Does Mandarin Have a Michelin Star?

The Michelin Guide is a restaurant guidebook that has been awarding its coveted stars to restaurants all over the world for over a century. It is an internationally-recognised symbol of culinary excellence and has become a gold standard for judging the quality of fine dining establishments. But does Mandarin, one of the world’s oldest and most popular cuisines, have any Michelin Star-rated restaurants?

The answer is yes, it does.

In 2019, the Michelin Guide launched its first guide to Hong Kong and Macau. Three restaurants in Hong Kong received two stars each, while seven restaurants in Macau received one star each. Of those ten restaurants, five serve Chinese cuisine—the highest concentration of Michelin-starred Chinese restaurants in the world.

The five Chinese restaurants are: The Chairman (two stars), 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana (two stars), Yan Toh Heen (one star), Lung King Heen (one star) and Golden Flower (one star). All five of these establishments serve either Cantonese or Mandarin cuisine, or both. The Chairman and 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana both specialize in Northern Italian food with a focus on Chinese ingredients.

The Michelin Guide has also awarded one star each to three more restaurants serving Chinese cuisine—Tim Ho Wan, Golden Pavilion and Lei Garden—in its 2020 edition of the Hong Kong & Macau guide. The three starred establishments serve dim sum as well as Cantonese and Mandarin dishes.

Conclusion:

Yes, Mandarin does have some Michelin Star-rated restaurants. Five such establishments were awarded one or two stars in the 2019 edition of the Hong Kong & Macau guide by the Michelin Guide, with three more added in 2020. These eight starred restaurants serve either Cantonese or Mandarin cuisine, or both.