Now it’s Michelin season again and we’ve been watching the ceremony closely for our readers along with many other restaurants. An emotional and successful evening with many stars being distributed to hard working chefs and their restaurants. Next to the 1, 2 and 3 Michelin stars, the event additionally gives out different kinds of Awards for example the Young Chef Award, The Mentor Chef Award, and the Sommelier Award. Recently Michelin presented a new star among the sky, the Green Stars. Invented in 2020, the Green Star awards restaurants that show an outstanding awareness for its products and their origins. This year the Michelin stars rained in particular over Germany, who never received as many stars as this year. 340 red metal plaques have been handed out this year and one of them went to our capital city Berlin. Having never received a star, Neumann und Klee was overwhelmed when receiving their first. We want to have a closer look into it so it's our honor to present to you the Michelin Awards 2024.
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Yes, and No. We love the history behind the Michelin Guide since it is quite unusual, which makes it so worth mentioning to anyone who thinks of tires. Michelin was originally an automobile company founded by Andre and Edouard Michelin, two French industrialists who exchanged tires and repaired cars. They handed out maps for free to their customers on how to repair a tire. It also was meant to show their customers which restaurant in France is worth the drive and worth their tires. In 1920 the brothers rebranded their guide because of huge demand and sold it for 7 francs. The original award was only a single star but in 1931 the rating system expanded to three stars. Until today the Michelin Award is the most common Award for restaurants of all kinds. It follows five criteria that must be respected: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef towards his cuisine and the consistency of the menu.
Fun fact, it doesn’t have to be a gastronomy restaurant as people think, any restaurant can receive a star, however the Michelin Guide needs to receive some kind of attention to the restaurant, either through the restaurant itself or over their readers.
Before talking about this year's awards, let's make a recap of the already existing Michelin stars in Germany. There are 10 three Michelin star restaurants in Germany, from which Rutz is the only one that is located in Berlin. Chef Marco Müller has guarded his stars for four years now and until today doesn’t disappoint in excellence and consistency. Five out of 50 restaurants have received two Michelin stars in Berlin and 16 out of 279 restaurants in Berlin have received one Michelin star over the years.
Now there is one restaurant we want to talk about in particular, since it's the only restaurant that has received a star at this year's Michelin Awards. Hallmann und Klee has been around since 2016 and was originally a breakfast spot. Located in Neukölln at the Böhmischen Platz, Sarah Hallmann is one of the first who turned a breakfast diner into a fine dining experience. An honest but good kitchen is what Neumann und Klee is goaling for. At first glance the restaurant appears rather simple with an uneventful table setting and basic wooden chairs. This restaurant has done a 180 degree change yet kept the refreshing atmosphere and the normality that often lacks in a fine dining restaurant. Or how Sarah put it at the ceremony. I aged and so did my restaurant. But a good atmosphere has always been the key for our success.
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