Ahead of the official launch of The MICHELIN Guide Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket & Phang-Nga 2021 on 16 December, Michelin today unveiled the 2021 Bib Gourmand selection, whereby 106 restaurants and street food establishments are featured. Out of the total number, 65 are located in Bangkok, 20 in Chiang Mai, 21 in Phuket & Phang-Nga. This year, 17 are joining the list for the first time (9 in Bangkok, 3 in Chiang Mai, 5 in Phuket & Phang-Nga), while 4 are promoted from the MICHELIN Plate (one from each provincial territory).
The Bib Gourmand distinction, symbolized by the famed 'Bibendum' or 'Michelin Man' licking his lips, recognizes eateries that offer quality cuisine carefully prepared and reasonably priced with very good value-for-money at a maximum of THB 1,000 (a three-course meal: starter, main course, and dessert - exclusive of beverage).
Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of MICHELIN Guides, revealed: "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic slowdown, we would especially like to boost the morale of restaurant professionals, continue to support the culinary industry, and encourage local foodies to embark on more foodventures - of course, within the parameters of current public health guidelines. Providing a combination of quality dishes and affordable prices, the Bib Gourmand establishments serve as the ideal dining solution for budget-savvy foodies, and play a significant part in keeping Thailand's culinary scene alive during these tough times."
In the soon-to-be-released fourth edition of The MICHELIN Guide for Thailand, the 17 new additions to the Bib Gourmand list include: - Bangkok, Burapa, a restaurant with the Orient Express theme that takes diners on a journey east-by-northeast to taste a unique, flavoursome cuisine that joins culinary elements from Isan and the province of Trat; Chang-Wang-Imm, a restaurant in a charming two-storey house built in 1957 on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, serving delicious wallet-friendly Thai cuisine that highlights traditional cooking techniques and flavours; and Phed Phed Bistro, a restaurant with the minimalist decor and wire mesh accents, focusing on comfort food made with quality ingredients; - Chiang Mai, Go Neng (Wichayanon), a street food establishment that has been around for more than three decades, specializing in deep-fried dough sticks, Pa Tong Go, that boast puffy perfection and crispy texture, uniquely shaped as crocodiles, dinosaurs, dragons, and elephants; - Phang-Nga, Hok Kee Lao, a Thai-Chinese restaurant beloved for decades for its delicious and affordable banquet-style food; and Tokola, a restaurant in lush gardens beside Khuekkhak beach, serving intensely-flavoured traditional and southern Thai dishes using locally sourced ingredients as well as ancient and original cooking methods; - Phuket, Salaloy, a casual Rawai Beach eatery, famous for a good selection of fresh seafood on the menu that are freshly cooked to order.
The 4 restaurants promoted from the MICHELIN Plate to Bib Gourmand are: - Bangkok, Somtum Khun Kan, a restaurant offering its famous Som Tam, plus a wide variety of authentic Thai and Thai-Isan dishes that are of high quality and great flavour; - Chiang Mai, Charoen Suan Aek, a restaurant well known and loved in the neighbourhood by both locals and visitors for a long time, with its authentic and boldly flavoured northern Thai dishes that rely on indigenous, seasonal ingredients; - Phang-Nga, Nai Mueang, an authentic Southern Thai restaurant featuring a charming retro ambience with old tin-mining memorabilia, record players, sewing machines and other nostalgic bric-a-brac; - Phuket, Tu Kab Khao, an elegant, atmospheric restaurant set in a grand Chino-Portuguese building, serving tasty Southern Thai cuisine with high-quality ingredients.
"By expanding the geographical scope of this year's selection, MICHELIN Guide inspectors found more eateries worthy of a Bib Gourmand rating. Thus, we would like to encourage local foodies to go on tasting ventures of their own, and discover by themselves - as our inspectors did - that Thailand is a true haven for good value, quality, and reasonably priced dining experience," concluded Mr. Poullennec.
About Michelin
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients' mobility, sustainably; designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its clients' needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has more than 127,000 employees and operates 69 tire production facilities which together produced around 200 million tires in 2019.