The Michelin one stars are defined as "a quality restaurant that stands out from others in the same category of comfort", whereby the category of comfort is rated using between 1 and 5 fork and spoons. My conclusion is, one shouldn't really compare a one star gastropub (such as the Spotted Pig) with the star of more upscale places (such as Babbo). If you look to the European Michelin guides, one also finds simple gastropubs, trattorias, or bistros with a one-star rating which is not necessarily comparable to a star awarded to luxury places. However, when it comes to Michelin's claim that the stars are awarded regardless of style of cuisine and level of comfort, this is simply not true. That stars are awarded regardless of the level of comfort is an outright contradiction to their own definition of one-star places, which requires that the restaurant stands out from others in the same category of comfort. To the claim that stars are awarded regardless of the style of cuisine, I would respond that the Michelin inspectors are not, and cannot be, qualified to judge asian food. Admittedly, from time to time an asian restaurant receives a star. But Michelin inspectors are usually european cooks by education which are necessarily indoctrinated by a certain style of cuisine, and therefore incapable of justly assessing other types of food. My guess is that no sushi restaurant in Tokyo, or the whole of Japan, would be awarded three stars by the Michelin inspectors. The Michelin guide thus is, at most, a dependable guide for styles of cuisine originating in Europe, and in particular, in France.
