Top restaurants reach for the stars

Cantonese preference

In 2008, the Michelin Guide Hong Kong and Macau was launched. In the latest edition, published in December, 10 restaurants in the two cities-five of them specializing in Cantonese cuisine-have been awarded three stars. On the mainland, no Cantonese restaurant has this rating.

However, Cantonese cuisine is still the most popular with Michelin inspectors on the mainland, being served at 29 of the 85 starred restaurants.

Mai Zhixiong, chef at Yu Yue Heen, a Cantonese restaurant in Guangzhou, which has been given one Michelin star for three consecutive years, said inspectors value the combination of color, aroma and flavor of a dish, along with fresh ingredients and intricate plating.

"They are not just judging one aspect, which poses more challenges for both the chefs and the service team," Mai said.

Yu Yue Heen was popular before it earned a star, but the award has attracted more customers. For Spring Festival dinner, clients have to book a table one or two months in advance, Mai said.

In 2018, online-to-offline service platform Meituan-Dianping launched a restaurant guide titled Black Pearl. This year's edition lists 309 restaurants in 27 cities worldwide and includes nearly 30 types of Chinese cuisine.

Cao, the food columnist, said the major difference between the two guides is that Michelin depends on inspectors' feedback, while Black Pearl is based on data collected from its app, in addition to that provided by anonymous inspectors.