The 2013 selection reflects the sustained improvement in the quality of restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau. It also highlights the fast changes in the industry, and increasing richness and diversity of the gastronomy.

Michelin today launches the fifth edition of the bilingual MICHELIN guide Hong Kong Macau. With 40% changes and new entries, it lists a total of 286 establishments in Hong Kong (244 restaurants and 42 hotels) and 62 establishments in Macau (46 restaurants and 16 hotels). Among them, 65 new restaurants are new entries (51 in Hong Kong and 14 in Macau).

The Michelin inspectors have been continuously exploring the local dining scenes in Hong Kong and Macau to find a wide variety of establishments for our readers. Levering their expert skills, they noted new trends in Hong Kong Macau culinary scene. Thus, more and more famous chefs come, opening new restaurants or just offering their expertise. The selection also reveals new young chefs continue to make their mark, surprising diner with the quality of their cuisine.

In this 5th edition, there are 6 new two-stars restaurants (5 in Hong Kong and 1 in Macau), for a total of 17 two-star restaurants. 13 new one-star restaurants are also awarded (12 in Hong Kong and 1in Macau), for a total of 46 restaurants in this category (44 in Hong Kong and 2 in Macau. And in three-star category, the highest award representing the summit of culinary achievement, all restaurants in the 2012 edition have conserved this distinction this year, thereby maintaining their ranking at the global summit of gourmet dining and culinary art. 4 of theses restaurants are in Hong Kong and one is in Macau.

In this year’s guide, 70% of the standard restaurants selected offer Chinese cuisine, including Shanghaies, Pekingese, Sichuan, Hakka, Hang Zhou, Cantonese, and Chiu Chow.

Michelin inspectors also noted that more and more chefs are fully engaged in deploying their creativity to offer customers superior meals at very affordable price through Bib Gourmand label, acclaimed by both consumers and professional. This label denotes restaurants offering a delicious, full three-course meal at an affordable price – for no more than HKD/ MOP 300. Thus, while 26 Bib Gourmand restaurants were listed in the firts edition, the 2013 selection lists a total of 76 Bib Gourmand restaurants (68 in Hong Kong and 8 in Macau), chosen by the inspectors for their good value for money. 18 Bib Gourmand restaurants are new to the guide, indicating that there are a lot of affordable restaurants with top-quality. This selection highlights the growing success of this pictogram, since Bib Gourmand restaurants increased of 11% from 2012!

The guide also features a total of 63 simple shop restaurants (54 in Hong Kong and 9 in Macau). These basic, local food stalls make up around 20% of the guide and include noodle shops, Roast meats, Dim Sum, Cantonese, Thai, Ramen noodles and congee eateries, and Vietnamese food stalls. Some of them have even been awarded stars, making them the most affordable starred restaurants in the world.

“Awarded without consideration for the reputation of either chef or restaurant, these distinctions have helped to build the renown of the MICHELIN guide”, indicated Michael ELLIS, international director of MICHELIN guides. “Thanks to the different classification, the guide is able to provide a comprehensive selection that includes something for every desire, every occasion and above all every budget. Quality is the only thing that counts, and this new selection proves how the richness and diversity of your gastronomy is surprising year after year. Not only have the Michelin inspectors found many new stars but they have also discovered a wide variety of restaurants offering many different styles of cooking. We have expanded our coverage to take in new locations such as Kennedy Town and Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Island and have also included 8 additional cuisines which further showcase the diversity of excellent food in Hong Kong and Macau”.

The MICHELIN guide Hong Kong Macau 2013 will be available on 5th December in Hong Kong (HK$198) and in Macau, and on middle of December in Southeast Asia.

About MICHELIN guide
The first MICHELIN guide France was published in August 1900. Distributed free of charge (until 1920) and originally intended for motorists, the guide contained a wealth of practical information, including tips on using and repairing tires; city street maps, and lists of gasoline outlets, hotels and mechanics. For the Michelin brothers, the objective was to speed up the development of the automobile, and consequently the tire market. They wanted to promote and improve travel by making it safer and more enjoyable—in other words, to enhance mobility, which is still today the common goal of Michelin’s maps, guides, atlases and other publications.

Every year, in more than 90 countries around the world, Michelin publishes some 10 million maps, atlases, tourist guides, and restaurant and hotel guides—and always with the same focus on quality.

In Hong Kong & Macau, as in the 22 other countries covered by the MICHELIN guide, a consistent selection is ensured by awarding stars based on the same criteria. Stars in the MICHELIN guides have the same value all over the world, so that a one star restaurant in Hong Kong offers the same quality as a one star establishment in, say, New York or Paris.

The same five criteria are:
– The quality and compatibility of the ingredients
– The preparation and the flavors of the dish
– The chef’s personality as revealed through his or her cuisine – Value for money
– Consistency over time and across the entire menu.

Stars apply only to ‘what is on the plate’ and are awarded solely for the quality of the cooking.
Three stars mean exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.
Two stars mean excellent cooking, worth a detour.
One star means a very good restaurant in its category.

A restaurant that receives one or more stars is not only one of the best in its country but also one of the best in the world. The restaurants we choose are classified by fork-and-spoon symbols according to the levels of comfort and style of service. Pavilions denote the comfort of hotels and the comfort of ryokans. When these symbols are in red it indicates that the establishment is particularly charming.

While the MICHELIN guide is known around the world for its famous stars, they actually account for only 10% of the selection in the guide.

In Asia, the company has just published the 2013 MICHELIN guide for Tokyo Yokohama and Shonan, Hong Kong and Macau, Hokkaido as well as Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Nara. The first guide to Hiroshima will be launched in spring 2013.