Michelin Guide Lands In China, Shanghai Receives 31 Stars

Master chef of T'ang Court, Justin Tan (L) reacts on stage after the announcement of his three stars award of the Michelin Guide Shanghai on September 21, 2016. JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images

The first-ever mainland Chinese edition of the famed Michelin Guide landed in Shanghai on Wednesday, with a grand total of 31 stars being awarded to restaurants in China's financial capital.

Though Tokyo has ten times that many stars in total, the arrival of MICHELIN Guide Shanghai 2017 is a big deal for Shanghai, as it confirms the city's growing reputation as a culinary hot spot.

“The richness and quality of Shanghai’s culinary scene completely won us over. The city is an economic and cultural crossroads, and its gastronomy is the result of a strong culinary heritage which makes the dining scene very exciting,” Michael Ellis, international director of the Michelin guides, said.

Unlike in Hong Kong and Singapore, where street food vendors have managed to wangle their way into the esteemed Michelin constellation, Shanghai's list of starred restaurants were a uniformly higher-end contingent. This being said, dim sum restaurant Canton 8 became the world's least expensive restaurant to be awarded two stars.

The honor of being the only three-star restaurant in the city was awarded to T'ang Court, a Cantonese restaurant at Shanghai's Langham Hotel. This three-star effort equals that of its sister restaurant in Hong Kong, which has been a regular in the Hong Kong Michelin guide.

Another Hong Kong import to find Michelin starred success with their Shanghai outpost was 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, though the Shanghai restaurant's two stars didn't quite match the three stars awarded to the Hong Kong original. 

French chef Paul Pairet's acclaimed Ultraviolet was also awarded two stars. First opened in 2012, the restaurant is a multi-sensory dining experience that includes a light show, course-themed music, and diners’ names projected on the table, and the prix fixe menu runs to 3,000 yuan a head (or $450 at current exchange).

In total Shanghai now boasts one three Michelin starred restaurant, seven two-starred restaurants and 16 one-star establishments.

I am an Australian-born, Shanghai-based writer who has been covering China's economy, consumers, travel, fashion, art and design scene for the best part of a decade. Bef...