Latest news with #GwendalPoullennec
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Scotsman
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Dubai gets first 3-star Michelin restaurants
The winners were announced at Dubai's fourth MICHELIN Guide Ceremony, held at Address Sky View | No Credit Dubai got its very first three Michelin-starred restaurants this year. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In a glittering and glamorous ceremony held at the Address Skyview, European restaurant FZN by Bjorn Frantzen and homegrown eatery Tresind Studio were announced as the recipients of the honour. The teams of both restaurants got standing ovations for their achievement. With this, the latter becomes the only Indian restaurant in the world to have three Michelin stars. While chef Himanshu Sahni of Tresind Studio threw air punches to celebrate the historic win, Chef Bjorn said he arrived in Dubai for the first time 16 years ago and that three Michelin stars here felt 'unreal'. FZN, which blends modern European fine dining with Japanese influences, also holds a three Michelin stars in Stockholm and Singapore. The achievement was announced by Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide. Three stars are the highest recognition awarded by the body, which celebrates its 125th year of establishment in 2025. According to him, there are approximately only 140 restaurants across the world which has this distinction. Tresind Studio has been on the list of Michelin Guide since its launch in 2022. Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, said: "Dubai's rapid transformation into a global culinary hub is testament to its diversity and excellence. "As demonstrated by Trèsind Studio's historic achievement of earning Three Michelin Stars in its fourth appearance - making it the first Indian restaurant worldwide to earn the Guide's highest accolade. 'Dubai embraces a rich tapestry of flavors that reflect the world's gastronomic passions. 'With the city now home to 119 Michelin-recommended establishments, it stands as a beacon for food lovers, drawing them to experience the very best of the world's culinary traditions, all within one dynamic destination." FZN by Bjorn Frantzen and homegrown eatery Tresind Studio were announced as the recipients of the three Michelin-stars | No Credit It also comes as a young 30-year-old chef, who was born and raised in Dubai, became a man of many jackets when he scooped up the young chef award and a one Michelin star during the evening, which came just five months after opening. Abhiraj Khatwani of Manao was described as 'one to watch' for his exceptional cooking skills. He thanked the Orfali brothers for their support in helping set up the restaurant. It serves an 11-course tasting menu comprised of re-imagined Thai classics. Jamavar, an authentic Indian restaurant located in the Dubai Opera district, was praised for its goat curry, which was the deciding factor for inspectors. Culinary Director and Executive Chef Surendar Mohan shared a heartfelt speech thanking his family for their 'unconditional support' and for 'allowing me to work seven days a week, morning and night for my passion'. Jamavar also has branches in London and Doha, where they hold one Michelin star as well. The Michelin Green Star recognition was retained by Boca, Lowe, and Teible for their mindful practices. Several other special awards were also handed out during the evening. The Opening of the Year award went to Sin Keun Choi Ronin for serving up a 'rather special experience', while the Service Award for offering hospitality of the highest standard was awarded to Mohamed Galal of Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant. The Sommelier Award was handed over to Shiv Menon Boca for 'exuding enthusiasm and pride' in his work. In addition to awarding one-star and two-star recognition, the Michelin Guide Dubai also recognised several other restaurants for various achievements. The anonymous inspectors of the organisation picked a total of 119 establishments, covering 35 different types of cuisine. Five new restaurants were added to the Bib Gourmand list, which recognises quality cooking at reasonable prices. These were DUO Gastrobar- Creek Harbour, Harummanis, Hawkerboi, Khadak and Sufret Maryam. Dubai is now home to 119 MICHELIN-recommended establishments | Shutterstock Here is the full list of the 19 restaurants in the guide this year: Three stars — Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey. FZN by by Bjorn Frantzen Trèsind Studio Two stars — Excellent cooking, worth a detour Il Ristorante- Niko Romito (retained) STAY by Yannick Alléno (retained) Row on 45 (retained) One Michelin Star — high quality cooking, worth a stop 11 Woodfire (retained) Al Muntaha (retained) Hakkasan (retained) Höseki (retained) Ossiano (retained) Tasca by Jose Avillez (retained) Avatara (retained) Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (retained) Moonrise (retained) Smoked Room (retained) La Dame de Pic Dubai (retained) Orfali Brothers (retained) Manao (new) Jamavar (new) The Michelin Guide Dubai selection 2025 at a glance: 2 restaurants with Three Michelin Stars (1 Promotion, 1 New) 3 restaurants with Two Michelin Stars 14 restaurants with One Michelin Star (2 new) 3 restaurants with a Michelin Green Star 22 Bib Gourmand restaurants (5 new) 78 Michelin selected restaurants (15 new) A replay of The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony and other highlights is available on the official MICHELIN Guide Middle East Facebook page and the MICHELIN Guide Global YouTube channel - along with the full selection of The MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2025 on this website. Visit the MICHELIN Guide's official website, or download the MICHELIN Guide mobile app (iOS and Android), to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel. This article is produced by SWNS based on content distributed by GlobeNewswire.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: How Indian restaurant Tresind Studio won Dubai's first three Michelin stars
It was one of the more extraordinary things that I have done in my life. It started when Michelin called me to discuss something confidential. If you know how the Michelin Guide works then you will know that everything they do is confidential. Their inspectors are not gifted amateurs who like eating out. They are hardcore professionals who work full time for Michelin and eat at least 300 meals at restaurants every year. They are famously anonymous and because nobody recognises them they can pretend to be ordinary customers out for a good meal when they visit restaurants. Because restaurateurs may become familiar with some faces, Michelin mixes it up, sending inspectors from other countries to assess restaurants. So, if you run a Southern Italian restaurant in, say, Seoul one of the guys who reviews it may have flown in from Naples. No outsider knows what the inspectors decide, or how the final decisions about stars are made or even how many inspectors have visited the restaurant. Nothing is revealed except for the stars themselves which are announced at annual functions in the 50 or so locations where Michelin operates. So, when Michelin told me that our conversation was totally confidential I was not surprised. But what they said next did surprise me. The inspectors had finally decided to award three stars to a restaurant in Dubai, something they had not done for the three years that Michelin had been in Dubai. But now, in their fourth year, they were finally ready to take the plunge. Gwendal Poullennec, who is international director and the boss of the guide, was going to make a special trip to Dubai to tell the lucky restaurant two days before the formal announcement. Would I like to go with him to the restaurant when he broke the news? Would I? Of course, I would! They would tell me the name of the restaurant they said only if I agreed not to tell a soul. At this stage I had a trip booked to South East Asia and was not going to be available to attend the Dubai awards but the moment Michelin asked me, I decided at once to reschedule the South East Asia trip. (Naturally!) So which restaurant would it be? I suggested to them that it would be Row on 45 which had stormed into the list with two stars the previous year. Or perhaps it would be FZN which I had predicted would be the first three-star restaurant in Dubai. Also Read | Rude Food by Vir Sanghvi: A fortnight of fantastic meals They did not comment on my speculation but said that Gwendal wanted to break the news to an Indian restaurant. I knew at once which restaurant it had to be: Tresind Studio. There was no doubt in my mind that Tresind Studio deserved three stars. Except that Michelin had never before given three stars to an Indian restaurant. Was it now going to break that precedent? It was. I was overjoyed for the folks at Tresind who I have admired since I first wrote about the restaurant over a decade ago when it had just opened and nobody had heard of it or of its young chef, Himanshu Saini, who was still in his 20s but already showing signs of greatness. But most of all, I was really overjoyed for India. For decades now, Indian cuisine, one of the world's greatest, had been dismissed as an 'ethnic' cuisine, its reputation destroyed by cheap Bangladeshi curry houses in the UK. Even when an Indian restaurant got a star, it usually stopped at that single star and chefs who Frenchified their food were rewarded by most global organisations. Only Gaggan Anand in Bangkok kept India's foodie prestige alive by being daring. Admittedly this had begun to change once Gwendal (who is an Asia buff and a Japanese speaker) took the Michelin guide around the world and began recognising non-European cuisines. Indian restaurants began finally to get two stars and Michelin's old 'French is best' global image softened to reflect the modern era. But three stars for Indian food? Nah! Anyhow I kept my word to Michelin. My son said he wanted to go to the Dubai ceremony. I told him I would be in Thailand. Himanshu asked if I was coming to Dubai. I lied again. I posted Thailand pictures on my Instagram to confuse everyone. Then, two days before the ceremony, having sneaked into Dubai, I got into a car with Gwendal and we drove to Tresind Studio. Michelin had told the Tresind team that they wanted to shoot for a forthcoming event in Qatar so a TV crew was hard at work shooting with Himanshu upstairs while we hid in a coffee shop downstairs. Finally, the crew gave us the go ahead and we went up to let Gwendal convey the news. Himanshu says now that he was too dazed to notice I had entered but members of his team who did see me despite my best efforts at being inconspicuous, wondered what the hell I was doing there. Then Gwendal introduced himself and told the assembled team that they had won three stars. I have known Himanshu for a long time and he is pretty much the brand ambassador for gratuitous weeping, but to my surprise he held it together and made a cogent speech for the cameras. But it was Vipin, Tresind's super cool manager, who is responsible for the restaurant's impeccable service, who was overcome by emotion and burst into tears. So did much of the team. All of them were made to sign NDAs and to promise not to breathe a word till the official announcement. I was sceptical but they kept their word. Two days later when I went to the official ceremony, nobody had any idea that Tresind Studio had won the ultimate accolade. At the ceremony, I met Himanshu's wife, the rock of his life, and told her how surprised I was by Himanshu's composure. Well, she said, when he finally told her, she wept uncontrollably. And then Himanshu finally let it all out and joined her in her tears. Given the enormity of the achievement, they had a right to be emotional. So, is this a new beginning for Indian food at an international level? Gwendal who has worked so tirelessly to give non-European cuisines the respect they deserve, thinks it may well be. Rene Redzepi, one of the world's most influential chefs, thinks Indian food has begun its ascent. 'This is the first of many many more,' he told me. Gaggan Anand who set off this boom said 'so good to see a young chef do it and to pave the way for future generations'. As for me, I am relieved to not have the burden of keeping the secret any longer. And there was tension too: I broke the story on the Hindustan Times online edition just as the announcement was being made. (It was page one in the print edition.) I worried about filing too early and giving away the secret. Or of filing too late! But speaking as an Indian, I am delighted to see our cuisine get the recognition it deserves. And yes, I am thrilled to have had a tiny walk-on role in this saga. Michelin lived up to its reputation for confidentiality. Even as we kept the Tresind Studio secret, nobody let slip that another restaurant was also getting three stars. Bjorn Frantzen became the only chef in the world to have three restaurants with three stars as his FZN at Atlantis triumphed. It's a great achievement but now that the doors have opened I am sure that it is only a matter of time before an Indian chef challenges Frantzen! Because last week, in Dubai, Michelin ushered in a new era for the international acceptance of Indian cuisine.
Khaleej Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Eating out 300 times a year: How Michelin inspectors make their decisions
Michelin Guide inspectors are more than just food lovers — they're highly trained professionals who treat their role with exceptional seriousness and dedication. Most of them eat out for lunch and dinner at least 300 times a year, according to Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide. 'It's not just a job — it requires a deep passion for food and an open mind," he said. "This isn't a hobby; it's a full-time commitment that goes beyond professionalism.' Since inspectors take their job very seriously, no decision is taken lightly. Poullennec emphasised that Michelin stars are never permanent. Each year, every restaurant is reassessed from scratch, and stars are awarded or withdrawn based on strict, globally consistent criteria. Speaking at a press conference following the launch of the Michelin Guide Dubai 2025, Poullennec highlighted the rigorous standards and dedication behind every Michelin star awarded. Why stars are gained or lost 'The star can never be taken for granted,' he said. 'Restaurants may lose a star for reasons ranging from a dip in food quality to a change in concept or even closure.' He noted that in some cases, restaurateurs themselves make the decision to change direction, leading to a voluntary loss of their Michelin star. This year, three restaurants that held one Michelin star in the previous edition were dropped from the list — either due to closure or changes in standard or concept. This year's edition recognised 119 establishments across 35 cuisines, with 14 restaurants earning one star and three receiving two stars. And for the first time, Dubai got two 3-Michelin-starred restaurants. How it works Poullennec added that decisions to award or revoke stars are never made by a single inspector. 'It's a collaborative effort,' he said. 'Multiple visits are made throughout the year to ensure consistency and fairness.' He offered a rare glimpse into the daily life of an inspector: 'In a single week, they might dine at a starred restaurant, visit a Bib Gourmand spot for lunch, and then venture out to uncover hidden culinary gems. Not every meal is great —but experiencing all levels of quality is part of the experience and their daily life.' Anonymity is key The Michelin Guide has long protected the anonymity of its inspectors. Many do not reveal their roles even to their own families. Before becoming full inspectors, they undergo one to three years of intensive on-the-job training, covering multiple regions and cuisines. The inspectors base their ratings on the universally applied set of five criteria: Without revealing their identity, inspectors dine like any regular customers and always pay their bills in full. They never review the same restaurant twice within the same evaluation
Khaleej Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Trèsind Studio Dubai becomes first Indian restaurant with three Michelin stars
Dubai's culinary stars shone bright on Thursday night when the best, tastiest, and trendiest restaurants were awarded at the fourth edition of Michelin Guide Dubai. The biggest winners were homegrown Trèsind Studio, which became the first Indian restaurant in the world to receive three Michelin stars, and new entrant FZN by Björn Frantzén, which now also holds bragging rights to three stars — the highest recognition awarded by the body. (Currently, only about 140 restaurants across the world own this distinction.) 'Dubai's rapid transformation into a global culinary hub is testament to its diversity and excellence,' said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide. 'Dubai embraces a rich tapestry of flavours that reflect the world's gastronomic passions. With the city now home to 119 Michelin-recommended establishments, it stands as a beacon for food lovers, drawing them to experience the very best of the world's culinary traditions, all within one dynamic destination,' Poullennec added. 'It's a testament to bold innovation, extraordinary talent, and culinary distinction,' said Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM). He added: 'Just as three Michelin stars signify a restaurant that is 'worth a special journey', the same applies to Dubai as a destination. From celebrated homegrown eateries to globally renowned names, this vibrant gastronomic landscape truly reflects the diversity and dynamism of a city that always aims to inspire the world.' Passion and teamwork Chef Himanshu Sahni of Tresind Studio threw air punches to celebrate its historic win and consistent (since 2022) success. He has always credited his family with being the driving force behind his success. In an earlier interview with Khaleej Times, he said that his inspiration comes from home. 'My mother is a great chef,' he said. 'I grew up watching her cook and soon I started my own journey of cooking. She has always supported my dream to become a chef and she has pushed me to better myself every step of my 14 years in the industry.' Bhupender Nath, the man behind Passion F&B, which owns and operates Tresind and its sister concerns, had dreamt of setting up a restaurant ever since his father closed down the family eatery in the Indian city of Patna after financial troubles. On Thursday night, he said he understood the power of the word 'only' and was thankful for it 'Today I understand the power of the word only,' he said. 'I understand how heavy it is and how beautiful a word it is. We are the only Indian restaurant to have three stars and what a place to have it — Dubai, where only dreams come true.' His wife, Sakshi Nath, credited the hard work of his team. 'We create a vision and move towards the vision,' she said. 'It is passion and teamwork that makes it work.' Best of both worlds FZN by Björn Frantzén, which blends modern European fine dining with Japanese influences, also holds three Michelin stars in Stockholm and Singapore. Speaking on stage while accepting the award, head chef Torsten Vildgaard said the moment felt unreal. 'I am speechless,' he said. 'We represent a strong and talented team that relocated here for the purpose of opening FZN and going all in. Thank you team.' The fusion three-star restaurant offers 'a highly sophisticated experience with an array of dishes blending Scandinavian and Asian influences that make great use of the finest luxury ingredients'. Aside from Tresind Studio and FZN by Björn Frantzén, three other restaurants received two Michelin stars; 14 restaurants clinched one star; while three restaurants were given the Michelin Green Star; 22 are now Bib Gourmand restaurants; and 78 others are Michelin-selected ones. All Dubai restaurants were selected and judged based on their cuisine style, concept, and location. Whether they are luxury fine dining restaurants or street food eateries, Michelin Guide applied the same five criteria used around the world: quality of ingredients; mastery of cooking techniques; harmony of the flavours; expression of chef's personality in the cuisine; and consistency, both over time and across the entire menu. Special awards A young 30-year-old chef, who was born and raised in Dubai, became a man of many jackets as he scooped up the young chef award and a Michelin star during the event, which came five months after opening. The chef, Abhiraj Khatwani of Manao, was described as 'one to watch' for his exceptional cooking skills. Just minutes after donning his black chef jacket, which was awarded as part of the young chef award, he took it off to wear the white chef's jacket as the head chef of Manao. He thanked Mohamed Orfali of the Orfali brothers fame for their support in helping set up the restaurant. 'Abhiraj and all the staff of Manao, they are not a team, they are family,' said Mohamed. 'We worked together, lived together, and ate together to make this dream a reality. It has been the best thing ever to see Abhiraj grow and develop the flavours. He does what he does. It is not like I tweaked something or changed something. Everything is him.' Manao serves an 11-course tasting menu comprising re-imagined Thai classics. Jamavar, an authentic Indian restaurant located in the Dubai Opera district, was praised for its goat curry, which was the deciding factor for inspectors. Culinary director and executive chef Surendar Mohan shared a heartfelt speech thanking his family for their 'unconditional support' and for 'allowing me to work seven days a week, morning and night for my passion'. Jamavar also has branches in London and Doha, where they boast a Michelin star as well. Other winners The Michelin Green Star recognition was retained by Boca, Lowe, Teible for their mindful practices. Several other special awards were also handed out during the evening. The Opening of the Year award went to Ronin for serving up a 'rather special experience' while the Service Award for offering hospitality of the highest standard was awarded to Mohamed Galal of Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant. The Sommelier Award was given to Shiv Menon of Boca for 'exuding enthusiasm and pride' in his work.
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Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Dubai gets first 3-star Michelin restaurants
The winners were announced at Dubai's fourth MICHELIN Guide Ceremony, held at Address Sky View | No Credit Dubai got its very first three Michelin-starred restaurants this year. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... In a glittering and glamorous ceremony held at the Address Skyview, European restaurant FZN by Bjorn Frantzen and homegrown eatery Tresind Studio were announced as the recipients of the honour. The teams of both restaurants got standing ovations for their achievement. With this, the latter becomes the only Indian restaurant in the world to have three Michelin stars. While chef Himanshu Sahni of Tresind Studio threw air punches to celebrate the historic win, Chef Bjorn said he arrived in Dubai for the first time 16 years ago and that three Michelin stars here felt 'unreal'. FZN, which blends modern European fine dining with Japanese influences, also holds a three Michelin stars in Stockholm and Singapore. The achievement was announced by Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide. Three stars are the highest recognition awarded by the body, which celebrates its 125th year of establishment in 2025. According to him, there are approximately only 140 restaurants across the world which has this distinction. Tresind Studio has been on the list of Michelin Guide since its launch in 2022. Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide, said: "Dubai's rapid transformation into a global culinary hub is testament to its diversity and excellence. "As demonstrated by Trèsind Studio's historic achievement of earning Three Michelin Stars in its fourth appearance - making it the first Indian restaurant worldwide to earn the Guide's highest accolade. 'Dubai embraces a rich tapestry of flavors that reflect the world's gastronomic passions. 'With the city now home to 119 Michelin-recommended establishments, it stands as a beacon for food lovers, drawing them to experience the very best of the world's culinary traditions, all within one dynamic destination." FZN by Bjorn Frantzen and homegrown eatery Tresind Studio were announced as the recipients of the three Michelin-stars | No Credit It also comes as a young 30-year-old chef, who was born and raised in Dubai, became a man of many jackets when he scooped up the young chef award and a one Michelin star during the evening, which came just five months after opening. Abhiraj Khatwani of Manao was described as 'one to watch' for his exceptional cooking skills. He thanked the Orfali brothers for their support in helping set up the restaurant. It serves an 11-course tasting menu comprised of re-imagined Thai classics. Jamavar, an authentic Indian restaurant located in the Dubai Opera district, was praised for its goat curry, which was the deciding factor for inspectors. Culinary Director and Executive Chef Surendar Mohan shared a heartfelt speech thanking his family for their 'unconditional support' and for 'allowing me to work seven days a week, morning and night for my passion'. Jamavar also has branches in London and Doha, where they hold one Michelin star as well. The Michelin Green Star recognition was retained by Boca, Lowe, and Teible for their mindful practices. Several other special awards were also handed out during the evening. The Opening of the Year award went to Sin Keun Choi Ronin for serving up a 'rather special experience', while the Service Award for offering hospitality of the highest standard was awarded to Mohamed Galal of Al Khayma Heritage Restaurant. The Sommelier Award was handed over to Shiv Menon Boca for 'exuding enthusiasm and pride' in his work. In addition to awarding one-star and two-star recognition, the Michelin Guide Dubai also recognised several other restaurants for various achievements. The anonymous inspectors of the organisation picked a total of 119 establishments, covering 35 different types of cuisine. Five new restaurants were added to the Bib Gourmand list, which recognises quality cooking at reasonable prices. These were DUO Gastrobar- Creek Harbour, Harummanis, Hawkerboi, Khadak and Sufret Maryam. Dubai is now home to 119 MICHELIN-recommended establishments | Shutterstock Here is the full list of the 19 restaurants in the guide this year: Three stars — Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey. FZN by by Bjorn Frantzen Trèsind Studio Two stars — Excellent cooking, worth a detour Il Ristorante- Niko Romito (retained) STAY by Yannick Alléno (retained) Row on 45 (retained) One Michelin Star — high quality cooking, worth a stop 11 Woodfire (retained) Al Muntaha (retained) Hakkasan (retained) Höseki (retained) Ossiano (retained) Tasca by Jose Avillez (retained) Avatara (retained) Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (retained) Moonrise (retained) Smoked Room (retained) La Dame de Pic Dubai (retained) Orfali Brothers (retained) Manao (new) Jamavar (new) The Michelin Guide Dubai selection 2025 at a glance: 2 restaurants with Three Michelin Stars (1 Promotion, 1 New) 3 restaurants with Two Michelin Stars 14 restaurants with One Michelin Star (2 new) 3 restaurants with a Michelin Green Star 22 Bib Gourmand restaurants (5 new) 78 Michelin selected restaurants (15 new) A replay of The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony and other highlights is available on the official MICHELIN Guide Middle East Facebook page and the MICHELIN Guide Global YouTube channel - along with the full selection of The MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2025 on this website. Visit the MICHELIN Guide's official website, or download the MICHELIN Guide mobile app (iOS and Android), to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.
