Long known by chefs for its tapestry of multicultural tastes, Toronto will now have a place in one of the most coveted culinary maps: the Michelin Guide.
Starting for the first time this fall, a selection of restaurants in the city that make inspector cuts will receive one to three Michelin stars.
Michelin guides are a series of guides published by the French company Michelin. Each year, the guide awards Michelin stars to restaurants that show culinary excellence.
Inspectors have already begun visiting various locations in the city and will continue to work over the next few months in secret – carefully maintaining anonymity with anonymous reservations and paying in full for food to be treated like any other customer, according to Michelin North America.
“This further strengthens our reputation as a global food and cuisine destination,” Toronto Mayor John Torrey said in a press release.
“Our diverse city, along with the many famous chefs who call Toronto home, has helped us get to this point and be able to present all the wonderful restaurants.”
“Time will tell” whether the leadership presents the diversity of Toronto
The announcement, made at the luxury Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, comes after two years of uncertainty for restaurants that have been strained by closures and restrictions during the pandemic. Torrey hinted at these difficulties by encouraging Toronto residents to continue to “support and celebrate the revival of Toronto restaurants” as the city awaits the Michelin-stamped list of restaurants.
Chef Alvin Lyung, who grew up in Toronto and owns three Michelin stars, said diversity is “what Toronto is”. (CBC)
The inspectors will base their decisions on five universal criteria according to Michelin: product quality, taste, mastery of cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the kitchen and the consistency between visits.
“Even the most casual dinner knows what Michelin is and the prestige that comes with it,” said Caron Liu, food author at Toronto Star.
However, in recent years, Michelin has been criticized for its lack of diversity in its ads and for not awarding restaurants that reflect the wider demographics of different regions, Liu said.
He says “time will tell” whether that is changing with Michelin’s management in Toronto.
Asked about the criticism on Tuesday, Guendal Pulenak, Michelin’s international director of guides, said the people compiling the guide came from 20 nationalities.
“It’s important for an inspector to always be open-minded,” he said.
Chef Alvin Lyung, who grew up in Toronto and owns three Michelin stars, said diversity is “what Toronto is”.
Gwendal Pulenak, Michelin’s international director of guides, says people from more than 20 nationalities make up the guide around the world. (CBC)
“There are many of these neighborhood restaurants that I’m sure Michelin will have a hard time digging, but they will find them because they always find the best.”
“This is a really proud day for me,” Leung said in a statement Tuesday.
The Michelin guide’s raid in Toronto is also the first for Canada, Pulenak said.
“This first selection for Canada’s largest city and our first in the country will present local tastes, international inspiration and the distinct creativity that makes Toronto’s world-class dining.
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