BUSINESS
F&B
SHOOTING MICHELIN STARS IN THE MENA REGION Most restaurateurs will tell you that their ultimate dream is to be awarded a Michelin star. However, certain countries have been more successful in achieving star status than others. Ralph Nader, CEO of Amber Consulting, looks at why the MENA is trailing behind in the Michelin world and profiles two Lebanese chefs who have beaten the odds.
When a restaurant is awarded a Michelin star, you can be sure that it has succeeded at the highest level. Two stars and the restaurant is excellent; three stars and it’s worth traveling a fair distance to.
is highly regarded, very few restaurants are starred. The same can be said for Lebanese chefs, although Greg Malouf and Alan Geaam are exceptions.
Today, there are 2,651 restaurants in the world with at least one Michelin star. More specifically, 2,160 restaurants have earned one star, 385 have two stars and 106 have three stars. The country with the greatest number of Michelin-star restaurants is France, followed by Japan and Italy. Germany and Spain are not far behind.
The Michelin Plate is the most common rating for Lebanese and Arabic restaurants, which means “good cooking.” To be more precise, it means that the restaurant has the potential to be rated with one star, two or three stars, following the implementation of some new measures. Many restaurants start off by entering the Michelin Guide and then moving up to obtaining a star in the ensuing years. Some of the factors that may contribute to moving up from a Plate to a Star include having talent in the kitchen, ambition and resources, like good suppliers to obtain the required ingredients.
As the Michelin Guide was born in France and French cuisine is foundational in fine-dining traditions, it may come as no surprise that the country boasts the highest number of Michelin stars in the world.
Michelin-starred Lebanese chefs Throughout the years, Lebanese cuisine — or what we can also call Middle Eastern gastronomy — has underperformed in the Michelin world. While our nation’s food
The Michelin Plate
We can find a lot of Lebanese restaurants around the globe with The Michelin Plate rating, such as Liza in Paris, Albi in Washington and L’arabesque in Geneva.
Top three countries with the most Michelin stars in 2020
40
COUNTRY
1 STAR
2 STARS
3 STARS
TOTAL
FRANCE
513
86
29
628
JAPAN
540
8
29
577
ITALY
326
35
11
374
HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | OCT - NOV 2021
High hopes The MENA region is renowned for its delicious Arabic cuisine, but the fact is that very few restaurants has entered the Michelin world. Middle Eastern food is, in most cases, coming from a “village culinary origin” rotating around a sharing dishes approach, and not meant to be refined as such. It is mostly based on stews, Mezze and grill items not easy to integrate into the Michelin World which is usually granted to restaurants that are mostly working on an individual plate concept. But we strongly believe, as well, that a progression has occurred throughout the last 10 years, with an exciting wave of new, talented Middle Eastern chefs now entering the spotlight. This progress is not only evident within the Lebanese gastronomy scene, but also in Egyptian, Moroccan and Gulf food , alongside others that are also emerging. These cuisines are centuries old and reflect the culture of trading in spices, herbs and fresh ingredients. However, since the world is becoming increasingly cosmopolitan, the future of these cuisines is bright indeed. Always tasty, enticing, healthy and nourishing, they will not remain undiscovered and unrecognized for very long. So, see you soon Michelin!
