Michelin stars will be awarded to Vancouver restaurants for the first time on Thursday | Globalnews.ca

Vancouver is about to join an elite club of cities around the world with restaurants rated by the prestigious Michelin Guide.

The winners, awarded with one, two or three stars, will be announced at a ceremony at 7:30 p.m. at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The Michelin Guide currently rates restaurants in about 60 cities and is adding Canadian locations for the first time this year.

Last month, the guide unveiled its picks in Toronto, giving Sushi Masaki Saito a two-star rating and a dozen other one-star ratings. It also flagged 17 restaurants for its “Bib Gourmand” designation, which recognizes high-quality restaurants offering two courses, a glass of wine and dessert for less than $60.

Michelin’s arrival in Canada is supported by a partnership with local tourist offices, including Destination Vancouver on the west coast.

Despite this, the organization says it prides itself on the independence and confidentiality of its reviewers, who make reservations anonymously and pay for all their meals to ensure they are treated like any other guest.

Michelin inspectors rate restaurants on five key criteria: food quality, harmony of flavors, mastery of cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the kitchen and consistency between several visits.

Speaking on CKNW Mornings with simiIan Tostenson, president and CEO of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, said the ratings are a bright spot for Vancouver restaurants still grappling with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and labor shortages. work in British Columbia.

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“It’s such a positive story, we need more stories like this, even beyond restaurants, it’s a cool business story for Vancouver, so I think it’s going to lift our spirits in general,” he said.

“I’m sure there will be restaurants we all know on the list, and I’m sure they’ll be very proud of their accomplishments.”

Being rated by the Michelin Guide can drastically affect a restaurant’s fortunes.

Joël Robuchon, the late French chef who received 32 stars during his career, more than any other chef, said food and wine magazine in 2017 that even one star can make big changes.

“With a Michelin star, you get about 20% more turnover. Two stars, you make about 40% more turnover, and with three stars, you make about 100% more turnover. more,” he said.

By this measure, being awarded a star can also be a double-edged sword, bringing with it its own set of strains.

French chef Marc Veyrat has taken unsuccessful legal action against the guide after it was downgraded from three to two stars, while celebrity British chef Gordon Ramsay reportedly said he cried when his New York restaurant The London lost its two stars , describing it as akin to “losing a girlfriend.”

“It’s interesting that some restaurants don’t want it because it’s a real investment in the consistency of continued investment in your staff and continued investment in your food, it’s a lot of pressure” , Tostenson explained.

“You have to walk a fine line.”

The Michelin Guide was first launched in 1889, when the tire company Michelin began publishing a traveller’s guide that included maps and service stations to promote car travel.

It began awarding stars to fine dining establishments in 1926, and the society says it now rates more than 40,000 establishments on three continents.

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