Marco Pierre White, who has returned 3 Michelin stars, says the guide is just a marketing vehicles

BENGALURU: Celebrity British chef Marco Pierre White couldn’t wait to return to India, five short months after his maiden visit to Mumbai. This time around, he chose Bengaluru. The original ‘bad boy’ of cooking says he can’t wait to explore the city’s food scene and is thankful for the it’s cooler weather.

The youngest chef to win three Michelin stars at 33, he famously handed them back at 38, and he couldn’t be happier. “What allows me to sit here today, in Bengaluru, chatting with you, is that I don’t have three stars anymore. When I had three stars, I never had any freedom. If I hadn’t given them back, I would have been behind the stove at all times” he says. Marco was here to host a two-day gourmet festival.

Marco has often spoken out against the coveted Michelin guide, even refusing its inspectors permission to visit his latest restaurant in Singapore. “I’m not a critic of the guide, but I don’t want to be judged by people who have less knowledge than me. I’m not that insecure.”


The oldest European hotel and restaurant reference guide, Michelin awards up to three stars for excellence to a select few establishments. However, Marco says that earlier, the stars used to mean something. “Now, it’s just a marketing vehicle.” Traditionally, only a Michelin inspector from France could award stars, after receiving recommendations from inspectors across Europe. This meant consistency. “Now, when I go to Michelin star restaurants around the world, they are a joke,” he says.

Ask Marco why India hasn’t really made mark as a Michelin star restaurant destination, he reiterates: “Do you really want to strive to impress someone who has less knowledge than you? If yes, then good luck. What you need to understand is that Michelin is in the business of selling tyres and they use the guide as a vehicle to sell them.”

Indian food does not need to limit itself to winning Michelin stars, given how much it has evolved on its own all over the world, he says. While Marco doesn’t quite pin point his favourite Indian dish, he says outside of India, the UK probably serves the best Indian fare. “It’s got a lot better over the years, too. Thirty years ago, Indian restaurants in England were very simple, the food was simple. Now, there’s a level of sophistication.” And has it evolved from chicken tikka masala? “Yes, it has. But they do love their chicken tikka masala there!” he says with a laugh.

He also laments that chefs spend too much time making food look pretty, not delicious. “All the time taken for presentation also affects the temperature of the food. It’s tepid by the time it reaches the table, it’s no good then. Also, the portions are so tiny, almost like canapés. They bore me.” Marco’s advice is simple: let food be herself. “Nature needs to be your artist and generosity your presentation.”

No conversation with Marco Pierre White would be complete without addressing his bad boy image, thanks to his stints on television shows. He doesn’t take kindly to being called ‘angry’. “I don’t yell, I don’t swear, I don’t’ belittle. What you see is two minutes of footage of a 16-hour shoot. My so-called reputation is a product of exaggeration by the media,” he says.