So far, the blather among the local press focuses on how biased is the list and how ridiculous the ranking is. All said, the first attempt of Michelin for a Hong Kong guide isn't receiving any star treatment.
On the first argument, many a Chinese food critic says the guide is undependable because the French doesn't know a thing about Chinese food. However, for the sake of argument, I think it holds as much as appeal as one of the followings:
- I can't never date a French panty model because I am not French;
- Natalie Portman won't kowtow to my sheer hotness because she knows Jack about Chinese manhood;
- a online porn video store rejects my purchase of "Where The Boys Aren't IX" because I'm not a lesbian; and
- I can't never tell fresh spinach from rotten ones because I'm not a fucking farmer.
The ill appeal aside, I can guarantee you, as if there's nothing new under the sun, the same bunch of estimable Chinese food writers will muster their kind advices to readers like pants were on fire in a not so distant future on, guess what, French food! Tips on when and how to sample oysters from Brittany, milk-fed lamb from Pyrenees and et al...
Granted, the intrinsic values and sentiments of Chinese food could be mind-blowing, but there's no stopping for anyone to appreciate the beauty of it on face value. I also need to point out the peril to presume a Chinese must know the menu well given the vastness of China and complication of Chinese cuisine. I mean, which Chinese we're talking here? Do you think a Sichuanese knows for sure the fine points of a good bowl of wonton noodles? Or conversely, for a Cantonese to understand something indigenous to Sichuan, and/or to some dishes from the other twenty odd provinces of China?
The conspicuous absence of some all-time favorites and the shameful inclusion of some tourist traps also leave some critics to conclude the ratings on the list a gaffe.
Well, in the fullness of time, we'll see the guide is all about movement. It is overall a very good list on dining ideas, even though I must confess I'm training hard to put the head of a chef from one of the two-star joints into a blender and slam his crotch with axe. Sloppy food he cooks, the dining experience is nevertheless compensated by a reasonably good settings and service.
Fact is, with all established parameters, the guide is never just about food. And what the media missing is the fact that the guide marks the very first time an international standard with well-known objectivity and discipline lands Hong Kong. Tokyo, with 10 Michelin 3-star restaurants, is the most star-studded city in the world with Paris gets stride for stride by 9 Michelin 3-star eateries.
But how many Michelin 3-star we got? Only One. For a place that takes pride in being the "gastronomy paradise," this is a real slap on the face to suggest a case otherwise, especially when you check out the population of the 3 places: Tokyo, 12 million; Paris, 11 million. Hong Kong? 7 million.
Ouch, the truth hurts.
