Shanghai’s Taian Table closes a day after getting Michelin Star
by Olivia Tiboleng
@ 30 Sep 2016
A day after receiving a Michelin star, Taian Table, a western restaurant in Changning District, has been forced to shut down for operating without licenses.
The restaurant was run by Stefan Stiller, a German chef, since April.
Taian Table had neither business or catering license, the Changning District Market Supervision and Management Bureau said. Both licenses are required to operate a restaurant in the city.
The restaurant had applied for licenses in April, but as per regulations catering venues cannot be located in a residential building, bureau officials said.
The restaurant will move to a new location, and the bureau has ordered it to make a public a statement on the move, officials said.
Michelin said it only selects the best restaurants, and it does not consider whether the restaurants have licenses or not.
"The job of Michelin inspectors are tasting and judging food, and they never ask for any materials from restaurants," said Sun Yuan, a Michelin PR.
"Michelin guide is just restaurant recommendation, and anything related with restaurants' operation is none of our business," she said.
The restaurant owner confirmed in a message to Shanghai Daily that they were relocating "to a larger space where we can apply to all required licenses."
"Constructions and renovations are under progress. The new space will have a larger kitchen and we have more capabilities to work better and increase our quality," Stiller said.
"When my friend and business partner Ji Wen Yuan and I started this project early this year our idea and concept was to build a small place to entertain our friends and to have some foodies and chef friends around to create new and creative dishes.
"We certainly never intentionally planned to violate any rules, regulations and laws," he said.
A notice, dated yesterday, was posted on the entrance gate to the restaurant, telling the public that it would suspend business operation due to internal rectification.
The quality of ingredients, chef’s personality as revealed through cuisine, the preparation and combination of flavors, value for money and the ability to produce excellent cooking with consistency over time and across the entire menu are the five criteria sought after by Michelin inspectors.
The full menu at Taian Table with 14 courses costs 1,288 yuan (US$198) per person, and 10 courses 988 yuan.
The menu is seasonal and is updated on monthly bases, while the style of cooking is predominantly western fine-dining with an Asian touch, according to its English website.
The intimate dining venue located in the Former French Concession can seat up to 28 guests, according to the website.
