Having been at the pinnacle of modern European cuisine for over a decade, The Fat Duck restaurant in England, is still a pioneering force in the culinary world thanks to its owner and head chef, Heston Blumenthal. So what puts this restaurant at the top of the pile?

Science and Cooking
After failing to gain employment in the kitchens of London, Blumenthal set himself the task of learning to cook and he began accumulating his knowledge and expertise on his travels to France. In 1995 he opened The Fat Duck in Bray, situated near Maidenhead..

Would you believe that in the world of European Michelin stars, Germany is now second on the list to France? Amazing but true. The world of fine dining in Germany has grown, such that 9 of its restaurants now hold the sought-after 3 Michelin stars.

Unadventurous cooking
Catching up with the French, who currently have 28 3-starred restaurants, has been a long time coming for the Germans, who have always held the stereotype among other Europeans as being a little un-adventurous when it comes to their kitchens. According to Juan Amador, owner of the Amador restaurant which has recently been awarded its third star, this about-turn in German cuisine has been quite a recent event..

In the world of haute-cuisine, it is a grand achievement for a chef to receive one or two Michelin Stars, and the absolute epitome of culinary excellence to achieve three. This week, however top chef Marco Pierre White launched an attack on the Guide claiming that it is "outdated" and has "varying standards" from country to country. He said, "I've dined in Michelin-starred places in New York and I'm confused. There are at least fifty restaurants in England as good as the two-star restaurants over there, rather than the paltry ten that currently hold..

Michelin has sensationally broken with tradition and showered Tokyo City with stars in its first guide to Japan. Tokyo now holds a total of 191 stars compared to only 42 for New York and 64 for Paris. According to Jean Luc Naret the Guide Director, the secret is in the number of true restaurants in each city. Tokyo has a staggering 8 times more restaurants than Paris..

Amador of Frankfurt famous for its Molecular Cuisine wins a 3 star endorsement in the latest Michelin guide. The Spanish restaurateur Juan Amador is particularly commended for developing his own style of MC, including Müritz lamb with coconut and curry says Jean-Luc Naret of Michelin. "Everything we make is basic on classical cuisine," says Chef Juan. "Even when we cook with modern..

The furore surrounding the new 2008 Michelin Guide for Los Angeles reached fever pitch last week when some over anxious chefs decided to raid the Michelin website in advance of the official announcements. Whether they hacked into the site, or obtained the information legitimately is unclear, but the whole of the Las Vegas and Los Angeles results were..

After opening only 11 months ago the New York Michelin Guide announces it has awarded Gordon Ramsay of 'The London' two stars in its first year making Ramsay one of only 6 establishments in the city to have two stars. Gordon Ramsay now claims that between all his various restaurant ventures he now has the largest total of Michelin Stars in the world; currently 12 stars..

Described as soft, shy and determined, Anne-Sophie Pic, 37, celebrates her award today of three Michelin Stars, the first of its kind to a woman in more than 50 years. Behind the award a touching story covering four generations of the Pic family. Just imagine, 4 generations! How many people do you know are still working in a business started by their great grandmother ?

We continue in part ll by shedding some light on exactly who inspects the Restaurants, their training , and how they are expected to work.
It is clear the organisation takes its role very seriously, and no restaurant will receive an award unless it has been visited multiple times by several different inspectors to ensure consistency of results. There are many other good guides now competing but none can boast such a thorough process

The Michelin Guide has had extraordinary success. This year it will celebrate it's 107th birthday. Originally distributed as a free guide, it was written for the adventurous french motorists of the time, to point out where they could get their often broken car repaired and which hotel to stay at in the meantime