The MICHELIN Effect: 8 Chefs on Life After Receiving the Prestigious Award
Just over a year ago, the MICHELIN Guide arrived in Canada to great fanfare. 13 Toronto restaurants received their first MICHELIN star in 2022 (Sushi Masaki Saito, in Yorkville, was the only restaurant awarded two stars). 17 others received a Bib Gourmand Award, given to “best value for money restaurants” that offer “a three-course meal at a reasonable price.”
Recently, MICHELIN released their selections for the 2023 MICHELIN Guide Toronto. New this year was the announcement of Toronto’s first MICHELIN Green Star, along with 21 new Bib Gourmands, and two new additions (Kappo Sato, Restaurant 20 Victoria) to the exclusive list of MICHELIN-starred eateries in Canada.
In celebration of this year’s big announcement, we reached out to eight chefs from the inaugural lists to find out what it’s been like running a MICHELIN-recognized restaurant over the past year.
Here’s what they told us.
Presented by
Patrick Kriss
Chef and Owner
Alo and Alobar Yorkville
Designation: One Star
Were there any immediate impacts for your restaurant after receiving a MICHELIN star?
Patrick Kriss: I think our biggest impact was at Alobar in Yorkville, where we would get earlier diners. Sometimes it’s hard to get a five o’clock, and then right when that happened, we started getting more five o’clock reservations.
What has been your favourite memory at the restaurant since receiving the recognition?
Patrick Kriss: One is at the event when Christopher Sealy won best [sommelier]. Seeing him get recognized for all of his hard work…seeing him go up with a glass of wine, I was more excited about that than the MICHELIN star. And second, is all the customers who have been dining with us from day one and how they felt a part of it. I think they were more excited than we were about getting it. So just seeing all of them come in and congratulate us, and seeing Alo through the years, since 2015, grow up and mature into what it is today.
What is most surprising for you about being on the inaugural Toronto list?
Patrick Kriss: I’ve worked in MICHELIN stars before…so I’m not sure if I was surprised by anything. [But] when you’re in it, when you’re an owner and the chef of the restaurant, it’s a little different than when you’re a cook. There’s more pressure.
Rob Rossi
Chef
Designation: One Star
Were there any immediate impacts for your restaurant after receiving a MICHELIN star?
Rob Rossi: I think a lot of it was just the excitement within the organization itself. A lot of the chefs and the staff, I think they definitely feel validated by it, which is great because it boosts morale and shows the individuals working there that all the hard work that they’ve done means something. Sometimes it’s hard to feel a tangible sense of accomplishment in a restaurant where every day it just starts again. I think for the staff, that was a really big one, but in terms of business, we were always quite busy and the reservations were always booked out 30 days in advance. I don’t think we saw an immediate push in terms of business, but we see more of a consistency now, where we know it’s going to be full…every seat is full every night, which is fantastic.
What has been your favourite memory at the restaurant since receiving the recognition?
Rob Rossi: I think just watching the food evolve, watching my chefs just take things to different levels. That’s very exciting for me. Part of receiving a MICHELIN mention or an award is the fact that you’re consistent, and watching the food evolve and stay consistent, through its concept and just the execution of it all, that’s exciting for me. And of course, to see the plaque on the wall—that’s also cool.
What is most surprising for you about being on the inaugural Toronto list?
Rob Rossi: I think just the fact that we got one…just the idea that we got a star was very surprising because obviously we try to do our best, and we never build restaurants or menus based on accolades. I think that’s something that should always remain true. You don’t build a restaurant with the intention of getting a MICHELIN star. You build a restaurant with the intention of wanting to make a great restaurant. So the byproduct of that is accolades, and it was just a surprise because I had never put [us] in that category. Not that I thought we were less, but I just focused more on making people happy.
Eric Chong
Chef and Partner
Designation: Bib Gourmand
Were there any immediate impacts for your restaurant after receiving a Bib Gourmand Award?
Eric Chong: When MICHELIN was announced and R&D Restaurant, as well as Cafe Boulud, was assumed to be on the list since we were the two restaurants to announce the guide, there was definitely an influx of customers at R&D. Fridays and Saturdays have always been busy for us, but what was surprising was that our Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays were full as well. Many customers were saying how they heard of us from the MICHELIN Guide announcement.
What has been your favourite memory at the restaurant since receiving the recognition?
Eric Chong: My biggest joy was mounting the MICHELIN plaque in the restaurant. It is a validation that the restaurant serves delicious food and that all this hard work over the years has paid off.
What is most surprising for you about being on the inaugural Toronto list of restaurants?
Eric Chong: I think the fact that we are even on the list! To be in the same guide as many of my idols and other chefs I look up to so much is a true honour. It has always been a dream to be a MICHELIN-starred chef (yet to happen but hopefully with my next tasting menu restaurant opening next year it will come true!) For the longest time that dream was thought to be impossible, then MICHELIN finally decided to come to Canada which meant I no longer had to move to earn a MICHELIN star.
