By Yun Suh-young
The French tire company Michelin Group announced Thursday that it will publish a Red Guide for Seoul next year.
The Red Guide rates restaurants and hotels as opposed to the Green Guide which introduces travel destinations. A Green Guide for Seoul was published in 2011.
"The Michelin Guide reveals the vitality of the country's gourmet trends. I'm pleased we will continue our development in Korea," said Bernard Delmas, senior vice president of Michelin Group and the representative of Michelin Travel Partner for Asia-Pacific at a press conference in Seoul, Thursday.
"Korean cuisine is especially well known; from popular street food to traditional dishes. The popularity of Korean gastronomy has spread internationally with the Korean wave. We believe the Seoul guide will allow local enthusiasts, foreign visitors and business travelers to find the best restaurants and hotels in Seoul to fit their taste," he said.
The Michelin Guide, for over a century, has served as a "foodies' bible" since it was first published in 1900. It was initially published by the group to encourage its customers to travel, and thus boost the demand for cars and car tires.
In 1926, they began to award stars for fine dining establishments starting with one star and in 1931, the hierarchical three-star ranking system was introduced. The Michelin Guide Seoul 2017 which will be published at the end of this year is their fourth edition in Asia and the 27th Michelin Red Guide to be published in the world. It will be offered in Korean and English and also available in digital format.
The required series of inspections has not yet begun, but with the official announcement, the secretive assessors will begin their tour in Seoul.
"We have been eyeing Seoul as a location since we started editing the Green Guide for 2011. At the time we were already looking at the restaurants but our official start is from now. We will begin our inspection from now and it's going to take months until the publication of the 2017 edition, the date of which is not fixed yet but will definitely be published by the end of this year," Delmas said. The Korean guide will follow the publications of a Tokyo edition in 2007, Hong Kong and Macao edition in 2008 and the Singapore edition in 2016. The vice president said the timing was just right for the Korean guide.
"We've seen the coming of Korean cuisine in the worldwide scene in Paris, New York and Tokyo. It was too early in 2007 and a busy time for us when we were working on the Tokyo and Hong Kong, Macao guides. The timing is right to arrive in Seoul. The coming of Korean gastronomy is impressive," he said.
The Michelin Guide rates restaurants based on five criteria: quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking and flavors, personality of the cuisine, value for money, and consistency (both over time and across the entire menu). The three stars that are awarded represent the appropriate ranking according to the taste. Three stars are awarded for "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" and two stars for "excellent cuisine, worth a detour," while one star is awarded to "a very good restaurant in its category." Apart from the stars, the Bib Gourmand logo is awarded to public restaurants that serve "good food at moderate prices."
French Ambassador Fabien Penone said the "Seoul edition will be the new gourmet guide for Korean foodies" and "an honor for Korean gastronomy," adding that the guide will bring the two countries together through food.
The secretive and anonymous Michelin Guide inspectors who travel in pairs will consist of foreigners and Koreans, and will soon begin their excursions throughout Seoul.
The French tire company Michelin Group announced Thursday that it will publish a Red Guide for Seoul next year.
The Red Guide rates restaurants and hotels as opposed to the Green Guide which introduces travel destinations. A Green Guide for Seoul was published in 2011.
"The Michelin Guide reveals the vitality of the country's gourmet trends. I'm pleased we will continue our development in Korea," said Bernard Delmas, senior vice president of Michelin Group and the representative of Michelin Travel Partner for Asia-Pacific at a press conference in Seoul, Thursday.
"Korean cuisine is especially well known; from popular street food to traditional dishes. The popularity of Korean gastronomy has spread internationally with the Korean wave. We believe the Seoul guide will allow local enthusiasts, foreign visitors and business travelers to find the best restaurants and hotels in Seoul to fit their taste," he said.
The Michelin Guide, for over a century, has served as a "foodies' bible" since it was first published in 1900. It was initially published by the group to encourage its customers to travel, and thus boost the demand for cars and car tires.
In 1926, they began to award stars for fine dining establishments starting with one star and in 1931, the hierarchical three-star ranking system was introduced. The Michelin Guide Seoul 2017 which will be published at the end of this year is their fourth edition in Asia and the 27th Michelin Red Guide to be published in the world. It will be offered in Korean and English and also available in digital format.
The required series of inspections has not yet begun, but with the official announcement, the secretive assessors will begin their tour in Seoul.
"We have been eyeing Seoul as a location since we started editing the Green Guide for 2011. At the time we were already looking at the restaurants but our official start is from now. We will begin our inspection from now and it's going to take months until the publication of the 2017 edition, the date of which is not fixed yet but will definitely be published by the end of this year," Delmas said. The Korean guide will follow the publications of a Tokyo edition in 2007, Hong Kong and Macao edition in 2008 and the Singapore edition in 2016. The vice president said the timing was just right for the Korean guide.
"We've seen the coming of Korean cuisine in the worldwide scene in Paris, New York and Tokyo. It was too early in 2007 and a busy time for us when we were working on the Tokyo and Hong Kong, Macao guides. The timing is right to arrive in Seoul. The coming of Korean gastronomy is impressive," he said.
The Michelin Guide rates restaurants based on five criteria: quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking and flavors, personality of the cuisine, value for money, and consistency (both over time and across the entire menu). The three stars that are awarded represent the appropriate ranking according to the taste. Three stars are awarded for "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey" and two stars for "excellent cuisine, worth a detour," while one star is awarded to "a very good restaurant in its category." Apart from the stars, the Bib Gourmand logo is awarded to public restaurants that serve "good food at moderate prices."
French Ambassador Fabien Penone said the "Seoul edition will be the new gourmet guide for Korean foodies" and "an honor for Korean gastronomy," adding that the guide will bring the two countries together through food.
The secretive and anonymous Michelin Guide inspectors who travel in pairs will consist of foreigners and Koreans, and will soon begin their excursions throughout Seoul.
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