Top Chef's Philip Frankland Lee on Receiving a Michelin Star | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

A young chef dedicates 15 years to achieving a Michelin star, and finds out through a surprising Zoom call that two of his restaurants have been awarded the prestigious stars.

Key Insights

• 🤩 Achieving a Michelin star is a significant accomplishment in the culinary world, requiring years of dedication and skill.
• 🤩 The Michelin star system has its roots in promoting tire sales and traveling, but has become a prestigious standard for evaluating culinary excellence.
• 🤩 Three-star Michelin restaurants are worth traveling to and are often located in unique and remote locations.
• 😋 Molecular gastronomy, popularized by El Bulli, introduced unconventional and artistic dishes that challenged traditional notions of food.
• 😅 While some may find it difficult to eat certain animals due to their intelligence, the taste and flavor of certain dishes can still be appealing.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How did the chef find out about his Michelin stars?

The chef was on a Zoom call with his wife, business partner, and brother, who were at the restaurant, when they casually mentioned the congratulations on two of his restaurants receiving Michelin stars.

Q: What is the history of the Michelin star?

The Michelin star originated as a way to incentivize tire sales and travel. The guidebook included information on where to eat, and the star system evolved to indicate worthiness of a visit.

Q: Are there any three-star restaurants in America?

Yes, the French Laundry is a three-star restaurant in America. It is considered highly prestigious and is located in California. Bourdain had visited this restaurant and found it incredible.

Q: What is El Bulli?

El Bulli was a highly acclaimed restaurant in Spain that was named the best restaurant in the world several times. It pioneered molecular gastronomy, introducing avant-garde and visually stunning dishes.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The chef spent 15 years striving to obtain a Michelin star, and was surprised to learn through a Zoom call that two of his restaurants were awarded stars.

• The Michelin star originally started as a way to promote tire sales and driving, but eventually became a respected standard for culinary excellence.

• Michelin stars signify different levels of worthiness, with one star meaning it's worth a stop, two stars worth a detour, and three stars worth a journey.