First of all, special thanks to Exness, the company I work at, for giving me the opportunity.
Without the generous annual flight ticket/hotel allowance, I wouldn’t have an extra budget to eat at a 3 Michelin star restaurant.
This weekend, I’ll be flying after two years of hiatus. 2022 Summer holiday feels special because I managed to get a spot at a 3 Michelin restaurant in Paris 🤩🤩🤩
Of course, the process was full of sweat and determination. You literally have to be kiasu, FOMO, adopt a ‘can-do’ attitude, persistent, pray every day, and have a little bit of luck.
Or you can also get some tips from this blog post 😉
Why I’m Willing to Spend A Lot for 3 Michelin Star Dining Experience
Besides having an extra budget for my holiday, here are some reasons why I’m willing to spend a lot for 3 Michelin star dining experience:
- France is home of the Michelin-starred restaurants
- I may not visit France twice in my life, due to limited budget and time
- I don’t usually spend a lot on food. I often go for mixed rice or anything around RM20 (except when hanging out), so this time I want to pamper myself
- Unique experiences delight me
- France is home of the Michelin-starred restaurants (yes, I need to repeat this point)
In the hyperlink above, Michelin Guide states that France has 627 Michelin-starred restaurants in 2022. So, since I’ll be visitting Paris, I may as well aim high.
“The Michelin star is a hard-to-achieve culinary award that symbolizes the very best in cuisine which is considered worth consumers planning a trip to.”
tastingtable.com
According to the Institute of Culinary Education, one Michelin star means the awarded restaurants have fantastic menu and their food meet the high standard.
Two Michelin stars means the food is excellent and it’s worth to plan a visit.
Three Michelin stars, the highest award, means the awarded restaurants offer the very best cuisine, perfectly crafted dishes, and are “worth a special journey”.
Why I Didn’t Get a Spot at Guy Savoy, Paris
My first choice was Guy Savoy, but I didn’t get a spot. Well, I got it, but it slipped away because the timing wasn’t favourable and I took too long to think about it!
So here’s what happened:
Honestly, I’m happy that I didn’t get a spot at Guy Savoy because the 3 Michelin star restaurant that I would be dining at has a better location. Also, its tasting menu has a lesser amount of dishes (suitable for dinner) and costs lower.
Not forget to mention that the place has better lighting too — perfect for taking photos! 😊📸
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How I Managed to Get a Spot at a 3 Michelin star restaurant in Paris
Okaay… People say it’s better not to spill what you’re going to do until you did it. So, I feel like keeping the name of the 3 Michelin star restaurant that I’ll be visitting in Paris a secret (for now).
Hint: the first letter of the restaurant’s name is the same as the first letter of the chef’s name 👌🧑🍳
This is how you can get a spot at a 3 Michelin star restaurant:
1. Find out which restaurant suits you and your wallet
You can find any Michelin-starred restaurant here, by typing the name of the city you’ll be visitting in the search box.
Before you make a booking, find out which restaurant suits you the most — in terms of food, location, and budget.
For example, I found a restaurant that was awarded 3 Michelin stars and listed on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. So tempting, right? But after further research it served only vegetarian dishes.
Ouch, my wallet… 💸💸💸
2. Find out when you can make a booking
Each restaurant has its own rule. Some allows diners to book 2 months prior the visit date, some a few months before.
Find out when exactly you can make a booking.
Mark your calendar. Stick post-it notes at some places (home, office, car) as reminders.
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3. CALL the restaurant
Find out the time difference between the country you’re currently living and the country where the restaurant is located.
Find out what time the restaurant opens. Set an alarm and get your phone ready to make a call.
CALL . THE. RESTAURANT.
As I mentioned before, you have to be kiasu, FOMO, when it comes to getting a spot at 3 Michelin star restaurants.
You may be the first person who click the “send” button for online booking that day, but nobody knows when the person in charge will see it.
Remember, one phone call could shatter your 3 Michelin star restaurant dining dream. For example, the person who booked the whole restaurant at Guy Savoy for dinner…
4. Adopt a ‘can-do’ attitude
Actually, the 3 Michelin star restaurant that I managed to get a spot at didn’t indicate that it had a spot for 1 diner on its booking page. I couldn’t make an online booking.
But I refused to give up. I wanted to try my luck.
So, I sent them an email saying that I wanted to make a booking for 1 diner, on XX July or XX July.
To my surprise, they replied to my email and informed me that they still have a spot for one of the dates! 😇💖😇
I quickly called the restaurant to confirm my booking and replied to their email.
🌹🌹🌹 Voila! 🌹🌹🌹
Alright, friends, that’s how I managed to get a spot at a 3 Michelin star restaurant. I hope this blog post is helpful.
Last but not least, thank you, God, for blessing me through the place where I’m working at. You know that I love travelling hence You put me in a place that supports my passion. You’re simply THE BEST!!! 😇😇😇
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