106 eateries, street vendors get Michelin’s endorsement this year

[webfact]

106 eateries, street vendors get Michelin’s endorsement this year

By The Nation

 

 

Ahead of the official launch of next year’s Michelin guide for Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Phang-Nga on December 16, the French guide on fine-dining unveiled the 2021 Bib Gourmand selection for 2021, which features 106 restaurants and street food establishments.

 

Of them 65 are in Bangkok, 20 in Chiang Mai and 21 in Phuket and Phang-Nga. This year, 17 food establishments are joining the list for the first time – nine in Bangkok, three in Chiang Mai, five in Phuket and Phang-Nga, while four in each province have been promoted from Michelin Plate.

 

The Bib Gourmand distinction, symbolised by the famous “Michelin Man” licking his lips, recognises eateries that offer a carefully prepared three-course meal – starter, main course and dessert – for no more than Bt1,000.

 

Gwendal Poullennec, international director for Michelin Guides, said: “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent economic slowdown, we want to especially boost the morale of restaurant professionals, continue to support the culinary industry and encourage local foodies to embark on more food-ventures within the parameters of current public health guidelines.

 

“Providing a combination of quality dishes and affordable prices, Bib Gourmand establishments serve as the ideal dining solution for budget-savvy foodies, and play a significant part in keeping Thailand’s culinary scene alive during these tough times.”

 

In the soon-to-be-released fourth edition of the Michelin Guide for Thailand, the 17 new additions to the Bib Gourmand list include Bangkok’s Burapa, a restaurant with the Orient Express theme that takes diners on a journey East-by-Northeast to taste unique, flavoursome cuisine that joins culinary elements from Isaan and Trat; Chang-Wang-Imm, a restaurant in a charming two-storey house built in 1957 on the banks of the Chao Phraya River serving delicious wallet-friendly Thai food that highlights traditional cooking techniques and flavours; and Phed Phed Bistro, a restaurant with minimalist décor and wire mesh accents focusing on comfort food made with quality ingredients.

 

It also includes Chiang Mai’s Go Neng (Wichayanon), a street food establishment that has been around for more than three decades specialising in deep-fried dough sticks, “pa tong go”, that boast puffy perfection and crispy texture, uniquely shaped as crocodiles, dinosaurs, dragons, and elephants; Phang-Nga’s Hok Kee Lao, a Thai-Chinese restaurant beloved for decades for its delicious and affordable banquet-style food; and Tokola, a restaurant in lush gardens next to Khuekkhak beach serving intensely-flavoured traditional and southern Thai dishes using locally sourced ingredients as well as ancient and original cooking methods and Phuket’s Salaloy, a casual Rawai Beach eatery famous for a good selection of fresh seafood that are freshly cooked to order.

 

The four restaurants promoted from the Michelin Plate to Bib Gourmand are Bangkok’s Somtum Khun Kan, a restaurant offering its famous “som tam” plus a wide variety of authentic Thai and Thai-Isaan dishes; Chiang Mai’s Charoen Suan Aek, a neighbourhood restaurant loved for its authentic and boldly flavoured northern Thai dishes that rely on indigenous, seasonal ingredients; Phang-Nga’s Nai Mueang, an authentic Southern Thai restaurant featuring a charming retro ambience with old tin-mining memorabilia, record players, sewing machines and other nostalgic bric-a-brac; and Phuket’s Tu Kab Khao, an elegant, atmospheric restaurant set in a grand Chino-Portuguese building, serving tasty Southern Thai cuisine.

 

“By expanding the geographical scope of this year’s selection, Michelin Guide inspectors found more eateries worthy of a Bib Gourmand rating. Thus, we would like to encourage local foodies to go on tasting ventures of their own, and discover by themselves – as our inspectors did – that Thailand is a true haven for good value, quality, and reasonably priced dining experience,” concluded Poullennec.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/lifestyle/30399355

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-12-10

 

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[sammieuk1]

How do you like your eggs fried or barbecued is all this "“Michelin Man” licking his lips, recognises ????

[ezzra]

Kudos where kudos due to all the recipients of the coveted star, not easy to get one you know and some restaurant owners and chefs will give their right hand to get one...

[RotBenz8888]

Remember to brind two things: a microscope to see what you're eating. And a Mc Donald's takeaway to scoff in the restroom. 

[AmySeeker]

The #gentrification of certain areas of Bangkok has been one the most depressing things i've ever witnessed. 

 

Tourists, locals akll love local street food - yet authorities seem to want to see chain restaura#nts like Burger King. 

 

Street food add vibrancy, colour and give an exotic nature to the city. ###############################

[1duckyboy]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

Kudos where kudos due to all the recipients of the coveted star, not easy to get one you know and some restaurant owners and chefs will give their right hand to get one...

 

The restaurants listed in the story made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list which stipulates a meal must be less than 1000 baht. This in no way qualifies them for a Michelin star. A starred restaurant serving meals for less than 1000 baht is a rare bird indeed, if it exists.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Remember to brind two things: a microscope to see what you're eating. And a Mc Donald's takeaway to scoff in the restroom. 

If you eat Mc Donald's food, you shouldn't be in a Michelin star restaurant to start with.

[bougnat]

I'm french, this book is a big joke, no more.

[Burma Bill]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

street food establishments.

 How many Michelin "stars" for this???

 

[FritsSikkink]

3 hours ago, bougnat said:

I'm french, this book is a big joke, no more.

The fact that you are French doesn't give you any expertise on food.

[wiggy97]

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

The fact that you are French doesn't give you any expertise on food.

 

[wiggy97]

Just now, wiggy97 said:

 

This is not the fine dining section of the Guide. It’s for simple good food with good value. The expensive stuff comes next year when the whole Guide is published

[SiSePuede419]

11 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

 How many Michelin "stars" for this???

 

I'd give them 5 * if their food is good.  I don't give stars for "atmosphere" ????

[SiSePuede419]

8 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

The fact that you are French doesn't give you any expertise on food.

But he or she is making a valid point.

 

There's lots of great restaurants that don't make it into the Bib gourmand guide.

 

I was in CM last year for a couple months and ate lots of great street food. 

 

Most of it wasn't in the guide.  For example, Cowboy hat pork leg lady, 555. ????

[Janner1]

16 hours ago, AmySeeker said:

Tourists, locals akll love local street food - yet authorities seem to want to see chain restaura#nts like Burger King. 

The authorities do not want street food vendors because they are not taxable whereas chains are , so the government in it’s infinite wisdom Lol exact forced closures of probably one of the biggest attractions ( we all know the main one ) for tourists and expats alike who live in and travel to Thailand for the sake of ASIAN taxation so that politicals have large amounts of money to waste on jollies just like the EU in the west.

Good bye to culture, hello to junk food, higher prices and taxation.

If you ever went to Portugal before they entered the EU and had Frango piri piri and you go back now to a fried slab of chicken breast in a dried up paste costing 5 times as much you will know exactly what I mean.

[Robbie2618]

I think some here have a misunderstanding as to the difference between Michelin Star and Bib Gourmand rating.

 

These restaurant's are not Michelin Star, those are top end restaurants. The Bib Gourmand rating means they are a good resturant at a good price.

 

 

[elgenon]

Anyone know how i can get a copy in the States?  I'd like to read it before I return to Thailand.

 

 

[mtls2005]

Any guess on how many of the 106 establishments remain open?

 

 

Congrats to all, and to Michelin for getting this 2021 guide done in a challenging year.

 

 

 

[Oldie]

They put there restaurants that cook in unhealthy aluminum pots and add unhealthy ingredients. 

[quake]

Keep an eye out for the special tasty street food. LOL.