Pretending to Be a Customer to Secretly Evaluate... Chefs' 'Rank Badges' Made at a Tire Company?

The Evaluation Institute Assesses Food Taste Incognito
Fairness Controversy as Heated as the Buzz

Interest in the Michelin Guide, known as the bible for gourmets, is growing due to the popularity of the Netflix cooking competition program 'Heukbaek Yorisah' (Black and White Chef). A gourmet event featuring An Seongjae, a Michelin 3-star chef (Mosoo Seoul) who was a judge on the program, sold out in just one minute, and other restaurants run by Michelin 1-star chefs are also packed with customers. When did the Michelin Guide, regarded as the bible for gourmets, begin?

The Michelin Guide started as a travel guidebook published by a tire company. The French company Michelin Tire, familiar to us with its chubby marshmallow-like character 'Bibendum,' began in the early 1900s by distributing booklets containing maps, tire replacement methods, gas stations, hotels, and restaurant information to customers who purchased tires. From 1926, it began awarding stars to excellent restaurants, and by 1931, the current Michelin Guide format with ratings of 1-star, 2-star, and 3-star was established. In addition to 'Michelin Restaurants' that introduce dining establishments, the Michelin Guide also includes 'Michelin Keys' recommending hotels and other accommodations.

The official mascot of Michelin Tires, 'Bibendum'. [Image source=Michelin Tires official website]

Michelin evaluations strictly follow the criteria established in 1936. One star means "a place worth stopping by for excellent cooking," two stars mean "excellent cooking worth going out of your way to visit even if it is far from your destination," and the highest rating, three stars, signifies "exceptional cuisine worth traveling for." The evaluations are conducted by 'restaurant inspectors' who assess the food incognito, based on five criteria: ▲freshness and quality of ingredients ▲flavor and mastery of cooking techniques ▲personality of the cuisine ▲value for money ▲consistency maintained on every visit.

Michelin stars serve as a kind of 'rank insignia' among chefs. Chef An said in a meeting with the production team of Heukbaek Yorisah, "If I am the judge, no one would dare to object," and his confidence stems from holding the title of Korea's only Michelin 3-star chef. The production team also revealed in media interviews that they could not help but recruit him. However, with An’s restaurant 'Mosoo' currently on temporary closure, there are no Michelin 3-star restaurants in Korea at the moment. Restaurants awarded 2 stars in Michelin Seoul 2025 include La Yeon, Alla, and Mitou, while Michelin 1-star recipients include Yoon Seoul by Chef Kim Doyoon and Evit by Chef Joseph Lejeune, both featured on Heukbaek Yorisah.

Chef An Seongjae of Mosu Seoul is giving a greeting at the production presentation of the Netflix variety show "Cooking Class War: Black and White Chefs," held on the 11th of last month at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Controversies continue as much as the buzz. Since tastes and evaluations of food inevitably vary from person to person, questions arise about whether fair assessments are possible. Additionally, as Michelin is based in France, there are criticisms that it may be difficult to fully understand cuisines from other cultures such as Korean and Chinese food.

There have also been cases where restaurants could not bear the risks such as increased costs after receiving Michelin stars and ended up closing down. This is known as the 'curse of the star.' The British economic magazine The Economist cited research by Daniel Sands, a professor of business administration at the University of London, pointing out that while receiving a Michelin star increases attention, it also raises customer expectations that the restaurant must meet, inevitably increasing costs and making the business structure vulnerable. Pierre Gagnaire, a French chef who has maintained 3 stars since 1998, also faced bankruptcy in 1996 despite achieving 2 stars in 1986 and 3 stars in 1993, but managed to recover.

The pressure of losing stars, which could lead to decreased sales or damaged reputation, is also significant. In 2003, French chef Bernard Loiseau suffered greatly from rumors of being demoted from 3 stars to 2 stars and ultimately took his own life. In 2017, French chef S?bastien Bras voluntarily returned his 3 stars, which he had maintained for 10 years, saying, "I feel relieved to be able to develop new dishes without being obsessed with Michelin evaluations."