如果一位大廚想要獲得他人對其菜肴的認可，最好的方法之一就是獲得一顆 “Michelin star（米其林星）”。米其林星級是餐廳能夠獲得的最有名的獎項之一。雖然米其林指南公佈瞭其評分標準，但具體的評審過程和標準依然頗為神秘。本文淺談米其林星級神秘的餐廳評級制度。
詞匯：restaurants 餐廳
1 What do rubber tyres have to do with delicious food? The answer lies in the story of the Michelin brothers. French inventors Edouard and Andre Michelin created the Michelin tyre company in 1889 and transformed the travel industry. A few decades later, they began publishing a guide to highlight food in restaurants worth travelling for, which, of course, they’d need strong Michelin tyres to reach. Nowadays, the coveted Michelin star – an award given to only the world’s finest restaurants – is one of the culinary world’s highest accolades. But the rating system is somewhat shrouded in mystery.
2 The Michelin Guide itself says their inspectors take into account five criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and consistency both across the entire menu and over time. But the inspectors are anonymous, and chefs are always kept in the dark about when they are going to visit. “We’re never aware of the inspectors’ visit,” said Julia Sedefdjian, who became France’s youngest Michelin-starred chef at the age of 21. “If they introduce themselves, it’s only after they’ve eaten. And often – very often – they never introduce themselves at all.”
3 And how much does the overall ambience of a restaurant play into the ratings? Ideas vary. Chef Maxime Bouttier, who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants across France for 15 years, thinks details like white tablecloths and background piano music can help to tick boxes for inspectors. Despite this, Bouttier’s own restaurant doesn’t have tablecloths, and his clientele listen to ’80s rap while dining, yet his restaurant earnt a star less than a year after opening. The Michelin Guide says a Michelin star is awarded for the food on the plate, nothing else, and that the style and degree of formality have no bearing on the award whatsoever.
4 Michelin stars can make or break a chef’s culinary career. Earning one gives a chef more recognition, more table bookings and can allow them to raise their prices. But there’s also the risk of losing one, and with that comes a lot of pressure.
測驗與練習
一、根據文章內容選出正確的段落。
Which paragraph discusses the atmosphere of a restaurant?
二、根據文章內容選出正確的選項。
1. The Michelin brothers created a restaurant guide and then created a tyre business.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
2. Michelin stars are given to 300 restaurants per year.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
3. What makes the Michelin star rating system mysterious?
a. The Michelin Guide doesn’t share their scoring criteria.
b. The inspectors don’t say when they are going to visit the restaurant.
c. Chefs never find out who the inspectors are.
4. Chef Maxime Bouttier’s restaurant has white tablecloths and piano music playing.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
5. What does ‘one’ refer to in the following sentence in paragraph 4? Earning one gives a chef more recognition, more table bookings and can allow them to raise their prices.
a. a culinary career
b. a Michelin star
c. a plate of food
三、用下列單詞完成對本文的總結。
The Michelin star is a(n) 1) _______ that many chefs desire, but how they are awarded is 2) _______. Inspectors 3) _______ factors such as the quality of ingredients and the mastery of techniques – it has nothing 4) _______ the style or degree of formality of the restaurant. If chefs want recognition for their 5) _______ skills, one way to do that is to earn a Michelin star.
culinary
ambience
take into account
to do with
accolade
mastery
shrouded in mystery
（答案見詞匯表後）
詞匯表
to do with 和…有關
coveted 令人向往的，夢寐以求的
culinary 烹飪的
accolade 榮譽
shrouded in mystery 籠罩在神秘之中
take (something) into account 考慮、顧及（某事）
harmony 和諧
mastery 精湛
cuisine 烹飪，菜肴
keep (someone) in the dark 對（某人）保密
ambience 環境氛圍
play into 影響，對…有作用
tick boxes 打勾，勾選
clientele 顧客群體，客戶群體
no bearing 沒有影響或意義
make or break 影響…的成敗
答案
一、根據文章內容選出正確的段落。
Which paragraph discusses the atmosphere of a restaurant?
Paragraph 3. And how much does the overall ambience of a restaurant play into the ratings?
二、根據文章內容選出正確的選項。
1. b. False. The Michelin brothers created a tyre business and then created a restaurant guide.
2. c. Not given. How many Michelin stars are given is not mentioned in the article.
3. b. Chefs are always kept in the dark about when they are going to visit.
4. b. False. Bouttier’s own restaurant doesn’t have tablecloths, and his clientele listen to ’80s rap while dining.
5. b. ‘One’ refers to back to the previous sentence. ‘Michelin stars can make or break a chef’s culinary career.’
三、用下列單詞完成對本文的總結。
The Michelin star is an accolade that many chefs desire, but how they are awarded is shrouded in mystery. Inspectors take into account factors such as the quality of ingredients and the mastery of techniques – it has nothing to do with the style or degree of formality of the restaurant. If chefs want recognition for their culinary skills, one way to do that is to earn a Michelin star.
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