My Thoughts on Stars and Service

Thank you to those of you who’ve offered congratulations on the Michelin stars I received last week. Some people have asked me whether I care about the stars. The answer is yes—I absolutely do. It’s not just about the prestige or the business they generate, it’s that they reflect the standards to which I hold my restaurants. I want to pamper and please everyone that walks into one of my restaurants, and the stars are just one way of letting me know that I am—or am not—doing that.

To dispel any rumors, I can tell you right now that I don’t know the identities of the six Michelin reviewers. (And yes, I’ve tried to figure out who they are.) Like any other chef, though, I can discuss the ratings with Michelin, and I have. When JoJo lost its star last year, I asked them why. They said the reviewers reported inconsistency with the food—in particular, improper seasoning and overcooked fish—and a crowded entryway to the dining area. I worked with the chefs and managers to find solutions to these problems and to implement them swiftly and consistently. We fought hard to win our star back, and I’m so glad we did.

That’s probably my favorite aspect of the Michelin star system and other annual reviews like the Zagat guide. They give me a chance to try harder if a restaurant has faltered in a given year. If I get a bad restaurant review from a critic, I’m stuck with it forever. (The same is true of reviews from online sites and food bloggers.) Needless to say, the countless critics out there make my job very difficult, but I really appreciate the work they do. It keeps me on my toes.

I’m in this business because I love cooking (more on that next week) and making people happy. I’m very lucky to have front-of-the-house staff who share the same standards of hospitality. Just in my New York restaurants, I have over 1,000 employees, and each of them represents me to some degree. Obviously I can’t be at every restaurant all the time, so to ensure quality, I focus on hiring, training, and retaining the very best staff.

I will always hire a nice person with no experience over a not-so-nice person with lots of four-star experience. I can teach anyone how to serve properly, but I can’t teach someone how to smile. My managers make sure the servers have mastered both explaining the dishes and a friendly, professional style of service so that they can keep smiling even if they are in bad moods or have difficult customers.

Obviously, running a restaurant dining room is a lot more complicated than my brief description above. But the most important thing to me is true hospitality. Even though my restaurants are all different, each should make diners feel valued and welcome. We are all there to please and serve, from the person who answers the phone to the to the one who clears the table.

I feel the same way about entertaining at home, where I always want my guests to feel comfortable and happy. One way to be both a good host and a good home cook is to prepare dishes that can be made ahead of time. My latest cookbook, which is coming out next week, has recipes for many such dishes. One of my favorites is Soy-Cured Salmon, Asian Pear, and Cilantro Crème Fraîche.

Since a lot more people dine in my restaurants than in my home, I’m curious to know what you’ve liked and not liked. How can I make your next experience at one of my restaurants even better than your last?