CHICAGO, Sept 27 — After eight years of being snubbed by the Michelin guides, celebrity chef Grant Achatz’s Chicago restaurant Next, which changes menus every four months, has unlocked its first Michelin star.

In the latest edition of the Michelin dining guide for Chicago 2020, Next is one of five new restaurants in the city to earn its first star.

When it opened in 2011, Next restaurant was one of the hottest tickets in town (quite literally, as diners have to pay for their "meal ticket” in advance), thanks to the star power of its chef-owner Achatz, and the innovative concept: the restaurant theme and menu undergo a complete overhaul every four months.

"Our inspectors have frequented Next for several years and are thrilled to recognise it with a star in the 2020 Michelin Guide,” international director Gwendal Poullennec said in a statement. "The menu delivers a fresh experience, and the food is consistently high-quality and worthy of recognition.”

Interestingly, Next is the only non-Japanese restaurant of the new Michelin-starred bunch, as the remaining four addresses all fall into fine Japanese dining category and are likewise all located in the West Loop: Kikko, Mako, Omakase Yume and Yugen.

"Our inspectors are especially impressed by the high-end Japanese cuisine available in the West Loop,” Poullennec added.

Achatz’s restaurant Alinea remains the only three-starred restaurant in Chicago.

Overall, the Michelin guide Chicago 2020 features three restaurants with two stars; 21 restaurants with one star; and 54 Bib Gourmand addresses which represent good value eats.

Three stars denote exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey; two stars denote excellent cuisine, worth a detour; and one star represents high-quality cooking, worth a stop. — AFP-Relaxnews