Restaurant sues Michelin for including it in acclaimed food guide
‘It is humiliating to see my restaurant given a rating in that unwholesome book,’ says chef
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Your support makes all the difference.A chef in South Korea is suing Michelin for including his restaurant in its Seoul Guide against his will.
While for many chefs being recommended by the acclaimed restaurant guide would be a dream come true, Eo Yun-gwon feels very differently.
The chef, who owns Ristorante Eo in Seoul, has lodged a “public insult” criminal complaint against Michelin Travel Partner (the company behind the Michelin guides).
He called the inclusion of his restaurant “defamatory” after requesting that it not be featured.
Writing in a Facebook post, Mr Eo said of Michelin: “Like a ghost, they did not have a contact number and I was only able to get in touch through email.
“Although I clearly refused, they included my restaurant this year as well.”
He takes umbrage with the unclear criteria by which Michelin judges restaurants, writing in another social media post that there are thousands of restaurants in Seoul “on the same level or better and more honest” than those included in the Michelin Guide.
“It is humiliating to see my restaurant given a rating in that unwholesome book,” Yun-gwon told CNN.
He called the Michelin Guide “the cruellest test in the world”, saying that it forces chefs to spend the year waiting for a test without being able to prepare or know when it’s coming.
If found guilty, Michelin Travel Partner would have to cough up damages of between 500,000 won (£330) and 3m won (£1,980).
However, it seems unlikely he’ll win, given that public insult complaints normally have to consist of an “insulting statement that would cut down one’s social standing” to be upheld.
On the contrary, the Michelin Guide says ”that Chef Eo Yun-gwon, who developed his culinary skills in Milan, delivers highly accomplished modern Italian cuisine through two set menus. Each dish clearly demonstrates his insight into the integrity and simplicity of Italian cooking.”
The Independent has asked Michelin for comment.
It follows a French restaurateur asking that his two-Michelin-starred restaurant be removed from the Michelin Guide after he lost a star following an inspection.
Marc Veyrat, chef of La Maison des Bois in Manigod, France, used to have the impressive distinction of having a three-Michelin-starred restaurant.
However, in the 2019 Michelin Guide to France, the restaurant was demoted a star, prompting Veyrat to write a letter in which he denounced the guide’s decision.
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