Michelin Starred Restaurants

[cupcakechef]

Have you ever eaten at one? Do you have any interest in them?

I've eaten at one, in Hong Kong. It's called One Dim Sum, and it's actually one of the cheapest places you can eat at that has a Michelin Star rating. A friend and I ate there, and ate a LOT, and it was around $18 USD for both of us!

The awesome thing about the place is that once they received their Michelin Star rating, they didn't go and increase the prices like some other places have a tendency to do, once they are respected and revered at that level.

http://www.ladyironchef.com/2015/01/one-dim-sum-hong-kong/

This isn't my blog but is a nice article about the restaurant.

 

[crimsonghost747]

Never paid any attention to Michelin Stars... and fairly certain that I haven't eaten in a restaurant that got one since I really don't like fancy restaurants.
I often find that simple is good and most of the time a 10-15 euro meal at a small restaurant or a pub is much better and certainly more filling than a 50 euro meal in a nice restaurant.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I have to agree I have never paid any attention, more to the point I have probably point blank ignored them. If there was one that was vegetarian and therefore served vegan food, then it might just be of interest to me, but....

 

[Berties]

Yes !eaten at a few , it's not a cheap affair , and it's the experience , service and food
And for me inwould rather have a good meal out ,and the memories than loads of tat I don't want for my birthday

 

[sidevalve]

Have used a few in the past. Some were very very good - good solid food very well cooked with spot on service - others seem to concentrate on appearance [ie you don't get much on a plate] wine [not much use if you are driving] and service [but only if you tip VERY well].

 

[cupcakechef]

Have used a few in the past. Some were very very good - good solid food very well cooked with spot on service - others seem to concentrate on appearance [ie you don't get much on a plate] wine [not much use if you are driving] and service [but only if you tip VERY well].

Yes I imagine some of the Michelin Star restaurants are all about looks -- I have to say I'm not a fan of when there's only a small amount on a plate with more pizazz than substance!

I think that's why I enjoyed the Michelin starred place I went to in Hong Kong. It was a really filling meal and for such a great price. None of the snobbery or exclusiveness that turns me off from some other places!

 

[Shadow]

Yes, I've eaten in quite a few and have a declining interest in them, especially the downright bizarre, à la El Bulli and their ilk, in spite of their undoubted skill and creativity.

One or two of my all time best meals have been in such highly rated restaurants but equally I have had great meals in tiny, family-run places with no recognition at all apart from locals eating there.
Michelin rates its restaurants solely on the food. I think dining out is so much more than that. Service, wine, ambience and value for money are also important to me. And who you dine with.
A couple of years ago I had a meal in St Remy, France which may have been technically perfect with very good service but all the dishes lacked flair. If I am paying for an expensive meal, I am looking for something special. In my opinion, it should not be starred.
Conversely, a roadside café-looking establishment just outside Tournus, France offered up a fantastic meal that we would never have had at home that used good ingredients, cooked to perfection, satisfying to eat, presented with fun and flair 'only' has a Bib Gourmand. In my mind, these are the places to seek out for excellent food that also offer good value. Often they are the starred restaurants of tomorrow.

It all depends on what you are wanting from a restaurant. For some, only places like El Cellar de Can Roca will do. Increasingly, they are not to my taste. Unless someone else is paying, in which case I'm willing to give them a try!

 

[missbishi]

I've never been tempted by Michelin stars or other such awards personally. To me, it's all just hype and I can guarantee that I'd get tastier meal, and a lot more of it, at a smaller establishment.

 

[cupcakechef]

Michelin rates its restaurants solely on the food. I think dining out is so much more than that. Service, wine, ambience and value for money are also important to me. And who you dine with.
A couple of years ago I had a meal in St Remy, France which may have been technically perfect with very good service but all the dishes lacked flair. If I am paying for an expensive meal, I am looking for something special. In my opinion, it should not be starred.

You make a really brilliant point - dining out IS so much more than simply the food that's put in front of you. I can tell you one of the very best meals I recall was served at an old gas station in Kansas, USA called Oklahoma Joes - they're famous for their BBQ there. Anyway, you'd look at the place and think it was nothing special, the plating certainly wasn't "gourmet", but it was so delicious and such a quirky experience that it ticked all the boxes for me. The service was fun and friendly...and it's so well loved that even Barack Obama has eaten there!

So yes - it doesn't need to be pretentious or starred to be great, I absolutely agree!