I heard the more stars they have, the more expensive and more delicious the food is," Doris Xiong said.
While some people believe restaurants with Michelin stars are just expensive and delicious, one food and wine critic told me that several criteria are used to evaluate the restaurants including cooking techniques and styles. The guide is a solid indication of the overall experience with the ambiance, wine list and even the chef's personality considered.
"I remember 10 years ago when I was in Shanghai, getting lemon for example, some western chef complained that one day you get a lemon that is orange, the next day you get a lemon that is real lemon in its color. So I think is the consistency. Now with the guide coming into Shanghai, it forces fine dining restaurants to be on guard and be consistent," Lawrence Lo, critic with Food & Wine, said.
This bistro on Xinhua Road is owned by French chef Nicolas Le Bec. He opened the restaurant in Shanghai two years ago and has been in the industry for 25 years. Having won Michelin stars multiple times for his restaurants back in France, Le Bec says what sets restaurants with Michelin stars apart from others is the chef.
"The chef must be in house everyday in order for the restaurant to be successful. This is why many restaurants with Michelin stars are named after the chef. Only when a chef is cooking himself, can the ingredients, quality of cooking and the service be ensured," Nicolas Le Bec, owner & chef with The Villa Le Bec, said.
On that note, food critics expect the Michelin Guide's arrival to create a few celebrity chefs, which has happened elsewhere.
"This is a cultural difference. Western restaurants is the individual chef that would have the reputation of gaining Michelin award. While in China it is more of the name of the restaurant and the owner of the restaurant that is more important because culturally speaking, chefs are quite low in the social stratosphere and hierarchy. This could be a change for the F&B industry in China especially for budding chefs to become more famous," Lo said.
In recent years, helping a restaurant get a Michelin star has been a huge plus for chefs. Celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Joel Robuchon and Alain Ducasse have created restaurant empires. They each hold more than 10 Michelin stars.
