Once again, Colombian gastronomy once again shone on a global level. This time, after Paisa chef, Juan Manuel Barrientos, was once again awarded the 2024 Michelin star for his restaurant ElCielo in Miami, United States.
The star, which is awarded by the prestigious Michelin Guide, is renewed each year to the restaurants that received the recognition for the first time, based on the creativity and culinary excellence of the chef.
“Consistency in excellence! 3 consecutive years winning Michelin Stars in Miami and Washington DC. It is discipline and obsession, it is giving everything, it is making a lot of mistakes, but it is always standing up one more time than you fell, success is not losing enthusiasm between falls,” expressed the Colombian chef through his social networks.
“To the entire Elcielo family, congratulations, one more star fills our skies! Thank you to all the Clients and my family,” Barrientos added.
From ElCielo they highlighted that the award given was “a recognition of the quality and excellence that ElCielo has offered in the city of Miami for eight years, when it opened its doors in the Brickell financial district, which offers a unique experience of modern Colombian cuisine or of Vanguard”.
The experience at ElCielo
The star awarded to ElCielo de Miami, according to the Michelin Guide, highlights high-quality cuisine. And, for the guide, chef Juan Manuel Barrientos’ restaurant stands out among others for having “an open kitchen and a backlit bar.”
“They welcome customers into the space, equipped with stone floors and good-sized rooms, and wooden tables. The warm lighting and vegetation complement the elegant appeal,” highlighted the French guide.
According to the gastronomic manual, tasting ElCielo’s dishes is “experiencing elevated Colombian food,” accompanied by spectacular presentations that range “from tableside “chocotherapy” to the “Tree of Life” bread service.
If you go to the restaurant, the guide says you can expect “a variety of small bites before the main courses, including an activated charcoal fritter with porcini and black truffle filling, and a fritter made with fresh cheese, corn, and tapioca pearls.” ”.
The ElCielo Experience menu, according to the newspaper El Colombiano, is a culinary experience that includes 19 dishes, and that can be enjoyed for $289 per person.
Under what criteria is the Michelin star awarded and how is it renewed?
The Michelin star, which is considered the highest award that can be given to a restaurant, is awarded each year to those gastronomic centers that offer the best culinary experience. Although aspects such as treatment and table service are taken into account, contrary to popular belief, these are not taken into account for the final grade.
“Michelin stars focus on restaurants that, among all those that make up the Guide’s selection, offer the best culinary experiences. They reward solely and exclusively the quality of the cuisine offered by a restaurant at a given time. When attributing them, elements such as the treatment, the table service or the atmosphere of the premises are not taken into consideration. These criteria are reviewed by the inspectors, but they do not weigh in the decision to award one or another establishment with them,” stated the gastronomic guide.
Each of the stars is awarded for a period of one year, and are re-evaluated annually, by each inspection team, anonymously, and taking into account each of the culinary experiences offered by the restaurant. With Infobae