30 August 2016
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By now, the serpentine queues at one-Michelin-starred hawker stalls Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Rice and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle are a familiar sight.
Such is the touch of the Michelin Guide Singapore’s inaugural edition was launched to raucous fanfare sending hype up to a boiling point. Some may say the buzz has simmered down but checks with restaurants showed that they are still reporting higher takings, longer reservations lists and a more diverse crowd dining in.
“Since we opened, we’ve always had six to seven weeks of reservations," says Andre Chiang of the two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Andre. “Now we have eight to nine weeks.”
The same is seen over at one-Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, Summer Pavilion. Fabien Gastinel, Executive Assistant Manager of Food & Beverage at The Ritz-Carlton says: “We’ve seen a mix of regular guests who have chosen to celebrate our win by dining with us, and new patrons who desire to dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant.”
(Related: What do some of the world's top chefs have in common?)
Such is the touch of the Michelin Guide Singapore’s inaugural edition was launched to raucous fanfare sending hype up to a boiling point. Some may say the buzz has simmered down but checks with restaurants showed that they are still reporting higher takings, longer reservations lists and a more diverse crowd dining in.
“Since we opened, we’ve always had six to seven weeks of reservations," says Andre Chiang of the two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Andre. “Now we have eight to nine weeks.”
The same is seen over at one-Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, Summer Pavilion. Fabien Gastinel, Executive Assistant Manager of Food & Beverage at The Ritz-Carlton says: “We’ve seen a mix of regular guests who have chosen to celebrate our win by dining with us, and new patrons who desire to dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant.”
At Odette, chef, Julien Royer has always found the pace 'overwhelming' right from its opening in 2015. Yet, the restaurant's popularity is reaching new heights. “We usually get about 55 reservations from Saturday night to Monday afternoon," he says. "But we received more than 120 enquires during the same period right after the announcement.”
These figures are similar across every city or country that Michelin publishes a guide for. The Financial Times for instance, reports that most restaurants rated with stars see a 20 to 30 per cent jump in revenue.
These figures are similar across every city or country that Michelin publishes a guide for. The Financial Times for instance, reports that most restaurants rated with stars see a 20 to 30 per cent jump in revenue.
Beyond numbers, the chefs and F&B professionals claim that being in the guide has boosted morale among their team members, especially as diners start to recognise the hard work put in by kitchen teams in order to garner top accolades from the globally vaunted guide. “We’ve received an incredible outpouring of love and support,” adds Royer. “One of our front of house staff was even congratulated by a visitor of the gallery, who happened to be passing by!”
The positivity isn’t just limited to Michelin-starred restaurants in the fine dining category. Even casual Bib Gourmand-rated eateries, awarded for their quality cooking and good value, report similar upswings.
The positivity isn’t just limited to Michelin-starred restaurants in the fine dining category. Even casual Bib Gourmand-rated eateries, awarded for their quality cooking and good value, report similar upswings.
Casual nasi padang eatery Hjh Maimunah notes a sales rise of 15 per cent and a more diverse crowd coming in. “However, what is most important is the effect the award has on every member of the restaurant,” says its managing director Mahiran Abdul Rahman. “They feel a sense of pride that their hard work and commitment in ensuring that the customer gets the best quality food is being recognised.”
Marcus Lim, general manager of Bib Gourmand-rated Thai restaurant Yhingthai Palace echoes: “We have seen many new faces and new customers making reservations, looking to experience an authentic Thai cuisine with us.”
But the challenge for many restaurants, as with all of the Michelin Guides’ annual refresh in other territories, is in keeping their privileged position.
(Related: History of the Michelin Guide)
Marcus Lim, general manager of Bib Gourmand-rated Thai restaurant Yhingthai Palace echoes: “We have seen many new faces and new customers making reservations, looking to experience an authentic Thai cuisine with us.”
But the challenge for many restaurants, as with all of the Michelin Guides’ annual refresh in other territories, is in keeping their privileged position.
Indeed, chefs that we spoke to are nervous enough about retaining their stars, much less getting the third and last star. Many instead prefer to ensure flawless execution of food and service, rather than make massive changes.
Says Chiang: “We don’t want to change our pace or take more guests than we should. The most important thing for me is consistency – to be able to stay in such a competitive market and stay at where we are, I think that is a good achievement already.”
Says Chiang: “We don’t want to change our pace or take more guests than we should. The most important thing for me is consistency – to be able to stay in such a competitive market and stay at where we are, I think that is a good achievement already.”
The Les Amis team, however, have their sights sets. “I would be lying if I said we weren’t gunning for the third star. Everyone would love that,” says Desmond Lim, chairman of the Les Amis group. “We will always try and improve ourselves but at the same time, certain things, like our core values, what we believe in and our DNA, these will never change.”
Further reading: The Illustrated Guide to Michelin's Inspection Process
Further reading: The Illustrated Guide to Michelin's Inspection Process
