A single customer requests a table rather than a seat at the bar. During their meal, they knock a fork onto the floor. In a brief conversation with their server, they mention visiting from another state. Usually, this wouldn’t be a big deal. Even when the guest breaks out their phone to take photos of every dish. But just as the globally revered Michelin Guide approached its century anniversary, it announced in December that it would, for the first time, produce a book that includes Arizona restaurants. Since then, these tiny interactions — or possible tells? — have Valley chefs and restaurant staff wondering whether their customer could be an inspector with the power to change their lives forever. Phoenix New Times spoke with some of the most decorated chefs in the Valley to ask about this new pressure. The Michelin Guide, chefs say, will augment a dining scene still working to prove it belongs among the nation’s best. The chefs also told us they’re approaching their jobs with a newfound sense of anxiety. “It’s every chef’s dream to achieve a Michelin star because it’s a complete team effort and everyone’s work is given a star — it doesn’t just go to the chef,” says Cory Oppold, chef and owner of Scottsdale restaurant COURSE. “As a team, we are all very excited. And scared shitless at the same time.” Michelin’s new guide is regional, and may include restaurants from Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. An excep- tional restaurant could receive one, two or three stars. Fewer than 300 restaurants in the United States have any Michelin stars, and about 80% of those have a single star. Currently, 40 U.S. restaurants have two stars. A mere 14 have three. All of those restaurants live with the rational fear that the guide could revoke their stars in future editions. In March, the Arizona Office of Tourism told New Times that Michelin will announce its Southwest ratings in August, likely in Las Vegas. However, that was walked back and a date and location has not been officially confirmed, per a Michelin Guide representative. The sense of anticipation, and the possi- bility of an inspector sitting down to eat, have Valley chefs and restaurant staff oper- ating at the top of their game, just in case. Customers may reap the benefits of this new atmosphere. But the added pressure can come at a price. “Would I say no to being recognized? No, of course not. But be careful what you wish for,” says Lori Hashimoto, chef and owner of Phoenix’s Hana Japanese Eatery and 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist. “You might become something else, and that may not be who you want to be.” GOSSIP GRIPS VALLEY CHEFS Chef Nigel Lobo’s fascination with Michelin began when he was growing up in Dubai. He researched how inspectors, charged with determining which restaurants should earn a coveted Michelin star, do their jobs. After 17 years in the industry and working in some of the world’s top kitchens, Lobo is now Indibar’s group executive chef. He knows that conditions evolve — and this includes the once tell- tale signs that an inspector is in the house. Asking detailed questions about the dishes, requesting a list of allergy accom- modations and dropping utensils (to see how long it takes staff to pick them up), Lobo says, may not be an indication of anything other than thoughtfulness or clumsiness. Inspectors aim to dine as any other patron would, without perks or special treatment that could compromise the rigorous rating process. “They have become good at presenting as normal guests,” says Lobo, whose Paradise Valley restaurant received a James Beard Award semifinalist nod earlier this year. “They know how to blend in.” That hasn’t kept chefs and restaurateurs from trying to sniff them out. Historically, inspectors dined alone. They’re always from out of state or from abroad. They’re not chatty. So the staff tries to strike up a short conversation to deter- mine where a guest may be from, why they’re in town, and which other restau- rants they have visited. Recently, a customer made the rounds who was thought to have made reservations under different names. A group text chain shared by Valley chefs started to pop off. Ivan Jacobo, the chef and owner of Anhelo in Old Town Scottsdale, says chefs in the group chat keenly watch single diners at tables of their own. “Ever since the announcement, we have noticed more solo diners,” Jacobo says. “But that could be us tricking ourselves into thinking solo diners are coming.” Oppold is familiar with the chef text chain. While many pay close attention to parties of one, Oppold has expanded his focus. “I heard that they tend to arrive in pairs or parties of three,” says Oppold. “That way, each guest can order different parts of the menu. One may get the wine pairing while the other goes for cocktails.” Oppold isn’t sure whether an inspector has visited his fine-dining, tasting-menu- only restaurant because he wasn’t certain COURSE would be on Michelin’s radar. He does believe inspectors started visiting Phoenix before the guide announcement five months ago. At Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine in Chandler, co-founder Madhavi Reddy says guests constantly assure her that her restaurant is on Michelin’s radar. But she doesn’t know whether an inspector has visited. The restaurant was co-founded by chef Sujan Sarkar, who is one of three Indian chefs to previously helm a Michelin-starred restaurant. “The team is very closely watching,” Reddy says. “But we haven’t obviously seen anything.” It’s a different story at Kai, the signature restaurant at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass on the Gila River Indian Community. As of early April, general manager Jeremy Stulak believes inspectors have dined there four times. He also believes “on good authority” that the Michelin cere- mony will likely be in August or September. Kai is Arizona’s only AAA Five Diamond restaurant and is in its 18th year of earning a Forbes Five Star rating. Other local general managers have reached out to Stulak to ask what they should be looking for. His response? “Everything.” “With Forbes and AAA, you almost develop this spidey sense,” Stulak says. “A lot of the pressure comes when the paranoia creeps in because you haven’t done it before.” Drew Anderson, the chef de cuisine at Kai, says he believes inspectors will visit a restaurant at least three times to determine consistency and also to experience any menu changes due to the seasons or chef’s whims. Previous or potential future visits don’t affect how the kitchen is run, the chef says. Chef Cory Oppold opened his Scottsdale tasting menu-only restaurant COURSE in 2023. (COURSE) COURSE’s recent winter tasting menu featured elk striploin, Merlin beets, purple Peruvian potato, huckleberry and edible star flower. (COURSE) With the Michelin Guide Arizona-bound, the chance to earn a star piles pressure on Valley chefs. Star Struck BY GEORGANN YARA (Scott Wintrow/Stringer/Getty)
