Gastronomy world is quite tricky – the chefs must satisfy both the profession and their guests. Even though we (or the guests) are far more important because hey, our palates have quite a sensitive taste buds, the professional recognition surely means a lot. And there is one specific award, or to be more precise, one specific star (or all 3 of them) which brings a true prestige and the exposure to the restaurant which gets it. Of course, we’re talking about the Michelin stars.
The restaurants that get this award have fulfilled a particularly high standard, they are innovative and creative with selection of the ingredients, as well as their usage and servings. The 5 criteria which are graded are the quality of the ingredients, the skills of cooking and combining those ingredients and seasonings, creativity, consistency of food quality, and affordability. It isn’t easy to impress the Michelin inspector who secretly visits the restaurant and then evaluates by all these mentioned criteria, but the restaurants that do impress him, certainly gain respect of the professionals.
Restaurant Guide as a Gourmet Bible
You know how in the Pirates of the Caribbean the final word has the pirate code or Code of the Pirate Brethren written by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew? Well, if you know about it, then you’re certainly familiar with its importance. That’s how important is the Le Guide Michelin which is often referred to as the Gourmet Bible.
In 1899 Andre Michelin issued the first print of the Le Guide Michelin. At first, it contained the guide on places where to refuel the car, fix the car, and eat and drink well. Just a few years later, the guide became a gourmet bible and only the most prestigious restaurants and chefs can find their name on its pages. And that’s how Michelin prestige came to be.
As I already said, the Michelin inspectors are quite tough and really hard to impress. It is privilege to get 1 star and if we’re talking about all 3 of them, let’s just say that only 85 restaurants in the world have them. 85. Now that is a small number. And around 2000 of world high class restaurants have one star. Let that sink in in order to understand how tough the competition (and the inspectors and their criteria) are. And here I thought my palate is picky and tricky. The honor is even to get in the Le Guide Michelin, imagine the excitement to actually get a star too!
7 Chosen Ones
In those couple of thousands of restaurants in the world which have the Michelin star, there are 7 Croatian restaurants too.
- Noel in Zagreb
- Draga di Lovrana in Lovran
- Boškinac in Novalja
- Monte in Rovinj
- Pelegrin in Šibenik
- LD in Korčula
- 360º in Dubrovnik
Besides those 7 chosen ones, 61 Croatian restaurants are listed in the Michelin gourmet bible. The restaurants which were given the opportunity to shine under the Michelin star offer modern and creative dishes with interestingly intertwined ingredients and modern twists, in order to offer amazingly combined flavors and delicious nuances.
But how far creativity can go in order to impress both the profession and the guests? Well, there is certainly a feeling that aesthetic is sometimes more important than the flavors and aromas, however, the best and most tough judges should be our taste buds and I’m quite sure that the chefs who are listed in the gourmet bible know how to bring an ecstasy of the flavors to everyone. Even though we are not that tough to judge as are the Michelin inspectors and I’m sure we all get impressed quite easily (come on, if the food is served in the most spectacular way, I’m the first one to take a picture of it!), the recognition from the profession surely means a lot and it certainly raises the bar. Besides, to be creative and innovative in the world that has already seen a lot is quite impressive, isn’t it?
In case you’re looking for more inspirative tips, tricks, tales, and recipes, be sure to stop by the KitchenToast!
Sources: possector.hr, guide.michelin.com