Haute cuisine is increasingly associated with environmental friendliness, balance and signature style. Restaurant chefs have been working on the creation of unique dishes for many years, because real gastronomic masterpieces do not appear overnight. The Michelin experts know this. Traveling all over the world, they highlight the very best establishments by awarding them stars.
Michelin rating: a bit of history
There is an opinion that it was France that invented gastronomy, and the Michelin rating registered it. It would seem that the founders of the car tire company cannot have anything to do with gourmet cuisine, but this is far from the case. In 1900, when the brothers decided to publish a guidebook, which marked the places where you can eat and relax, a rating appeared that was rapidly gaining popularity all over the world.
In 1926, the Michelin brothers decided to revise the concept of the guide, during which it acquired only a gastronomic character. Experts who visit the restaurant evaluate it according to 14 parameters, but the key remains the cuisine, which is given maximum attention. Service level, price category, interior are secondary. Owners of establishments consider it a great honor to be in the Red Guide, even if no star was awarded.
Unlike hotels, where a five-star rating is provided, a kitchen can only be awarded three stars:
- 1 star - excellent cuisine, including dishes prepared at the highest level;
- 2 stars - a kitchen, which must be visited if a person drives by;
- 3 stars - the best cuisine, the perfect job of a chef, for which you can travel a long distance.
It is noteworthy that Michelin stars are awarded not by the establishments themselves, but by the chefs. If in the future the employee changes the restaurant, the previous one will lose its rating. It turns out that the stars belong to the skill of the chefs, so everything that does not concern the quality of the dishes is taken into account in the evaluation in the last place.
Rating Algorithm
Usually, the owner of the establishment does not even suspect that a Michelin expert is sitting at one of the tables, who assesses the restaurant according to various parameters. It takes into account the quality of the dish, the speed of its preparation, the ability to park the car, the atmosphere in general, and much more. All data is collected, a report is formulated.
Before the Michelin rating is awarded, an anonymous visitor makes a minimum of four visits. Initially, you cannot get more than 1 star, the second is given only after the tenth visit, and the third - upon the inspection of the institution by an international delegation of experts. The statute can not only be obtained, but also easily lost if, during an extraordinary check, the anonymous visitor who awards the stars does not like something.
The Michelin rating is important not so much for visitors as for chefs, because it reflects the level of their skill. The Michelin system allows you to evaluate establishments from around the world by choosing the best. Not all restaurants with famous chefs are even awarded one star.
Despite the fact that times are rapidly changing, there are many other projects aimed at evaluating haute cuisine, only the Michelin rating remains the most significant and accurate. For all the years, experts have not been noticed in overestimating - they can be arranged by preparing a really tasty and healthy dish. Visitors can themselves appreciate the author's cuisine by visiting world-famous Michelin restaurants.
Best Michelin-starred restaurants
El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
The restaurant, opened by the brothers, attracts visitors from all over the world, but a table can only be booked two months in advance. Here, as in other places with haute cuisine, visitors are invited to try the famous sets consisting of 3, 5 and 9 dishes. Visitors celebrate the excellent taste of cold cherry soup with ginger and tuna, mousse with the smell of sea foam and earth, soles fillet with sauces. The chef of the establishment pleases guests with exquisite wines that are ideally combined with signature dishes.
Nihonryori RyuGin, Japan
Japan is rich in establishments where famous chefs create gastronomic masterpieces in their kitchens. In the restaurant, you can taste wild duck with straw aroma, sashimi with eel. Combined with colorful interiors, the dishes leave a lasting impression. The restaurant is periodically visited by experts, therefore it is awarded with stars. The chef develops original recipes, which he keeps in the strictest confidence. At the same time, the dishes are constantly being refined so that visitors can appreciate all the notes of tastes.
El Celler de Can Roca, Spain, Girona
The highlight of El Celler de Can Roca is that every little detail in the design of the establishment is symbolic. There are three gardens on the territory, the dining room has a triangular shape, and there are three stones on each table. The restaurant's menu contains traditional Catalan recipes, as well as the brothers' own creative solutions. Thanks to the unusual combinations of ingredients, each dish is able to give a unique experience.
