On the food trail - Food Glorious Food - The Real Stuff
Excerpts:
Liken it to the Grammy’s or the Oscars, the Michelin Star is one of the coveted awards in food critiques. The Michelin Guide is looked upon as ‘Europe’s Red Food Bible’. It was created by Andre Michelin in 1900 with a view to list all the major restaurants along the roads of France and as a marketing strategy by Michelin - the foremost French tyre company. The Red Cover Book guides travellers to good food establishments of France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. Now, of course, it has reached American and Asian shores (with China having the highest number of Michelin establishments) and is finally coming to India.
Inspectors make visits like other customers, but ‘undercover’. Sometimes visiting a restaurant several times, never asking for a particular table or dropping hints to the waiter, or asking to meet the chef. Each one, eats, drinks, pays the bill and leaves. A restaurant can be visited by several different inspectors before a verdict is given.
Most of the criteria like those of Michelin for star status are a safely guarded secret. Taking into account all the facets of the restaurant for service, amenability, cleanliness, which are secondary; the main criteria pertain to food, its taste and presentation – and consistency of quality.
Michelin stars also known as rosettes or macaroons, and are awarded primarily therefore on the work of a chef, and then of the establishment. If the chef leaves a restaurant, the star goes with him. And there are times when stars are taken away. To maintain a level of consistency is a feat in itself.
Excerpts:
Liken it to the Grammy’s or the Oscars, the Michelin Star is one of the coveted awards in food critiques. The Michelin Guide is looked upon as ‘Europe’s Red Food Bible’. It was created by Andre Michelin in 1900 with a view to list all the major restaurants along the roads of France and as a marketing strategy by Michelin - the foremost French tyre company. The Red Cover Book guides travellers to good food establishments of France, Italy, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. Now, of course, it has reached American and Asian shores (with China having the highest number of Michelin establishments) and is finally coming to India.
Inspectors make visits like other customers, but ‘undercover’. Sometimes visiting a restaurant several times, never asking for a particular table or dropping hints to the waiter, or asking to meet the chef. Each one, eats, drinks, pays the bill and leaves. A restaurant can be visited by several different inspectors before a verdict is given.
Most of the criteria like those of Michelin for star status are a safely guarded secret. Taking into account all the facets of the restaurant for service, amenability, cleanliness, which are secondary; the main criteria pertain to food, its taste and presentation – and consistency of quality.
Michelin stars also known as rosettes or macaroons, and are awarded primarily therefore on the work of a chef, and then of the establishment. If the chef leaves a restaurant, the star goes with him. And there are times when stars are taken away. To maintain a level of consistency is a feat in itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment