Real-life drama unfolds as some of the world’s top chefs vie for an all-important Michelin star in Knife Edge
Whether you are a patron of fine dining or just a fan of Emily in Paris, the following thought surely has crossed your mind: Who are these mysterious food critics that rate restaurants for the Michelin Guide? For the first time ever, answers will be given, in Gordon Ramsay-produced documentary series Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars. The series follows elite chefs from around the world, in establishments from New York to Stockholm, as they pursue those sacred stars, and gives viewers a glimpse into the thought process of the elusive inspectors that determine the fate of their restaurants.
Series host Jesse Burgess can’t quite believe the access they were granted for the purpose of the show. “I’ve heard that many TV production companies have tried to do this type of show with Michelin, but they are one of the most secretive agencies in the world and have been for 125 years,” he says. “This is a big deal.” So big a deal, in fact, that you still couldn’t recognize a single person being interviewed if you tried. “You don’t actually see them, the voices are manipulated and the way the interviews were conducted was on a Zoom call with no video,” explains Burgess. “Even our producers wouldn’t be able to identify these people in public.”
The people you want to recognize are the restaurateurs whose blood, sweat and tears ensure such unique dining experiences that they warrant that hard-fought accolade. “Each episode has these awesome human journeys,” says Burgess, who traveled the world looking not just for an exquisite meal, but a story behind the dish. “We had no way of knowing who was going to win a star,” says Burgess. “Effectively, the best stories made the show — and that’s regardless of whether they won a star, didn’t win a star or lost a star.” For Burgess, who describes himself as “your mate who’s a real foodie,” what touched him most was the dedication the people behind the institutions put in, even when it was ruining them financially. “I think there’s a common misconception, when you go to a restaurant and you pay a few hundred dollars to eat there, that the chef and everyone involved must be rich,” he says. “That is so far from the truth.”
The series highlights the true plight of keeping the doors to a restaurant open, and how a star can change the trajectory of an establishment, instantly raising their revenue. “This couple in Copenhagen basically poured everything they had into this restaurant and they try to get a Michelin star within three months. It is close to the knuckle for them,” teases Burgess. “I also really like the story of a chef cooking Mexican food in Chicago. His family is in Mexico and he’s in Chicago, just trying to win a Michelin star so that he can get his family visas and bring them to Chicago. There’s so much on the line for him: his wife, his kids, his livelihood, all his staff’s livelihoods. And his food was probably the best I had on the show.”
You also don’t have to be a cooking enthusiast to indulge in Knife Edge, says its host. “I think this show is for anyone who likes a good story,” says Burgess. “To be honest, I watch loads of sport documentaries and I have no interest in actually going to a sports game or playing the sport. This, too, is watching humans pushing themselves to achieve greatness. It is so emotional — at times joyous, at times stressful, at times sad.” In fact, you gain little from knowing your Thomas Kellers from your Daniel Bouluds. “We are not following the most famous chefs in the world,” adds Burgess. “This is about people that you probably would’ve never heard of. Knife Edge follows the first year Mexico ever had a Michelin awards [ceremony]. We also go to a restaurant in a very remote part of the Swedish forest, in an old sawmill, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve ever seen in my life. There really is a broad spectrum to this.”
As many still view Michelin star restaurants as serving expensive smears on plates, the series intends to broaden the perspective of what these establishments can look like. “Very few places that we feature have white tablecloths. Most of the restaurants have open kitchens. It is very similar to a more casual dining experience these days than it was 40 years ago,” says Burgess. “You say they’re not hangout meals — they can be. In the Michelin race in Mexico – we didn’t film here but we really wish we did — a humble taco hole in the wall won a Michelin star. These inspectors are truly there to judge the food on the plate.”
Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, begins streaming Friday, December 5, on Apple TV