You may be wondering, how did a French tire company become the most known metric for food in the world?
I mean... that first bite-oh, what heaven that first bite is. The bun, like a sesame freckled breast of an angel, resting gently on the ketchup and mustard below, flavors mingling in a seductive pas de deux. And then... a pickle! The most playful little pickle! Then a slice of tomato, a leaf of lettuce and a... a patty of ground beef so exquisite, swirling in your mouth, breaking apart, and combining again in a fugue of sweets and savor so delightful. This is no mere sandwich of grilled meat and toasted bread, Robin. This is God, speaking to us in food.
- Marshall Eriksen, How I Met Your Mother, TV series, 2008
There are some people out there who are absolutely mesmerized by food. It is an art form, after all. Creating the perfect blend of flavors and learning how to present it in the most aesthetic and appetizing way possible takes a lot of skill and talent, as well as years of practice. You may have never experienced food so good that your description of it is this enticing and enchanting, but for many people, food is a form of expression. Foodies out there will tell you that the highest form of achievement for a restaurant or chef is the Michelin star. But how exactly did Michelin—a French tire company—end up being the culinary worldwide standard?
The Michelin guide, originally made by the Michelin brothers Andre and Edouard, ran a rubber factory in Clermont-Ferrand, France. As a strategy to boost their car and tire sales, the brothers produced a small guide filled with lots of useful information to help motorists increase the quality of their trips. These guides contained information such as maps, where to refuel—as gas stations didn’t exist back then—how to change a tire, restaurants to stop at for a good meal, etc. The brothers even went as far as to put up homemade road signs to enhance the experience for the road travellers.
As time passed, they realized that the restaurant section of the guide was gaining much more popularity and traction than any other information provided in their guide. With this, they started recruiting anonymous ‘mystery diners’—better known as restaurant inspectors now—to eat at restaurants and give them ratings, thus developing the ‘Michelin star’ system.
One star is given to those restaurants that are worth eating at if you are in the area or live nearby. Two star restaurants are those that are worth travelling to if you are in the same country or far enough that it counts as a detour on your trip. Three star restaurants are the highest ranking restaurants with only 135 existing in the world. These restaurants are said to be worth a trip by themselves, potentially travelling to a different country to simply eat there.
Singapore itself has a handful of these that are said to be worth our money and time. As of early 2022, there are 3 three-star restaurants in Singapore, Les Amis, Odette—which was recently awarded its third star—and Zén. We also have a total of 5 two-star restaurants, and 41 one-star restaurants, with many more honorable mentions as per the guide. Restaurants are often judged many times to see if they are worth the star before officially being awarded one, and while these critics may go back to a restaurant many times, they will never be seen taking notes while eating.
So for all of you who maybe aren’t as passionate about food as Marshall Eriksen, consider taking the time to go for a nice meal with your family, because not only does food bring expression, it brings warmth and love, and there’s nothing like going for a meal with the people you cherish.
Check out the Michelin Guide: https://guide.michelin.com/sg/en
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