Michelin and its Misconceptions

Michelin stars - you might have heard about them. They are the iconic stamps of approval that every chef aspires to have. They mean a lot in the culinary world, and they mean different things - A sign of competence, a lucky charm for good business, an elephant in the room for the media to talk about. Now, if you are not aware of Michelin stars, you might be thinking, "Isn't Michelin a tyre company? When did they start awarding stars for restaurants....... or are they for chefs?". Keep those questions intact, because today I want to unravel some threads and talk about some misconceptions like how there is no such thing as a "Michelin-starred chef", and also the fact that THERE ARE NO MICHELIN STAR RESTAURANTS IN INDIA!

Trou, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Michelin stars are offered to restaurants that offer outstanding cooking. According to their official website, they take into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine, and just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time. Michelin Stars are offered to restaurants in countries where Michelin Guide is available. The Michelin Guides are a series of iconic books that were started by the French industrialist brothers, Andre and Edouard Michelin in 1900. It offers restaurant and hotel recommendations for travelers on the road. Over time, this guide grew its prestige and started getting published in different countries. Today, the guide features restaurants in more than 25 countries.

Michelin stars are really prestigious awards given to restaurants. Chefs crave these iconic stars, and people idolize culinary professionals who have these stars alongside their name- "Michelin-starred chef.....". But, news flash, there is no such thing as a Michelin-starred chef. The stars are awarded to the restaurants, not to individuals. According to Hindustan Times, "Michelin is clear that the stars are for the restaurant and not the chef. If a chef leaves a restaurant, he or she does not automatically take the stars with him or her". Every time you heard about a "Michelin-starred chef blah blah" on TV or somewhere else, that is just marketing folks! Even now, you can see a lot of media publications using that phrase. It's just a way to garner more attention. A restaurant isn't dependent on the chef for its reputed star, and according to Michelin, it shouldn't be either.

Michelin stars are awarded to restaurants based on the food that has been served. They say on their official website that they don't consider a restaurant's decor, ambiance, service quality, etc. while awarding a star. (They say...) There is a popular assumption that all Michelin starred-restaurants are high-end French dining. That is not true...or at least till the first star category. Many restaurants and street food carts have been awarded their first Michelin star purely on the basis of the food that has been served. Places like Raan Jay Fai, Mei Mei, Tai Hwa pork noodle, etc. have received their first Michelin star for their delicious food despite having no tablecloths and proper seating arrangements.

If Michelin restaurants are not just limited to France, and they are not just limited to restaurants serving high-end haute cuisine, "Why are there no Michelin-starred restaurants in India?". Does Michelin think we don't have anything good to offer? Are they classists? Should I be triggered?.... No, because there is no Michelin guide in India. Michelin offers stars to restaurants that are only featured in the Michelin guide. Therefore, by definition, India cannot have Michelin-starred restaurants unless it has a Michelin guide, which is kind of our fault because the guide is for travelers on the road and we still don't have good roads here. (Ooh! Self-burn)

(If you want to learn more about how chefs feel about the Michelin guide, I would recommend you to read the article by Financial Times: What's wrong with the Michelin guide? I learned a lot about the Michelin ways which I didn't talk about here.)

But in all seriousness, "Where is our guide, Michelin?". With a country that has such a rich legacy, culture, and tradition of gastronomy, we should have been one of the first Southeast Asian countries to be covered in the guide. India has such a huge potential for having Michelin-starred restaurants because of our love for food, storytelling, and celebration. Although, there are already many Indian chefs who have received Michelin stars for their restaurants abroad such as Vikas Khanna, Gaggan Anand, Himanshu Saini, Akshay Bharadwaj, Manjunath Mural, etc.

So, it's only a matter of time before Michelin will feature its guide in India, and there will be no looking back for chefs, restaurants, diners, street vendors, and many more. Although a Michelin star is not necessary to prove to the world that a restaurant is exceptional, it does make it easier to show everyone that it is exceptional. Trust me, we have enough food to be shared and stories to be told in this country. So, fingers crossed! All in good time!

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See you next time!