The Mandarin Oriental chefs’ guide to Michelin stars

By MO Magazine

February 20, 2023

We stepped into the kitchen with just a few of the hotel group’s celebrated chefs to find out what it really takes to win a Michelin star – and what it feels like to earn one.

When the Michelin brothers created their restaurant guide in 1900, there was no way they could have known their name would come to be associated with the fanciest of fine dining well over a century later. At the time of writing, Mandarin Oriental has 14 Michelin-starred restaurants, including more two-starred restaurants than any other hotel group. We asked some of the Group’s chefs about their experience of vying for – and winning – the much-coveted star.

Luigi Stinga, Abu Dhabi

“It was such an amazing feeling to win Talea’s first Michelin star in 2022 – I really didn’t expect it, because I had won Michelin’s Young Chef Award earlier that evening. To then receive the star for Talea, it was just so emotional. When we were preparing for the inspection, we tried to offer dishes that you’d only find at Talea, while keeping traditional Italian flavour profiles at their heart. For instance, with our classic tiramisu dish, we were a little more technical in the way we prepared it to make it as light as possible – we use just a few ingredients, and serve it à la minute, at the table. When we won the Michelin star, the director told me to keep innovating and iterating, and that’s what I plan to do.”

Luigi Stinga is Executive Chef at Talea by Antonio Guida, Abu Dhabi

Thierry Marx, Paris

“The idea for Sur Mesure Par Thierry Marx was a calm, white space where there is no notion of time. Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, who conceived the space, took inspiration from haute couture. We worked together for a year before the opening, including creating unique tableware: cutlery, plates, glasses and napkins were designed and customised for this restaurant. Getting Michelin stars has always been a dream for me and even though I already had won several in the past, getting two at Mandarin Oriental, Paris was very special as it was one of my priorities when I joined the group. I keep challenging my teams so that we can reach perfection for each service, every day.”

Thierry Marx is Executive Chef and Director of Food & Beverage at Mandarin Oriental, Paris

Huang Jinghui, Guangzhou

“I’ve worked at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou since its pre-opening ten years ago. You aren’t told when the Michelin inspectors will come, so maintaining the absolute apex of quality and service has to be standard. Our menus take care to show off the refinement of Cantonese cuisine in novel and inventive ways, so we were thrilled when we learned that we’d won two Michelin stars in 2019 and were the only restaurant in Guangzhou to have done so. And we’ve kept up the good work since then, maintaining each star. Winning the stars was definitely a career highlight, but not the only one. To me, working in high-end gastronomy isn’t just about the recognition, it opens up new opportunities to challenge yourself and constantly strive to be better.”

Huang Jinghui is Executive Chinese Chef at Jiang by Chef Fei at Mandarin Oriental, Guangzhou

Tony Lu, Shanghai

“To me, the restaurant environment and the menu are not two separate things; the design will influence the diner’s appetite. Our designer had already decided the interiors when I started to think about cuisine for a diner walking into Yong Yi Ting– what appetite are they arriving with? The first Michelin guide to Shanghai was released in 2016, and we were invited to the press conference, without knowing the results. It was very exciting. Michelin only allows one or two people to attend, but the whole team gathered at the restaurant to watch online. They were all waiting to welcome me back and open the champagne. There is no one who can tell you how to win a Michelin star. Every year we have to work very hard to get everything right, but without knowing any of the rules. After all these years, it’s still a mystery.”

Tony Lu is Chef Consultant at Yong Yi Ting Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai

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