Starting next year, the Michelin Guide would rate and introduce restaurants in Taipei as well as in Taichung, the French culinary book publisher announced at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
The ceremony was attended by Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), Tourism Bureau Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) and Michelin Food and Beverage Asia managing director Nicolas Achard.
Asked why Michelin decided to include restaurants in Taichung for its red guide next year — the first guide for Taiwan was published last year — Achard said that they would first look at the dynamism of the city’s gastronomic scene and its potential for the future, adding that they would also consider the market for customers of the Michelin Guide and if there are partners in the city who would help select restaurants.
Photo: CNA / THE Taichung Tourism and Travel Bureau
Achard said that the selection process is long, and it would take experts some time to understand Taichung and its culinary scene.
He added that he could not say right now whether the company has plans to include other cities, but the company sees the potential for future development in Taiwan.
When asked why there would only be one Michelin guide for restaurants in Taipei and Taichung, rather than two separate guides, and whether this is only a special edition, Achard said that there are no set rules on how the guide should be published, as it all depends on regions and their gastronomic profiles.
Although the number of restaurants to be evaluated for the Michelin Guide next year increased over this year’s, Achard said that the company is still committed to publishing the guide in the second quarter.
The inspection team has already begun working on the selection process, he said, adding that members of the team would include local culinary experts and those from other countries.
“The criteria used to evaluate the restaurants remain the same all over the world, including quality of the ingredients, mastery of cooking, harmony of the flavors, personality of the chef, consistency in the menu overtime. We cannot predict the number of restaurants because it is a rigorous and independent process,” he said.
Chou said that statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs showed that, because of the publication of Michelin Guide, the revenue of restaurants in Taipei has risen by about 5 percent compared to the same time last year.
The guide not only motivated people to explore star-rated restaurants in Taipei, but also allowed tourists to explore street food and other smaller eateries in the city.
Lin said that the Michelin Guide next year would help the government promote tourism in different regions, because international tourists would know there are cities in Taiwan worth visiting other than Taipei.
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