The following is a Facebook post by Dr Leslie Tay a food blogger who writes at ‘ieatishootipost‘.
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The inclusion of Hong Heng Fried Sotong Mee in the Bib Gourmand list came as quite a surprise to a lot of people. Not least to myself who have written extensively about the dish. I thought that I had every famous Hokkien Mee covered already, but instead of picking the really famous ones like Geylang Lor 29 Hokkien Mee Nam Sing Hokkien Mee, they picked one that has escaped my foodie radar for the last ten years!
Read the whole story at http://bit.ly/ieatHongHeng
Postscript:
1. Many people have been expressing their concerns about long queues, lowering of standards and increased prices of the award winners. I too have these concerns. However, do spare a thought for the hawkers who have laboured so long to provide cheap and good food for us. Let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture and ask not how the Michelin Guide will affect you, but ask how it will benefit the hawkers, the chefs and Singapore as a whole. We have the ambition to become the culinary centre of Asia and this is a significant milestone along the path to that goal. Let’s consider how the Michelin Stars might play a part in preserving our hawker heritage in the long term rather than how it will affect our own pockets and conveniences in the short term. This is our hawkers’ finest hour, let’s not rob them of their well deserved honour!
2. Many people have asked if the inspectors are even qualified to assess our local food. Well, let those of us who have not reviewed or have any opinons on Japanese, Italian or any other foreign cuisines be the first to cast the first stone. If we feel the inspectors have no right to assess our food, then it immediately disqualifies us from giving our own opinions on other cuisines. I recently made a trip to Taiwan and Japan and wrote my review about the food that I ate. When my readers read what I have to say, they know it comes from the point of view of a Singaporean. Am I an expert in Japanese and Taiwanese food? Of course not! If I were to complain about the inspectors not knowing enough about local food to give their reviews, then I really have no business travelling overseas or even offering my own opinions on foreign cuisines. So, do bear this in mind before you say something that could shoot yourself in the foot.
In the same way, when you read the Michelin Guide reviews, just know that these are professionals who take their job very seriously. They do this full time and they travel all over the world to eat. When they review our food, that is the background that they are assessing it on. They are not representing the 3-4 million Singaporeans, but the 7 billion people from all over the world of which some may decide to visit our little red dot. Let us show some Singaporean hospitality and graciousness and welcome the world to our shores, shall we?