There’s been a palpable sense of apprehension mixed with anticipation going through the food and beverage (F&B) industry recently, not too long after the recent reopening of eateries for dining in.
You could literally hear hushed whispers and see tentative texts, asking: “Did you get it? Did you get it?” No, not Covid-19 symptoms. Rather, an e-mail invitation to one of the biggest – if not the biggest – events in the dining universe – that is, the Michelin Guide awards.
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After skipping a year in 2020 when Singapore grappled with the first assault of the pandemic as the border closed, the city went into lockdown and the #savefnbsg movement was born, Singapore will unveil its 2021 Michelin Guide results in a virtual presentation on Sept 1.
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And for the first time ever, the livestream will be open to all and sundry, unlike previous years when it took the form of a fancy gala event with plenty of pomp and gossip galore.
At the last Michelin Guide in 2019, restaurants and chefs had not yet heard of home delivery and could spend more time trying to divine Michelin’s method of selection and agonise over a competitor’s success over their own.
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The sentiment this year seems to be one of solidarity, excitement and near-relief at having something else to do besides scrutinising the vaccination status of dining guests.
Ahead we delve into what the return of the Michelin Guide this year means for businesses and consumers.
Still, the Michelin Guide comes as the industry is facing a slower-than-expected pickup in business after eateries were allowed to open from Aug 10, following a brief dining lockdown.
“Business is not back to normal for sure,” says Loh Lik Peng, director of Unlisted Collection, which has the largest collection of Michelin-starred restaurants in its stable including Zen, Burnt Ends, Nouri and Basque Kitchen by Aitor.
“But we are observing a slow and steady improvement as vaccination rates rise and also the slow push back to normality as people go back to work and confidence creeps back. It will be a long and very bumpy recovery for sure.”
At the ilLido group of restaurants, owner Beppe De Vito concurs. “The past two rounds of dining closures affected us badly and we are not seeing a recovery yet. Business across the board has been down 60 per cent. Not only are many of our customers not vaccinated yet, the demand for dining out has not been like before.”
Most chefs and restaurateurs point to the 10.30pm curfew (which hampers drink sales) and the ban on music as having an impact on the dining experience. “Restaurants are like libraries now – quiet and still,” adds De Vito.
“Business is considerably weaker than expected,” says Martin Bem, founding managing director of LeVeL33, an upscale microbrewery in the financial district. “Most operators are just focused on re-building business and cash flow.” Among the reasons for the slow business, he adds, is the departure of “high-spending expatriates who have left Singapore for good or until SHN (stay-home notice) is lifted,” adds Dr Bem. “These customers are missing from all upmarket venues.”
Pictured: Grand finale group photo from the Michelin Guide awards 2019 with representatives of Michelin-starred establishments and guest chefs. Currently, Singapore has 37 restaurants with one star, five with two stars and the highest accolade of three stars going to just two – Les Amis and Odette.
Judging a restaurant on food quality and dining experience may seem antithetic at a time when chefs and restaurants are more concerned about the bottom line than breaking new ground in culinary excellence.
But rather than seeing it as a vain or unnecessary distraction, chefs of both Michelin and non-Michelin restaurants are looking forward to the guide next week, especially after its absence last year.
“When has the industry never been in trouble?” says Rishi Naleendra matter of factly. The chef-owner of Michelin-starred Cheek, Cloudstreet and Kotuwa reckons that while the pandemic has been exceptionally tough, “F&B has already gone through so many phases”. He adds: “Restaurants have closed for different reasons even before Covid-19, and amazing restaurants have opened during the pandemic, so I don’t see any issue releasing the guide this year. It’s time we moved forward.”
Adds Denis Lucchi of the one-starred Italian restaurant Buona Terra: “It’s always stressful being evaluated at any given time, but so long as the assessment criteria is fair and relevant to the current situation, it’s definitely good to have.”
While business at Italian restaurant Zafferano has taken a beating, head chef Andrea de Paola says: “Our team has been actively talking about it the past few days and it gives us motivation to do better”, even though they don’t have a star as yet.
Dr Bem, however, feels the relevance of the guide has waned somewhat simply because people aren’t travelling for now. “Many foodies use these guides as orientation when travelling, which is just not happening these days. Michelin and other guides will always have a place for both consumers and chefs, but the effort and stress to achieve such an accolade is much lower than in normal times as everyone has pressing challenges to overcome. It’s probably more important now to get a benevolent nod from your landlord than a Michelin inspector.”
Pictured: Among the high-profile contenders this time for the Michelin star is modern European Sommer, whose canapes are shown above.
Of course, it’s also nail-biting time as chefs and restaurateurs wait for that much-coveted invitation from Michelin to attend the ceremony – which puts them that much closer to their dream, or to retain it.
Currently, Singapore has 37 restaurants with one star, five with two stars and the highest accolade of three stars going to just two – Les Amis and Odette.
“Of course I’ll be lying if I said we’re not hoping for one,” says De Vito, whose restaurant Braci currently holds one star and who has his fingers crossed that his flagship eatery Art will get the same distinction. “It’s a morale booster for the team that’s worked hard during the pandemic.”
Not only that, but with the Michelin star invariably comes greater interest among diners, and hence more bookings and business. Braci, for example, saw bookings double immediately after it won its star in 2017, and being a small restaurant, it has maintained a steady clientele ever since.
All eyes will no doubt be on the performance of restaurants which opened just before or during the pandemic, which missed out on the rankings last year and are hoping to make up for lost time.
Chef Naleendra’s Cloudstreet, for one, is a hot favourite to win a star, and it would be a boost for the chef especially since he closed down the one-starred Cheek to start a new brand by the end of the year. “Cheek was hit hard with social distancing as we lost about 40 per cent of our seating capacity, so we decided that we would change things around.”
Other high-profile contenders include Restaurant Euphoria, led by Jason Tan formerly of the one-starred Corner House, La Dame de Pic at Raffles Hotel by the acclaimed French chef Anne Sophie Pic, Japanese kaiseki restaurant Esora, modern European Sommer and modern Indian Thevar.
Says chef-owner Mano Thevar: “I’ve worked with Michelin chefs before, and I’ve always dreamt of getting a star for my own restaurant. We already got the Michelin plate in 2019, so we’re just going to keep on progressing.” A star would no doubt be a sweet bonus for chef Thevar who says he’s been working at balancing the bottom line and creativity in the past year. He’s also been busy with the restaurant being fully booked through September. “I’m thrilled whatever the result might be. It’s nice to have an accolade, but it won’t distract me from my main goal of creating art and cooking tasty food for my diners.”
Meanwhile, pundits are already speculating that the newly revamped Waku Ghin and Nordic eatery Zen may cross over to three-star territory. Waku Ghin, however, will be assessed as a new restaurant after it reopened in a different location with a refreshed concept. Any guesses are pure speculation, given the notorious secrecy of the Michelin Guide and its inspection process.
While Michelin declined to respond to any press enquiries, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said that it helped with the travel arrangements of Michelin inspectors who came to Singapore for their rounds.
“As part of our efforts to resume more economic activities safely, we facilitate the entry of a small number of travellers into Singapore for business on a short-term basis,” says Serene Tan, STB’s director, Retail and Dining.
“As per the arrangements for such travellers, Michelin inspectors travelled to Singapore under a strict set of protocols. This includes serving 14-day SHN in a designated facility and being subject to regular testing during the SHN period.”
Pictured: Zen is touted to cross over to three-star territory.
While the glory of validation is always the end game for chefs, boosting the business goes hand in hand. As one restaurateur puts it bluntly: “What’s the point of cooking for a star? If my restaurant was full all the time, having a star makes no difference. The purpose of a star is to help the business, nothing more. In fact, it may be better not to have a star than to get one and then lose it. It’s good to have validation but what’s important is that the restaurant is full and customers are happy. The stars come with a whole lot of stress and high expectations.”
Generally, after the Michelin stars are awarded, business goes up on average by 30 per cent or more, says one restaurateur. But the real boost comes from the justification to increase prices. “It’s hard for non-Michelin restaurants to raise their prices but for sure those who get one or two stars will increase it by 20 per cent.”
But there are restaurants for whom getting a star is the validation they need to gain a wider awareness for their cuisine. Such as the modern Singaporean restaurant Labyrinth, which catered mainly to a local customer base before bookings doubled once it received a Michelin star, says chef-owner Han Li Guang. The surge came from tourists, who before the pandemic made up 60 per cent of his clientele. However, he managed to stay the course when they stopped coming, as local diners who couldn’t get bookings before returned to the restaurant, and the restaurant now enjoys a steady stream of customers that more than make up for the loss of tourists.
But for money or glory, chef Naleendra puts things perfectly in perspective on the question of having the Michelin Guide during the pandemic.
“When Covid happened, we lost half of our team at Cloudstreet. I opened Kotuwa (his Sri Lankan restaurant) during the pandemic. I closed Cheek to do a new concept. In my opinion, no matter when and what life throws at you, we’re in the F&B business. It’s not easy and it’s extra difficult now. But if any chef gets a star during this period, you should celebrate because it’s still an achievement. And in this industry you can always restart and come back stronger even if you lose everything.
“Restaurants come and go, and so do the stars. We might as well enjoy both while we have it.”
Pictured: Rishi Naleendra, chef-owner of Cheek, Cloudstreet and Kotuwa.
This article first appeared in The Business Times