Thursday, December 2, 2010 was a big day in Hong Kong as the third edition of the Hong Kong/Macau Michelin Guide was announced during a press briefing. Recipients this year included a surprise number of neighborhood eateries and a controversial new three star award.
This year, the first three-star award was given for a non-hotel restaurant that also raised many eyebrows. Sun Tung Lok is a Cantonese restaurant that is primarily known for its shark fin soup.
Due to the significant controversy surrounding shark fin consumption, some conservation groups are saddened by the decision to include this restaurant as they fear it will encourage others to eat shark fin. For every celebrity or upper-class diner that consumes shark fin soup, there are probably ten others who do not.
Jean-Luc Naret told attendees of the press conference that Sun Tung Lok was given three stars for their high-end signature Cantonese cuisine, not necessarily for the shark fin soup.
Michelin Guide Awards Stars to Neighborhood Joints
Hong Kong is recognized for its high-end dining scene and it came as a surprise last year when a few less expensive neighborhood joints were included in the 2010 guides. This year, the trend continues with other cheaper additions.
Ho To Tai, is a noodle shop and one of 13 new restaurants who received a star in the new edition. The family run business has been around since 1949 and offers a variety of noodle dishes and dumplings for around HK $16 each. Last year's "World's Cheapest Michelin Star Restaurant", Tim Ho Wan, still has one star and is continuing to draw 3+ hour waits to sample some of the most delicious dim sum dishes that range from HK $10 to $20 each.
2011 Hong Kong and Macau Michelin Guide Selections
Naret advised that one-fifth of the recipients this year are dedicated to neighborhood "food stalls" that serve excellent local cuisine without the high-end restaurant prices. This is an interesting turn after many people previously complained about prior selections in the Macau section as they did not adequately represent the Chinese cuisine that was available and instead focused on the high-end hotels and resorts only.
The new guide includes 309 Hong Kong and Macau establishments, which features four three-star, 12 two-star, and 53 one-star restaurants.
Another interesting inclusion this year is the new one-star Hin Ho Curry, located in Shau Kei Wan. This is an Indian curry restaurant that has been tweaked to cater to local tastes. Ironically, the owner Tse Tim Fong relayed he has never been to India and actually knows very little about the country itself.
In addition to the new three-star Sun Tung Lok, the other three highest rated restaurants were in last year's edition. Two restaurants, Caprice and Lung King Heen, are both located in Hong Kong and Robuchon a Galera is located in Macau.
The two-star restaurants are primarily located in Hong Kong (nine), while three are in Macau. Of the 53 one-star eateries, over 40 of them focus on Chinese cuisine. Many of them, like the famed Taiwan founded Din Tai Fung, are repeat star recipients.
To understand the Michelin Guide ratings, one-star is a "very good restaurant in its category", two-stars is "excellent cooking, worth a detour", and three stars means "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey".
The Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2011 is now available in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asia. It will be available in Europe beginning in February 2011.
Erin De Santiago - Erin is a freelance travel, food/wine, & Disney writer in Taipei, Taiwan, who has traveled within 40+ different countries to date.
Join the Conversation