The Michelin Guide was first published in 1900 by the Michelin Tire Company as a way to help French motorists find lodging on the road.
Today, the guide is devoted to fine dining. Worthy restaurants are given up to three Michelin stars. The process to attain a star is highly secretive. Specially trained Michelin inspectors pay anonymous visits to restaurants and submit meticulous reports rating the service, decor and cuisine. These restaurants are then reviewed every three to four years.
Inspectors will check through websites, blogs and restaurant reviews in local newspapers to find a restaurant they want to rate. It is not a list of the best restaurants or best chefs or most expensive restaurants.
When the Michelin Guide debuted, one star meant you could safely eat at the restaurant without getting sick. Two stars meant if you happen to pass this restaurant, stop by and have some food, and three stars meant if you are hungry, it is worth diverting 20 miles to eat at this restaurant.
Today, one star means the restaurant is very good in its category. Two stars means the restaurant has excellent cooking and is worth a detour and three stars, the ultimate accolade, means the restaurant has exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey.
When an inspector visits a restaurant for the first time, neither the restaurant owner nor the chef will have any idea about it. If the inspector likes the place, he will make another visit the following year. Assuming the second visit went as well as the first, then a star will be recommended.
The criteria for consideration of a Michelin star are:
• Quality of products.
• Chef’s mastery of flavor and cooking techniques.
• Chef’s ability to imbue the cuisine with his/her culinary personality.
• Consistency between visits, not just when it comes to food but also encompassing the overall dining experience.
• The restaurateur needs to treat every night as if it’s the night of the Michelin inspection, and chefs and staff must be meticulously trained to ensure everyone is working together and on the same page.
• Would be beneficial to train under a Michelin star chef. If the chef is a protege of a chef who already earned the respect of Michelin, this would get you on the radar of Michelin.
• There needs to be an endless quest for perfection that can never be achieved. Only those with the desire and discipline to be the best will make the cut to obtain a Michelin star.
• Attain a mastery of a particular cuisine, push the boundaries and propel it in bold, new directions.
• Be on the cutting edge of new food trends, with a relentless pursuit of excellence combined with a drive to push the envelope.
• Chefs must personally source unique, hard-to-find ingredients, forge a relationship with farmers, artisan bakers, cheese makers and others to work with only the best.
• No cutting corners.
• Use of the most unique ingredients possible.
• Source high-quality ingredients.
• Use profits to further invest in their restaurant to improve decor and better train staff.
• The Michelin inspector must see the restaurant constantly striving to improve instead of resting on its laurels.
By ensuring any given night is as exceptional as possible, only then will a restaurant be in the running for a Michelin star.
Do we have a restaurant in Hawaii that has all these qualities to deserve a Michelin star?
Sorry, no matter if we tried here, we would never get a Michelin star restaurant because it is only given in New York City, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, East Bay, Wine Country, Los Angeles and Chicago. No southern cities, Hawaii or Alaska are included.
Pascal Remy, a former Michelin inspector, said there are only seven inspectors in the United States.
We followed the stars, looking for restaurants recommended as good standards, and enjoyed three restaurants during our short stay in the San Jose area and driving to Watsonville, Castroville, Gilroy and Carmel by the Sea areas. Driving around, we were able to see where the famous California artichokes and garlic were grown.
The annual Castroville Artichoke Festival was June 3-4 this year and the 39th annual Gilroy Garlic Festival is scheduled for July 28-30 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, Calif., in case anyone is interested in eating great garlicy food.
The first restaurant we found, Orchard City Kitchen, was located in Hamilton. The second Michelin recommended restaurant was Casanova in Carmel by the Sea and the third, Vung Tau Restaurant in San Jose.
Orchard City Kitchen consisted of small plates for a communal dining experience. It is a great way to sample a lot of different dishes. After ordering many plates, we were surprised how relatively inexpensive the dinner was.
Casanova is in a former residence in Carmel by the Sea. As you enter the back area, there is wonderful outdoor patio seating and a room called the Van Gogh Room for private parties.
The third restaurant, Vung Tau Restaurant, is a free-standing building with ample parking in the back. I did not know what to expect from this Vietnamese restaurant and was pleasantly surprised.
Next week’s column will be devoted to the dishes ordered and my opinions about them. Stay tuned.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
