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The Elusive Michelin Star

If there is one thing that is on the minds of all executive chefs and A-class restaurants, it is the Michelin Star.

The Michelin Guide appoints these enviable medals of culinary honor to its highest rated restaurants in Europe, the USA and Japan. Stemming from France, the Michelin committee and its secretive inspectors can make or break a restaurant.

Its clan of anonymous, professionally-trained experts frequent restaurants of interest and assign each an assessment of the restaurant’s food and service. These reports are then presented at the annual Michelin “stars meeting”, which determines the final allocation of 1, 2 or 3 stars for exceptional food and service.

Chefs may work all of their careers to attain these stars. A three-star rating is the highest honour and one might say would be equivalent to winning the Oscar for culinary ability.

The anonymity of these food critics is paramount to the success of the Michelin rating system. Not dissimilar to CIA Agents, the inspectors are told not to discuss their line of work with anyone, not even their parents. They are expected to travel constantly, maintain a constant regimen of eating (they must order three courses and clear their plates at each sitting), they receive a low salary, and when they eat out, they are suggested to indulge in their tastings alone. This breeds a dedicated group of inspectors, who do work for their passion and retain modesty within the profession.

A hospitality or culinary degree is mandatory for inspectors. Previous experience in the food industry and a sommelier’s certification is even more of a plus.

If you are wondering how the inspectors prepare their reports, here is a little outline:

After each inspection visit, the inspector will return home to list every ingredient from the meal and the specifics of preparation. Each of these is rated according to criteria, including quality of products, mastery in cooking, technical accuracy, balance of flavors, and creativity of the chef.

“It’s not really a ‘like’ and a ‘not like,’ ” [Michelin inspector, 'M'] said. “It’s an analysis. You’re eating it and you’re looking for the quality of the products. At this level, they have to be top quality. You’re looking at ‘Was every single element prepared exactly perfectly, technically correct?’ And then you’re looking at the creativity. Did it work? Did the balance of ingredients work? Was there good texture? Did everything come together? Did something overpower something else? Did something not work with something else? The pistachios—everything was perfect.”
(Source: John Colapinto, The New Yorker)
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/11/23/091123fa_fact_colapinto?current...

The inspector will then write out a detailed report on the setting, comfort and service of the restaurant. The wine list, the other guests, the décor, the china and cutlery, the salt shaker, the glasses, the mannerism of the waiter and the voice on the end of the phone when you made your reservation, the free petit fours at the end of the meal… Everything is taken into account.

And for this reason, organization, preparation, training and creativity are key for an executive chef to retain the quality expected in the kitchen. The inspectors are in fact tasting the preparations of the sous chef and line chefs, not necessarily the executive chef.

To ensure that the fish is not overcooked but remains delicately flakey and to ascertain that the waitress does not get finger marks on the water glasses, the executive chef must run a tight ship, where either he is everywhere at once, or he delegates and trains his staff in an expert fashion. From the sourcing the fresh produce for ingredients and checking the inventory, to the typed menus and clean aprons, the manager and the executive chef work closely to ensure the smooth operation of their vessel.

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