Michelin
Star Controversies
Allegations
of Lax Inspection Standards and Bias.
Pascal Rémy, a veteran
France-based Michelin inspector, and also a former Gault Millau employee, wrote
a tell-all book in 2004 entitled L'Inspecteur
se Met à Table (literally, "The
Inspector Sits Down at the Table"; idiomatically, "The Inspector
Spills the Beans", or "The Inspector Puts It All on the Table").
Rémy's employment was terminated in early 2004 when he informed Michelin of his
plans to publish his book. He brought a court case for unfair dismissal, which
was unsuccessful.
Rémy described the
French Michelin inspector's life as lonely, underpaid drudgery, driving around
France for weeks on end, dining alone, under intense pressure to file detailed
reports on strict deadlines. He claimed the Guide had become lax in its
standards. Though Michelin states that its inspectors visited all 4,000
reviewed restaurants in France every 18 months, and all starred restaurants
several times a year, Rémy said only about one visit every 3.5 years was
possible because there were only 11 inspectors in France when he was hired,
rather than the 50 or more hinted by Michelin. That number, he said, had shrunk
to five by the time he was fired in 2003.
Furthermore, Rémy
charged, the Guide played favorites. He specifically named Paul Bocuse, the
pioneer of nouvelle cuisine, whose restaurant, l'Auberge du Pont de Collonges,
near Lyon, was known, according to Rémy, to have declined considerably in
quality, yet continued to hold 3 stars. Michelin denied Rémy's charges, but
refused to say how many inspectors it actually employed in France. In response
to Rémy's claim that certain 3-star chefs were untouchable, Michelin said only,
"...if [our ratings] weren't true...customers would write and tell
us."
Allegations
of Bias for French Cuisine
As the Michelin
Guide is published by a French company, some American food critics have
claimed that the rating system is biased in favor of French cuisine or French
dining standards. When Michelin published its first New York City Red Guide,
for example, Steven Kurutz of The New York Times noted that Danny Meyer's
Union Square Cafe, a restaurant rated highly by The New York Times,
Zagat Survey, and other prominent guides, received a no star-rating from
Michelin. (He did acknowledge that the
restaurant received positive mention for its ambience, and that two other
restaurants owned by Meyer received stars.) Kurutz also claimed the guide
appeared to favor restaurants that "emphasized
formality and presentation" rather than a "casual approach to fine dining". He also claimed that over
half of the restaurants that received one or two stars "could be considered French".
Allegations
of Leniency With Stars for Japanese Cuisine
In 2010, Michelin
guides ranked Japan as the country with the most starred restaurants. This
sparked grumbling over whether these high ratings are merited for Japanese
restaurants, whether Michelin guide was too generous in giving out stars to
gain an acceptance with Japanese customers and to enable the parent
tire-selling company to market itself in Japan. Although they have highly
praised Japanese cuisine and the devotion of its chefs, some critics were
surprised by the award of one star for restaurants that serve traditional
Japanese cuisines in casual homely ambience with only ten tables or, in one
notable instance, situated next to a subway entrance.
Michelin spokeswoman
claimed comparing Japan and France is impossible, given Tokyo has 160,000
restaurants while Paris has 15,000. Some Japanese chefs were surprised after
they were awarded a star, claiming they didn't expect one, and wished they
didn't get Michelin stars because the publicity caused an unmanageable jump in
customer bookings – affecting their ability to serve their traditional
customers without lowering their quality.
What
is Michelin Guide?
The Michelin Guide (French: Guide Michelin [ɡid miʃ.lɛ̃])
is a series of annual guide books published by the company Michelin for over a
dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest
and best-known European hotel and restaurant reference guide, which awards the
Michelin stars. Michelin also publishes Green
Guides for travel and tourism, as well as several newer publications such
as the Guide Voyageur Pratique (independent travel), Guide Gourmand
(good-value eating-places), Guide Escapade (quick breaks) and Guide
Coup de Cœur (favorite hotels).
First published in
1900 for France, Michelin introduced additional guides thereafter for other
European countries. In 2005, it published the first guide for the United States
focusing on New York City; followed by its first Asian guide in 2007 for Tokyo.
In 2012, the Michelin Guide collection had 27 guide books covering 23 countries
on three continents, with over 45,000 worldwide addresses.
Pink
Guides have
historically listed many more restaurants than rivals, relying on an extensive
system of symbols to describe each establishment in as little as two lines.
Reviews of starred restaurants also include two to three culinary specialties.
Recently, however, short summaries (2–3 lines) have been added to enhance
descriptions of many establishments. These summaries are written in the
language of the country for which the guide is published, but the symbols are
the same throughout all editions.
Red
Guides are also
published for selected major cities: Paris, London, Tokyo, Kyoto/Osaka, Hokkaido,
Hong Kong & Macau, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area & Wine
Country, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Las Vegas. There is also a Red Guide
encompassing the "Main Cities of Europe."
In 2008, German
restaurateur Juliane Caspar was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the French edition
of the Red Guide. She is the first woman and first non-French national to edit
the French edition.
Michelin Stars and Other Ratings
Stars
In 1933 André Michelin
and his brother Édouard Michelin introduced the first countrywide French
restaurant listings and introduced the Michelin star system for ranking food,
later extended to the rest of the world. The guide awards one to three stars to
a small number of restaurants of outstanding quality. One star indicates "very
good cuisine in its category"; two stars represent "excellent
cuisine, worth a detour"; and a rare three stars are awarded to
restaurants offering "exceptional cuisine, worth a special
journey." As of late 2009, there were 26 three-star restaurants in
France, and a total of 81 in the world.
Michelin reviewers
(commonly called "inspectors") are completely anonymous;
they do not identify themselves, and their meals and expenses are paid for by
the company founded by the Michelin brothers, never by a restaurant being
reviewed.
The New
Yorker
article states: 'Michelin has gone to extraordinary lengths to maintain the
anonymity of its inspectors. Many of the company’s top executives have never
met an inspector; inspectors themselves are advised not to disclose their line
of work, even to their parents (who might
be tempted to boast about it); and, in all the years that it has been
putting out the guide, Michelin has refused to allow its inspectors to speak to
journalists. The inspectors write reports that are distilled, in annual “stars
meetings” at the guide’s various national offices, into the ranking of three
stars, two stars, or one star—or no stars. (Establishments that Michelin deems
unworthy of a visit are not included in the guide.) A three-star Michelin
ranking is exceedingly rare.
The French chef Paul
Bocuse, one of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine in the 1960s, said,
"Michelin is the only guide that counts." In France, each year, at
the time the guide is published, it sparks a media frenzy which has been
compared to that for annual Academy Awards for movies. Media and people debate
likely winners, speculation is rife, and TV and newspapers discuss which
restaurant might lose, and who might gain, a Michelin star.
Rising Stars
The Michelin Guide
also awards Rising Stars, an
indication that a given restaurant has the potential to qualify for a star, or
an additional star.
Since 1955, the guide
has also highlighted restaurants offering "good food at moderate
prices", a feature now called "Bib
Gourmand". They must offer menu items priced below a maximum
determined by local economic standards. Bib (Bibendum) is the company's
nickname for the Michelin Man, its corporate logo for over a century.
Other Ratings
All listed
restaurants, regardless of their star- or Bib Gourmand-status, also receive a
"fork and spoon"
designation, as a subjective reflection of the overall comfort and quality of
the restaurant. Rankings range from one
to five: One fork and spoon represents a "comfortable restaurant" and
five signifies a "luxurious restaurant". Forks and spoons colored red
designate a restaurant that is considered "pleasant" as well.
Restaurants,
independently of their other ratings in the guide, can also receive a number of
other symbols next to their listing.
1. Coins
indicate restaurants that serve a menu for a certain price or less, depending
on the local monetary standard. In 2010 France, 2011 US and Japan Red Guides,
the maximum permitted "coin" prices are €19, $25, and ¥5000,
respectively.
2. Interesting view
or Magnificent view,
designated by a black or red symbol, are given to restaurants offering those
features.
3. Grapes,
a sake set, or a cocktail glass indicate restaurants that offer,
at minimum, a "somewhat interesting" selection of wines, sake, or cocktails,
respectively.
Green Guides
The Green Guides review and rate attractions other than restaurants.
There is a Green Guide for France as a whole, and a more detailed one for each
of ten regions within France. Other Green Guides cover many countries, regions,
and cities outside France. Many Green Guides are published in several
languages. They include background information and an alphabetical section
describing points of interest. Like the Red Guides, they use a three-star
system for recommending sights ranging from "worth a trip" to
"worth a detour", and "interesting".
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