The Michelin Guide prides itself on anonymity — secret inspectors evaluate restaurants based on five key criteria

▲The Michelin Guide. (Photo / Courtesy of Huang Shiyuan)

Reporter Huang Shiyuan / Taipei Reporting

The culinary bible, the Michelin Guide, is finally coming to Taiwan. The Taipei Michelin Guide is expected to be published in March 2018. And the most important factor behind the publication of the Michelin Guide is the inspectors who evaluate the restaurants. The Michelin Guide prides itself on anonymous evaluations, hence they are also known as mystery diners or secret inspectors.

Each Michelin inspector is highly capable and works full-time for Michelin. Most are graduates of hospitality management schools, averaging around 30,000 kilometers of travel per year, visiting about 250 restaurants, and staying at over 160 hotels. When evaluating restaurants, inspectors do not base their judgments on personal preferences but follow a set of specific Michelin criteria.


▲The evaluation standards of the Michelin Guide are unified across five key criteria, the same all over the world.

The evaluation standards of the Michelin Guide are unifiedFive Key Criteria, namely:Quality of ingredients,Mastery of cooking techniques and flavor harmony,Level of innovation (the chef’s intended concept),Value for money, andConsistency between the dining experience and culinary standards.Even cities like Taipei, which feature both fine dining establishments and street food, are evaluated using the same standards. Additionally, Michelin receives approximately 45,000 letters from readers each year, and these reader opinions also serve as references for the inspectors’ ratings.

According to Frédéric Gournay, the Michelin Regional Director, Michelin's numerous inspectors are assigned to specific regions. They compile lists of restaurants they will evaluate based on their designated areas. They refer to various sources of information or discover restaurants on their own—this is part of their job. Inspectors visit high-end restaurants as well as street food stalls. Moreover, all inspectors are assigned regions each year, but the same inspector will not evaluate the same region for two consecutive years to ensure fairness. As for the composition of the inspectors, in addition to international professionals, local inspectors are also recruited.


▲The first edition of the Michelin Guide with star ratings.

Does waiting in long lines for food (for hours) affect reviews? Frédéric Gournay said that even if one has to wait a year, they would still wait—but if they can't taste and evaluate the dish by publication time, it won't be included in the guide. He stated that foods requiring hours of queuing do not influence the reviewers' evaluations. He added that if a restaurant often requires long waits, it usually indicates a certain level of quality, so waiting is not an issue.

As for the rumors that inspectors always go in male-female pairs, choose corner seats, or deliberately drop pens on the floor, Frédéric Gournay pointed out that inspectors must remain anonymous and never reveal their identities—this is crucial. They do not announce their visits beforehand, take no notes while dining, behave like regular customers, and pay all bills themselves. Gournay emphasized that inspectors are Michelin employees, and evaluating restaurants is considered a business trip—the costs are covered by Michelin.


▲Frédéric Gournay, Michelin Regional Director. (Photo / Reporter Huang Shiyuan)

Of course, sometimes after a meal, if inspectors have questions they absolutely need to ask the chef, they may reveal their identity and engage in discussion—but only after the bill has been paid. Gournay mentioned that inspectors do not evaluate the same region for two consecutive years, and those who reveal their identity may not return to that region for quite some time, thus eliminating concerns of unfairness.

The Michelin Guide evaluation process involves rigorous procedures. After inspectors write their reports, an internal review process takes place. If there are any concerns about a report, Michelin may dispatch additional inspectors. Gournay said this is because the primary goal of the Michelin Guide is to provide consumers with a high-quality culinary experience.