Discussing the merits of the Michelin

Q: Will you consider dining at the restaurants in the Michelin Guide Shanghai? When you want to dine out in the city, what do you usually refer to?

NA: I have eaten at several restaurants listed in the guide even before it came to Shanghai. I wouldn’t choose to eat anywhere in Shanghai because of a Michelin rating as I tend to follow personal recommendations from friends and acquaintances instead. The English magazines and websites are good for keeping on top of new openings of Western restaurants.

WJ: I see Michelin as a guide for tourists that manages to sustain a rather sophisticated and objective standard that is still largely missing among Chinese food critics. When I am traveling and the destination I’m at has a Michelin Guide, I would definitely refer to it. For Shanghai, however, I usually refer to multiple sources, including media and personal recommendations.

YY: Yes, I would definitely consider trying them but the priorities are those that serve non-Chinese cuisines, because their cooking methods are geared toward Western palates. I don’t think their take on Chinese cuisines will be the same as those born and bred in China. When I’m dining out, I would usually choose a place based on a combination of what I read on social media, friends’ recommendations and reviews on Dianping.com (the Chinese equivalent of Yelp).

BN: Certainly. There are quite a few restaurants listed in the Michelin guide that I have not been to and I would visit them out of curiosity. New experiences give me inspiration and broaden my horizons. I do not use any references in Shanghai when dining out. The references I rely on are from our group of restauranteurs, chefs, food critics and friends who are not from our industry.