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Michelin’s chief inspector for North America says inspectors are expected to dine in restaurants about 300 times a year.
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Michelin Guide welcomed Vancouver’s second wave of Star, Bib Gourmand and Recommended restaurants on Thursday with one star going to Okeya Kyujiro, with its solemn, opulent, theatrical omakase experience.
The total number of Michelin-designated restaurants in Vancouver is now 77, up from 60 last year.
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There were no Green Stars, which Michelin launched three years ago to recognize sustainable practices — surprising, given Vancouver’s history of Ocean Wise, 100-Mile Diet, farm-to-table and nose-to-tail dining.
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The city also lacks Michelin two- and three-star restaurants. But these are high-wire acts in times of inflation, labour shortages, consumer sensitivity to price, and mental and physical toll. Historically, long hours required for near perfection on all fronts relied on eager-to-learn stagiaires. In fact, the most famous three-star restaurant, Noma, in Copenhagen, announced it’ll be closing next year, saying it’s an unsustainable business model.
But Vancouver’s new inductees will be thrilled to see a flurry of interest from locals and tourists and Vancouver, one of two Canadian ‘Michelin’ cities, will walk just a little taller.
Unique Vancouver
“Momentum is growing as Vancouver continues to prove that it’s a world-class dining destination,” Michelin Guide’s chief inspector for North America said by email interview. “It’s home to an impressive foundation of local culinary talent, and they represent the excellent products of British Columbia in their cuisine.”
“One of the goals is to amplify Vancouver’s culinary scene,” says Royce Chwin, CEO of Destination Vancouver, which has a five-year contract with Michelin Guide for an undisclosed cost. The Michelin “advantage,” he says, can help win conferences and trade events for the city as well as tourists, be they Beyoncé fans or food lovers.
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Asked why Vancouver doesn’t double or triple up with Michelin-worthy cities like Richmond and Whistler to amplify the Michelin might, Chwin said the first two years are exclusive to Vancouver.
“We wanted Vancouver to get the first foothold. We’re always willing to look at expanding the partnership beyond Vancouver, but others would need to come to the table in terms of an agreement.”
Michelin began global collaborations with governments, organizations and corporations when sales of the printed Michelin guides, traditionally the main source of revenue, went into steep decline.
“In Vancouver, they broke the stereotype of Michelin being all white tablecloths and prim, fine dining,” Chwin says, “It’s recognized our different vibe, the different feel of West Coast cuisine.”
A welcome boost
Andrea Carlson — her Burdock and Co. restaurant retained its star while her Bar Gobo retained its Recommended status — agrees. It boosted her confidence to continue her progressive, independent vision and values.
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The new 2023 Michelin awards:
One star: Okeya Kyujiro.
Michelin Bib Gourmand: Farmer’s Apprentice, Karma Indian Bistro, Motonobu Udon, Seaport City Seafood, Sushi Hil.
Michelin Recommended: Archer, Bao Bei, Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar, Elisa, Folke, Hanai, Moltaqa, Regal Mansion Cuisine, Sushi Jin, Suyo, Tetsu Sushi Bar, Wildlight Kitchen and Bar.
Special awards: Max Curzon-Price, of Suyo Peruvian restaurant (Michelin Exceptional Cocktails); Kelcie Jones, of Burdock (Michelin Sommelier Award); Okeya Kyujiro’s front-of-house team (Michelin Outstanding Service Award); and chef Warren Chow, of Wildlight Kitchen and Bar (Michelin Young Chef Award).
“A lot of what I do might be viewed as unusual or whimsical. Michelin showed that it’s an OK path to go down — like with our five-course tasting menu; it’s OK to keep going on tangents. For my next menu, I’m using lots of radicchio and chicory. It’s cool to bring whimsy instead of sticking to rigid expectations.”
Michelin’s international gaze reassures her, too.
“It gives you a sense of where you stand internationally without the ingrained biases that exist in smaller food communities. It helps progressive places to become more viable,” she says. “The biggest thing is, it raises the bar, and you can see people have stepped up their game. It’s a beneficial thing for the economy of the city and restaurants.”
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With the uptick in business, Burdock upgraded its cutlery. “Our vintage knives were always problematic in terms of efficiency. Michelin gave us some cash flow,” she laughs.
Michelin inspectors are famous for being secretive. But, on the other hand, they’re everywhere. All the time, solo dining, with several inspectors visiting restaurants, checking consistency over time.
“The expectation of an inspector’s week is nine to 10 meals a week. It ends up being about 300 meals a year,” the chief inspector said. “We try to eat sensibly, manage our health and be as proactive as possible with exercise, rest and work-life balance.”
Much of their life is spent in hotels, probably on treadmills.
“The Michelin Guide also sends questionnaires to restaurants and allows chefs to email restaurant developments and initiatives for the inspection team’s awareness,” the inspector said, on conducting research without interviewing chefs.
While dining at the world’s best restaurants is a gastronome’s dream job, it has its moments. One inspector found a reservation system wrongly signalled to the restaurant that it was the inspector’s birthday. The kitchen lit a candle with the dessert and diners in the small restaurant all swivelled and raised their glasses to the diner celebrating a birthday alone.
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During the pandemic, an inspector was eerily seated at a table with two mannequins. The restaurant compensated for a limited capacity by placing make-believe people at tables to appear fuller. The inspector ordered a huge meal in an already uncanny tableau.
Another inspector, followed a narrow, windy, mountain road to a remote restaurant only to find the road closed by a rock slide and had to drive in reverse for two kilometres, worried there would be no trace of said inspector, who’d booked under a fictitious name, should the car hurtle down a cliff.
So! Not always the dream job.
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