Elite Traveler May-June 2016

INSPIRE MICHELIN

elite traveler MAY/JUNE 2016 110

the changing culture of high-end dining. “For me it is a clear sign that Michelin is happy to back entrepreneurship, young people and those who want to tell stories in a different way,” says Guerrero. “Michelin knows that the notion of luxury changes and the stars have to evolve too.” Beyond Europe The Michelin Guide is still considered both a French and European institution. Expansion into the US did not happen until 2005 when the New York City guide launched. This might seem surprising, but then many forget that the guide is part of the largest tire company in the world and any new launches have to fit in with overall business strategy. “We have to look at where we want to promote the tire business in the world, so it is part of an overall strategy, but there obviously has to be a culinary scene,” explains Burr. The novelty of the guide in the US is reflected in the perceived influence. “Michelin probably means something to Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten that it doesn’t mean to an American chef,” says PeteWells, critic for The New York Times . “Of course there are American-born chefs who have worked in European kitchens and they would be aware of what a big deal it is.” Staying relevant But the international guides are the targets of another criticism leveled at Michelin. Hayler believes that although the standard of restaurants is not supposed to vary much from country to country, they do. “In Europe there is a high degree of cross checking to get to two or three stars – an inspector’s assessment needs to be confirmed,” he says. “I am unconvinced that the same rigorous approach is applied across the world.” Hayler calls the US guides “exceedingly generous” compared to the European versions. He also believes it is harder to have a three-star restaurant in France than in the UK, for example. But he reserves his biggest criticism for the Hong Kong guide, which he says is an “embarrassment”. “The Hong Kong guide is incomprehensible, and in my view it is devaluing the brand,” he says. But Burr insists the criticism is unfounded. “There is a difference between a dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong and a starred restaurant in France. I have seen both and I understand both. The tagline is ‘a star in its category’,” she says. “We have a senior team ensuring that consistency in one-, two- and three-starred restaurants is maintained.” Michelin has been digital since 2001 and Twitter users can follow inspectors on their

2006: San Francisco guide is launched.

2007: First guide in Asia is launched with the Michelin Guide Tokyo .

2009: 100th edition of the Michelin Guide France also saw the first app launch, the first Bib Gourmand award in Benelux. Launch of Michelin in Hong Kong and Macau. 2011: US restaurant selection is extended to Chicago, and in Japan to include Kobe in the Kyoto Osaka guide. Yokohama and Kamakura are added to the Tokyo guide.

“For me it is a clear sign that Michelin is happy to back entrepreneurship, young people and those who want to

tell stories in a different way” Diego Guerrero DSTAgE, Madrid

2015: The Michelin Guide Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo is the first South American guide.

travels around the world, albeit retrospectively. It has little choice in a crowded marketplace that now features several lists, such as the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and individual restaurant blogs, as well as user-generated review sites, such as TripAdvisor and Yelp. The printed guide remains popular and is considered the core product, but staying relevant in the digital side is increasingly important. “Our reference has become stronger in recent years because there is so much out there and people are thinking ‘one is saying this and another is saying something else’,” says Burr. “The Michelin Guide is an easy reference guide – a recommendation in the guide has been independently assessed by professional people who know the business and the restaurants around the world. That is how we stay relevant.”