The release of the 2016 MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau last month had food lovers and chefs waiting with baited breath for the latest announcements
When the press and some of the region’s biggest names in food gathered in the Connaught Room at the Mandarin Oriental November 5, the nerves in the room were palpable. Not surprising given that there was a lot at stake, with culinary careers made and marked by two simple words: MICHELIN Stars. Indeed, the acquisition or loss of a star can have dramatic effects on the future and fortunes of a restaurant.
Mr. Michael Ellis, International Director of the MICHELIN Guide took to the stage in a room packed with chef’s to reveal the new MICHELIN-starred restaurants in the eighth edition of the Hong Kong Macau guide, sharing details and new developments for the year to come.
In Macau, some of the big announcements included French restaurant The Tasting Room by Galliot, and Cantonese restaurant Jade Dragon, both located in City of Dreams, being awarded Two Stars. Shinji, Macau’s only MICHELIN-starred sushi restaurant, also at City of Dreams, made it onto the One Star list.
“That MICHELIN has again recognized the quality of food and service at The Tasting Room and Jade Dragon is testament to the hard work that the management, the staff and, of course, our celebrated chefs have invested to reach this pinnacle of culinary excellence and quality,” said Mr. Kristoffer Luczak, Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage, Melco Crown Entertainment Limited. “
Three other restaurants in Macau were also awarded One Star for the first time: Wynn Hotel’s fine Japanese dining at Mizumi; StarWorld Hotel’s melting pot of Chuan-Xiang cuisine at Feng Wei Ju; and Italian cuisine at Galaxy’s 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA and Terrazza.
“We are thrilled about the good news. I am really proud of my team for the incredible achievement of making Mizumi one of the first Michelin-starred Japanese restaurants in Macau,” said Hiroshi Kagata, Chef de Cuisine of Mizumi at Wynn Macau.
Charles So, Director of Operations, StarWorld Macau, commented on their inclusion: “We are thrilled with our accolades this year with Feng Wei Ju earning its first MICHELIN-star award”.
For the first time, 23 Hong Kong and 12 Macau locations serving street food were also featured in the Guide.
“The inclusion of street food in a selection is a first in the history of the MICHELIN Guides,” said Michael Ellis. “Street food occupies an important place in Hong Kong and Macau’s food scenes, and our inspectors have paid close attention to the quality of dishes on offer and the use of local seasonal produce over the past few years.
"As a result of our inspectors’ observations, we believe street food establishments have a rightful place in the MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau and we are delighted with this major development.”
In total, The MICHELIN Guide Hong Kong Macau 2016, features 78 Bib Gourmands and 77 starred restaurants.
The new Street Food list has twelve establishments listed, from Lord Stow’s Bakery to names such as Yi Shun and Mok Yee kei.
Looking at the listings in dynamic cities such as Hong Kong and Macau, it’s easy to forget the humble beginnings of the red guide book. In 1926, the oldest European hotel and restaurant reference guide began to award stars for fine dining establishments. Initially, there was only a single star awarded, then in 1931, the hierarchy of one, two, and three stars was introduced. Finally, In 1936, the criteria for the starred rankings were published:
* “A very good restaurant in its category” (“Une très bonne table dans sa catégorie”)
** “Excellent cooking, worth a detour” (“Table excellente, mérite un détour”)
*** “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey” (“Une des meilleures tables, vaut le voyage”).
The selection process is applied independently around 24 countries, with anonymous inspectors who dine in Hong Kong and Macau regularly making the selections of the restaurants in the two territories. To fully assess the quality of a restaurant, the inspectors apply five criteria defined by MICHELIN: product quality, preparation and flavours, the chef’s personality as revelaed through his or her cuisine, value for money, and consistency over time and across the entire menu.