How does a restaurant even earn one Michelin Star, let alone 16? It’s got to be the best of the darn best that’s how. In 2016 all eyes were on The Ritz-Carlton world-wide as ten of their hotel restaurants across Europe and Asia, in Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and China took home a total of 16 of the culinary world’s highest honours.
This made us stop to think – just what set of criteria does a restaurant have to meet in order to qualify for one of the culinary world’s highest accolades. How does a restaurant and its culinary team set out to make the grade – and is it really the blood, sweat, and tears…the kitchen chaos, that we see on programs like MasterChef: The Professionals and in movies like Burnt?
In fact, who ever thought that a French tire manufacturing company (yes, we’re talking about that Michelin man), would go on to become the world’s foremost authority on the quality of restaurant service and gastronomy? But the road to attaining Michelin-star status isn’t straight and narrow.
“To obtain a Michelin Star is a very challenging and exciting endeavour for the team,” explains French Master Chef Gael Cruchet, Executive Chef of The Ritz-Carlton Doha. “The Michelin Guide has some very specific criteria, but above all the hotel’s eight restaurants and lounges, and catering services. It was during his tenure as head of culinary operations at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner in Washington D.C., where he earned the prestigious designation of Master Chef of France in 2007. Then, in 2015 he was awarded the The Ritz-Carlton 2015 – Award of Culinary Excellence – Global Executive Chef.
So, which exact methods are three-star Michelin chefs using to cook? “Three-star Michelin chefs use multiple cooking techniques, as the chef’s objective is to create perfect taste harmony – or ‘umami’ – of the ingredients to maximize their flavour and texture,” he describes. “[This is] to create an experience that enlivens all the senses and emotions of taste, presentation, textures, and smell.”
Since joining The Ritz-Carlton Doha team in 2014, Chef Gael and his team continue to strive towards a culinary vision that could very well see one of the hotel’s eight dining outlets nab a Michelin Star of their own. We asked him about his culinary vision for each in 2017 and what’s the key to carving out their own unique identity.
“My vision is to create a restaurant with a food identity and concept through creating dishes with authentic flavours and ingredients,” he divulged. “That’s why doing a lot of research for ingredients – as well as bringing talented chefs on-board with a diversity of culture and cuisine knowledge are essential and very important.”
“[Also key is] exploring to create a new experience, like our Picnic Brunch concept which was indeed successful and we will continue to create more innovative concepts as 2017 will be a year of reinvention and reconceptualization of our outlets. This will make our hotel as a new dining destination in Doha.”
Have you ever tasted Michelin Star food? Tell us which restaurants in Doha you think could be worthy of the culinary world’s top honour in the comments section below. Oh, and don’t forget to give us a like and a share – it keeps us going!
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