Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A Cook's Life #4 - Oh My Michelin Stars and Garters!


so the 2009 Michelin Guide for Los Angeles came out yesterday. from their website they state the following:

What is a classic?

The Michelin Guide uses a system of symbols to identify the best hotels and restaurants within each comfort and price category. For restaurants, Michelin stars are based on five criteria:
  • The quality of the products
  • The mastery of flavor and cooking
  • The "personality" of the cuisine
  • The value for the money
  • The consistency between visits
Every restaurant listed in the Michelin Guide is recommended by our team of professional inspectors. The ones listed below have earned stars that reflect their exceptional culinary achievements, regardless of cuisine style. Stars, represent only what is on the plate. They do not take into consideration interior decoration, service quality or table settings.

One Star Restaurants

Asanebo - Ventura Boulevard
Bastide - Hollywood
CUT- Beverly Hills
Dining Room at the Langham - Pasadena
Gordon Ramsey at the London - Hollywood
Hatfield's - Hollywood
La Botte - Santa Monica
Mori Sushi - Westside
Ortolan - Hollywood
Osteria Mozza - Hollywood
Patina - Downtown
Sona - Hollywood
Sushi Zo - Los Angeles
Trattoria Tre Venezie - Pasadena
Valentino - Santa Monica
Water Grill - Downtown

Two Star Restaurants

Melisse - Santa Monica
Providence - Hollywood
Spago - Beverly Hills
Urasawa - Beverly Hills

i am happy to say that my restaurant has retained its one star rating. however, i am also vehemently impassioned to get that second star. in fact, i didn't really sleep last night because i was thinking, "Why didn't we get a second star? What does it take to get better? I WANT THAT SECOND STAR G*D !(*%#@&^#*@!&#@%*$@&#^@%$^^&$#*@!!!!!!!!!!!!

ugh. i honestly feel like some sort of kung fu character whose family was killed and now i've grown up dedicating my life to the martial arts and have found the people to exact revenge upon. and i want to taste that blood flowing from the corner of my mouth so i can tear off my shirt and deal my special killing move taught to me by my old blind master (who was also killed by the same people that killed my family), doing it all in slow motion with over dubbed sound effects and wind machine. and at the end of the movie, the credits roll, AND I GET THAT SECOND MICHELIN STAR!!!

as far as i know, they don't even tell you how to improve. i wish they would, because then it would show that they are truly concerned with the advancement of fine cuisine, but then again WE should know what fine cuisine is in the first place, and i will have no reprieve until things get better. I can't even enjoy my morning because i want to get to work right now and try to do something; oversee the stock making, work with the new cooks, tell certain cooks on the hot line to use less oil when they are frying fish because it's too oily, examine my own weaknesses, shave my head and train myself so i can hold hot coals with my bear hands and get those tiger and dragon brands on my forearms (shaolin-style, baby!).

i wonder if anyone else feels the way i do. i am a bit intense, especially when it comes to goals and rising to the occasion. i'll talk to the chefs today. i am ready and need to try and blow off this steam. i can do borderline genius/crazy for a year. it's going to be fun.



-I





1 comment:

Xopher Lance said...

Don't worry. The end of the movie has not arrived yet!