Magazine B Issue 56 (Michelin Guide) is available now at LOREM (not Ipsum). Conceived in France in 1900 by tire company Michelin to encourage automobile traveling and thus the sales of Michelin tires, restaurant guidebook Michelin Guide has been a leader in popularizing gourmet culture for over a century. Preserving tradition while inspiring young chefs and providing a consistent reference point for diners of all backgrounds, the Michelin Guide today serves as the premier arbiter of restaurants, sparking media excitement and frenzy in cities worldwide.
Every time I plan a trip, I tell myself, “On this trip, I’m just going to relax and rest and not think about anything at all.” But this never happens. Maybe it’s the line of work I’m in, but I can’t see something new or interesting or impressive and simply pass it by. If it’s food that beckons, drawing the line is even harder. Armed with a long list of restaurants to visit within a limited period of time, I will find myself trying to squeeze in five or six meals a day. I’m sure others who travel for the food have experienced being caught in this happy predicament. Such is the emotional and physical power of food—it moves us, amplifies our senses and connects us to those with whom we can share this experience. Gastronomy, then, goes beyond carefully prepared dishes. The broader culture of enjoying such dishes is what good food is all about.
In this edition of Magazine B, we look at the Michelin Guide, the pioneer behind the popularization of quality dining. For over a century, the Michelin Guide has introduced and evaluated major restaurants around the world using its starring system. It was created by the Michelin brothers, who owned a small tire manufacturing company in a small city in France, to encourage travel by car. The starring system was officially adopted in 1933, and the makers of the Michelin Guide have continued to review restaurants in line with rigorous internal standards. The Michelin Guide has long been regarded as the bible of culinary travel: every year countless chefs await the annual Michelin Guide results like students waiting to hear university admissions results. Restaurants that earn the coveted three- star rating become must-visit destinations for enthusiastic gourmands. The enduring authority of the Michelin Guide, peerless in the restaurant industry, is all the more fascinating considering Michelin is a tire maker by trade. Most restaurant reviews are written up by food-related magazines, associations or brands. Michelin’s business is thus utterly unique. The company enlists the services of critics whose identities are kept strictly anonymous and covers the costs of travel expenses and meals. This allows for objectivity and a purity of approach that distinguishes Michelin’s reviews from those of reputation- minded critics or self-important media outlets.
Magazine B is an ad-less monthly publication that introduces one well-balanced brand unearthed from around the globe in each issue. Between its covers, Magazine B not only shares untold stories behind the brand but also its sentiment and culture that any readers interested in brand marketing and management can leaf through with ease. Magazine B attempts to discover truly good brands from today’s market where countless brand-named products are overflowing. Magazine B pursues its quest for true value of a printed medium by becoming a magazine that would be worth possessing, not affected by advertisements since it receives no financial support from the brand, and maintains a unique and independent perspective which is increasingly disappearing due to overflowing information mingled among different media outlets.
Magazine B dedicates each issue to the story of one specific brand, which is one of the well-balanced brands that JOH. discovers from around the world based on four standards: beauty, practicality, price, and philosophy. And each issue is packed with B’s unique insights and in-depth analysis. Magazine B will continue to search brands that it pursues to introduce cover-to-cover, such as Swiss recycled bag manufacturer Freitag and Japanese camping gear maker Snow Peak.
Content
EDITOR’S LETTER
HEADLINE
Media coverage of the Michelin Guide over the years
FEED
Michelin-starred restaurants as seen on Instagram
OPINION
Food critic Franck Pinay-Rabaroust
A TABLE AT LE GRAND VEFOUR
The epitome of French haute cuisine
A TABLE AT NAKAMURA
Where Japanese cuisine becomes the consummate work of art
SPECIAL JOURNEY
The signature dishes of Michelin-starred chefs
OPINION
Michelin-starred chef Tim Raue
TRENDS OF THE DECADE
Ten years of culinary trends in six keywords
COUNTER-SCENE
The broader, more diversified culinary scene
OPINION
Bumsoo Kim, Lifestyle creative director, E-Mart Inc.
A MOVEABLE FEAST
Travel destinations made memorable by food
SECOND THOUGHTS
The growing lineup of restaurant review platforms and providers
A NEW GOURMET ROUTE
Four foodies and their recommended culinary tours
BRAND STORY
Michelin’s origins and legacy
GUIDE
How to use the Michelin Guide
INSPECTORS
The players at work behind the scenes
ORIGIN
Michelin tires and the Michelin Man
INSIDE JOB
The insiders who bring the guide to life
UPS AND DOWNS
Stories surrounding the Michelin stars
FIGURES
Details: Magazine B – Issue 56 (Michelin Guide)
240 x 170 mm, 132 pages
