The Michelin Guide made a full-throated return to an in-house awards presentation today (April 26), marking the first time in three years since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking place at the Grand Lisboa Macau, the 15th edition was headlined by the announcement of 11 new one-star restaurants, 3 new two-star restaurants, and 1 addition to the three-star roster.

Among the newly minted one-starred restaurants were a number of long-overdue omissions, such as Kappo Rin, Godenya and Neighborhood; while pandemic-era openings like Estro, Noi and The Demon Celebrity were also included. The Chairman was re-awarded one star following its move from Kau U Fong to its new home in The Wellington. Aaharn, chef David Thompson's only outpost in Hong Kong, was the sole venue to drop out of the Michelin rankings entirely; while we learnt shortly after the conclusion of the ceremony that D.H.K., a dim sum and Cantonese seafood restaurant in Wan Chai that was recognised with one star for the first time, had shuttered just the night before, with no representative on hand in Macau to accept the award plaque.

There was little change among the two-starred contingent: Lai Ching Heen was re-awarded two stars after its name change from Yan Toh Heen following the reopening of Regent Hong Kong, as was Bo Innovation, which moved last year from Wan Chai to Central. Rùn, the resident Chinese restaurant at St Regis Hong Kong, was the only one to gain a star in the traditional sense.

The three-starred cohort, which in the past has remained largely frozen (the last addition being Forum in 2020), saw a relative tidal wave of movement this year, with Ta Vie ascending to the acme of Michelin's ranking system just in time for its eight anniversary celebrations—a lucky number indeed. In less fortunate news, Lung King Heen— which became the first Chinese restaurant in the world to earn three Michelin stars in 2008—saw a conspicuous drop to two-star territory after a very respectable run of 15 years at the top.

Mora, the new soy-forward restaurant opened by Tatler Dining's 2023 Chef of the Year Vicky Lau, was the only new entrant to the Michelin Green Star category, no doubt in recognition of its efforts to push the soybean and its myriad low-impact food products into the realm of refined dining.

This year's edition saw the addition of individual awards such as the Sommelier Award, Service Award, and Young Chef Award, which were given for the first time in Hong Kong and Macau. The latter went to Hansik Goo's 31-year-old head chef, Steve Lee (who is due to partner with Jayson Ho of Man Ho Chinese Restaurant at our upcoming Tatler Dining Kitchen chapter), as the industry reckons with a critical labour shortage of chefs entering the kitchen—with The Chairman's Danny Yip calling the problem "truly, extremely bad".

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