Eateries and chefs chase coveted Michelin awards
The Michelin man. (JIANG YUHANG / CHINA DAILY)
An open kitchen, where chefs demonstrate their skills making dishes such as hand-pulled noodles and dumplings, grabs diners' attention immediately as they walk into Country Kitchen in Beijing's Chaoyang district.
Next to the kitchen is an array of roasted ducks, prized for their nutty sweetness.
It’s more important to upgrade the experience for diners than to win a Michelin Plate or even a star
Ye Jingsheng, founder of Fresco, a European contemporary restaurant in Beijing
The eatery's decor and cuisine clearly impressed inspectors from the Michelin Guide Beijing, who have awarded it one star, a step up from the Michelin Plate it was granted last year.
"The honor is not only recognition of our team, but also evidence of the charm of North China's cuisine," said Chai Xin, head chef at Country Kitchen.
The second edition of the Michelin Guide Beijing, published a week ago in the Chinese capital, features a pair of three-star restaurants, a couple of two-star eateries and 26 one-star establishments.
The two three-star businesses are vegetarian restaurant King's Joy, which was not only promoted from two stars but also won the new Green Star award, and Xin Rong Ji, which claimed a record total of 10 stars for its outlets in Beijing and Shanghai.
Gwendal Poullennec, international director at Michelin Guides, said that despite the challenges posed this year by the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing restaurateurs have shown incredible commitment to overcoming the crisis with their passion and talent.
A selection of dishes from Country Kitchen in Beijing. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
In September and October, the third edition of the Michelin Guide Guangzhou and the fifth edition of the Michelin Guide Shanghai were published, with additional stars awarded, but none withdrawn.
Cao Difei, honorary ambassador for gastronomic society Disciples Escoffier International's China Delegation and a food columnist based in Beijing, said it is encouraging for the catering industry that all Michelin-starred restaurants on the Chinese mainland retained their ratings this year, except for Da Dong in Gongti East Road, which closed as the building it was located in had to be demolished.
Published on the mainland for five years, the Michelin guides aim to deepen understanding of the diversity of Chinese cuisine. Even though they have been challenged for their judgment, restaurateurs and chefs value the stars awarded, which bring both honor and pressure.
Unlike the mainland, the awarding of Michelin stars has been canceled or postponed in many places worldwide due to the pandemic.
In March, the publication and awards announcement for this year's Michelin Guide Germany, planned for Hamburg, was canceled and the awards were published online.
Last month in the United States, the Michelin Guide California decided not to award stars to any restaurants in the state this year.
During the pandemic, the number of Michelin-starred restaurants open for business in 39 destinations worldwide has been monitored each week. In April, the opening rate sank to 13 percent, the lowest level to date.
Mai Zhixiong, chef at Yu Yue Heen, a Cantonese restaurant in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, which has been given one Michelin star for three consecutive years. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Last week, 36 percent of the restaurants were open. In Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, the rate was 100 percent, while in Shanghai and Beijing, it stood at 98 percent and 96 percent respectively
Kamran Vossoughi, president and CEO of Michelin China, said that by keeping pace with customers' diversified needs, the guides are committed to the Chinese market.
In the first Michelin Guide Shanghai, which was published in 2016, a total of 35 stars were awarded to 26 restaurants. Since then, the number of stars has continued to rise, and now stands at 55, shared by 43 restaurants.
In a video message for the launch of the latest Shanghai guide on Oct 21, Poullennec said that during the past five years, Michelin inspectors have been constantly impressed by the extremely high standard and growing potential of the local culinary scene.
"Chefs have demonstrated both resilience and solidarity in recent months during the COVID-19 crisis, and their commitment impressed us at all levels," he said.
In Beijing, the pandemic may have cost European contemporary restaurant Fresco the Michelin Plate it won last year, as the business had to close for nine months for renovation work, missing the inspectors' visit.
Ye Jingsheng, Fresco's founder, said that after winning the Michelin Plate, he decided to upgrade the restaurant. However, the pandemic meant the work took much longer than expected－the eatery closed in January but could not reopen until Oct 6.
"We received an email in June from Michelin about collecting our information, but we didn't know when the inspectors would arrive. We continue to give priority to the quality of our food and service, even though we missed the inspectors this year," Ye said.
"It's more important to upgrade the experience for diners than to win a Michelin Plate or even a star. It was worth the long wait to redecorate our restaurant and update the menu."
A selection of dishes from Vege Wonder in Beijing. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Cantonese preference
In 2008, the Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau was launched. In the latest edition, published in December, 10 restaurants in the two cities－five of them specializing in Cantonese cuisine－have been awarded three stars. On the mainland, no Cantonese restaurant has this rating.
However, Cantonese cuisine is still the most popular with Michelin inspectors on the mainland, being served at 29 of the 85 starred restaurants.
Mai Zhixiong, chef at Yu Yue Heen, a Cantonese restaurant in Guangzhou, which has been given one Michelin star for three consecutive years, said inspectors value the combination of color, aroma and flavor of a dish, along with fresh ingredients and intricate plating.
"They are not just judging one aspect, which poses more challenges for both the chefs and the service team," Mai said.
Yu Yue Heen was popular before it earned a star, but the award has attracted more customers. For Spring Festival dinner, clients have to book a table one or two months in advance, Mai said.
In 2018, online-to-offline service platform Meituan-Dianping launched a restaurant guide titled Black Pearl. This year's edition lists 309 restaurants in 27 cities worldwide and includes nearly 30 types of Chinese cuisine.
Cao, the food columnist, said the major difference between the two guides is that Michelin depends on inspectors' feedback, while Black Pearl is based on data collected from its app, in addition to that provided by anonymous inspectors.
A selection of dishes from 8½Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Shanghai. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Biggest winner
On the mainland, Xin Rong Ji was the biggest winner this year, with the 10 Michelin stars awarded to its branches and subsidiaries in Beijing and Shanghai.
Founded in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, in October 1995 by Zhang Yong, the business features Taizhou cuisine and now has more than 30 branches in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen, Guangdong.
In Beijing, the Xin Rong Ji outlet on Xinyuan South Road retained its three stars.
Jingji, a newcomer to the capital's dining scene this year, which was awarded two stars, is a Xin Rong Ji subsidiary. It features imperial cuisine and regional cooking at an average price of 1,749 yuan (US$266), according to the business review and ratings platform Dazhong Dianping.
In Shanghai, the Xin Rong Ji outlet on Nanyang Road won two stars, while its West Nanjing Road branch in the city and the Beijing branches on Jianguomenwai Street and Jinrong Street were awarded one star.
Another of its subsidiaries in Beijing, Rong Cuisine on Baiziwan South Er Road, along with Rong Cuisine (Huangpu) in Shanghai, won Michelin Bib Gourmand awards.
Cao said that standardizing and stabilizing the dishes and service it provides is the reason so many Xin Rong Ji branches have received Michelin stars, unlike numerous other restaurants that rely on renowned head chefs.
A selection of dishes from Vege Wonder in Beijing. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
New award launched
This year, the Michelin Green Star award was launched. According to Poullennec, the director, the award aims to highlight "rolemodel establishments" at the forefront of a more sustainable approach to gastronomy.
After France, the Nordic countries, Germany, Slovenia and Japan, Beijing is the first city in China to introduce this award, which went to King's Joy.
The inspectors said the vegetarian eatery implemented several policies aimed at reducing energy use and consumption of resources, and also held community activities to promote sustainable lifestyles.
Beijing food critic Dong Keping said that as environmental protection, organic food and sustainable development have become trends in the catering industry in recent years, King's Joy merited a green star.
Michelin inspectors appear to have a preference for vegetarian cuisine in Beijing, as King's Joy, which won two stars last year, won three this year. A newcomer in this field, Vege Wonder, was awarded one star.
Four vegetarian restaurants in the city won Bib Gourmand or Michelin Plate awards, including the Blossom Vegetarian outlet in Dongcheng district and Gong De Lin, which was founded in 1984 and is known for its meat-substitute dishes with mushrooms and vegetables.
Poullennec said that in Beijing, restaurants and chefs are always striving to improve and show their growing commitment to sustainable gastronomy, "as evidenced by the introduction of the Michelin Green Star for the first time in China".
However, according to the Dazhong Dianping platform, three of the city's vegetarian restaurants that won the Michelin Plate last year－Lin's Dining Lounge, Lotus.com (Jinchengfang Street) and Feast－had to close.
Dai Jun, 50, head chef at Vege Wonder, thinks vegetarian restaurants have a natural advantage in earning a Green Star, as they aim to be environmentally friendly.
With nearly three decades of experience in Cantonese and Chaozhou cuisine, Dai started to focus on vegetarian cooking eight years ago.
He thinks that making vegetarian dishes is more difficult than putting together those comprising meat.
"You have to master all the cooking techniques and you need to pay more attention to the ingredients," he said.
"Vegetables used to solely accompany meat dishes, but a vegetarian chef now needs a wide knowledge of their character and must know how to bring out the original flavor."
Dai said that since the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star last week, it has attracted more customers, especially during the weekend.
He added that before Vege Wonder opened last year, its goal was to win Michelin stars. He is not surprised the business has been awarded one star, but thinks there is room to improve－from presentation of the dishes to selecting the ingredients.
Sous chef Alessio Pirozzi at Mio in Beijing, which has earned one Michelin star for two years running. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Talent recognized
In addition to the Green Star, two other Michelin honors have been launched on the mainland－the Michelin Young Chef Award, which recognizes exceptional talent and great potential, and the Michelin Service Award, which is given to a restaurant personality with a passion for service.
Two chefs from China and one from France received the Michelin Young Chef Award, while their restaurants were awarded one star for the first time.
In Guangzhou, the young chef award went to Situ Jianquan from Lingnan House, with the inspectors praising his skillful techniques, ability to make picture-perfect presentations and develop new recipes.
In Shanghai, the award was won by Chen Zhiping, 30, who runs the kitchen at Meet the Bund and is passionate about delivering high-quality authentic Fujian dishes.
French chef Julien Cadiou from Jing took the honor in Beijing. The restaurant, which received its first Michelin star last week, is the first eatery specializing in French cuisine to win a star in the capital.
Cadiou said, "The honor is a huge breakthrough for our team of chefs and will encourage us to provide more creative and imaginative French cuisine to diners in the capital."
In Shanghai, Wang Zhenxiang from the two-star restaurant Ji Pin Court won the service award, while in Beijing, it went to Liu Shiting, a supervisor at Xin Rong Ji's branch on Xinyuannan Road.
In Guangdong, Mao Xiaoxiang from Bing Sheng Private Kitchen, which has a one-star rating, received the award in recognition of her talent in providing high-quality service and efficient team management.
Chef Li Qiang from Cai Yi Xuan in Beijing, which has one Michelin star. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Chefs matter
Chefs are crucial to a restaurant, especially when it comes to assessment by Michelin inspectors, but they can also be a double-edged sword, as changing a head chef may jeopardize a star rating.
In the inaugural Michelin Guide Shanghai, published in 2016, Cantonese restaurant Tang Court in luxury hotel The Langham won three stars, becoming the only eatery on the mainland with such a rating at the time.
It retained the three stars in 2017, while in 2018 it only received two, which may have been due to the departure of head chef Tan Shiye. It was awarded one star last year and has retained this rating for this year.
Last year, Italian restaurant Mio at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beijing was awarded one star. Even though head chef Aniello Turco left before Spring Festival this year and the restaurant closed for a time due to the pandemic, it retained its rating.
Christian Poda, the hotel's general manager, said the head chef's position at Mio is still vacant and the kitchen team is being led temporarily by Italian sous chef Alessio Pirozzi.
"To receive any Michelin stars is a career-defining achievement; to retain them is another thing altogether," Poda said. "Our sous chef is quite young, but he has quickly widened his experience this year. We are all pleased that we have retained the star at a time when conditions have not been ideal."
Luo Qilong, chef at Yu Zhi Lan, the only Sichuan cuisine restaurant in Shanghai to earn a Michelin star.(PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Honor and pressure
Zhu Haifeng, chef at Shanghai Cuisine in Beijing, which has two Michelin stars, said that after the restaurant gained its rating last year, clients quickly flocked to the business.
"We were so busy serving customers on one table after another that we had no opportunity to take a break. I was a little stressed at the time," Zhu said.
The pandemic gave him the opportunity to upgrade the restaurant, from the tableware and wine glasses to the menu and wine list. "We closed the business in February and reopened in March. While we were closed, the staff had little rest and continued to work hard," he said.
Zhu added that in the pandemic, the restaurant's revenue took a hit in February, but business quickly recovered the following month.
"I was a little surprised when we received the two stars last year, as we had only been open for two years and the team still needed to improve. This year, I feel the restaurant has improved in every respect," he said.
Zhu recently launched a house liquor with a partner, and is also looking for an associate to introduce a house wine. "I have many plans to improve the restaurant," he said.
He was not surprised that Shanghai Cuisine retained its two stars this year and was also pleased when its subsidiary, the newly opened Tasty House, won a star.
Zhu feels that Shanghai Cuisine showcases authentic flavor with traditional dishes. Meanwhile, Tasty House acts as a "backyard garden" for him to realize his creative and innovative ambitions and demonstrate his experience in other types of cuisine, including Cantonese, Sichuan and Western.
He thinks there is plenty of room for Tasty House to grow, and hopes that by improving in every way, it can retain its Michelin star.
