Fine Dining and Tough Tires(b)|顶级的感官飨宴

Fine Dining and Tough Tires

by Brian Foden

　　It is not easy for an eatery to earn a Michelin star. For example, in 2012, only 106 restaurants received three stars, mostly those in Japan and France. The process of announcing which restaurants around the world have been awarded stars has been likened to Hollywood's Academy Awards, and being given one, two, and especially three stars means a lot in terms of prestige and increased business. Like the Oscars, the methods used to come up with the winners is shrouded in secrecy.

　　The key to determining which establishments are deemed worthy of receiving stars are the reviewers or, as Michelin calls them, inspectors, who visit restaurant after restaurant, eating meal after meal. To maintain a sense of total objectivity and fairness, the reviewers arrive at restaurants unannounced, pretending to be regular customers. Unlike average customers, however, they meticulously write up a report on each meal they eat, sometimes taking three hours to describe their dining experience. The inspectors pay particular attention to specific criteria, including the quality of the ingredients used and how the flavors blend together, as well as the technical skill and creativity of the chef. These reports are later discussed during meetings at various Michelin offices to determine which restaurants are deserving of the coveted stars. Since any restaurant would do its utmost to please a Michelin inspector if it knew one was in its midst, Michelin attempts to keep the identities of its reviewers hidden. To ensure that inspectors remain anonymous, they are forbidden to talk to journalists and are discouraged from telling their relatives about their occupation for fear their relatives will tell others.

顶级的感官飨宴

这本介绍顶级美食的《米其林指南》颇负盛名，起初是要让大众多开车，好让他们最终能购买更多的轮胎。

　　要获得米其林所颁发的星星荣誉，对于一间餐厅来说并不容易。举例来说，2012 年仅有一百零六家餐厅获得三颗星，这些餐厅大部份都在日本和法国。而公布世界各地有哪些餐厅可以获得星等的过程足以和好莱坞的奥斯卡颁奖典礼相比，且被给予一颗星、两颗星，尤其是三颗星的餐厅，就其声望与增长的生意量而言意义非凡。而正如同奥斯卡奖一样，产生获奖餐厅所采行的方法是秘而不宣的。

　　要评定哪一间餐厅能被认可为值得获得星等的关键在于评论家，或是如米其林所称呼的『评鉴员』，这些评鉴员会造访一家又一家的餐厅，并品尝一顿又一顿的餐点。为了保持完全客观与公平的判断，评论家造访各餐厅之前并不会事先告知店家，而且他们会假装是一般的用餐客人。然而，和一般顾客不同的是，他们会针对所品尝过的餐点巨细靡遗地将评论报告写得有声有色，有时候他们会花上三个小时的时间来描述他们的用餐经验。评鉴员会特别注意某些特定的标准，包括选用食材的质量、如何将口味融为一体，以及厨师的技艺和创造力等。这些报告随后会在不同的米其林办公室所举行的会议中进行讨论，以决定哪些餐厅值得获得令人梦寐以求的星等。由于任何一家餐厅如果知道有评鉴员在该餐厅出现，可能会极尽所能地讨好他们，因此米其林会试图隐藏其评论家的身份。为了确保评鉴员的身份能够保密，他们不得与记者交谈，同时也不允许向亲人泄漏其职业，以免他们的亲人会告诉其他人。