ABA Journal The digital English academy
Hello everyone!
Today’s lesson is about Michelin Star restaurant Hertog Jan, in Belgium. Do you know how the Michelin stars work? The Michelin Guide awards one to three stars to a small number of restaurants around the world.
- 1 star = very good cuisine in its category
- 2 star = excellent cuisine, worth a detour
- 3 star = exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey
Have you ever been to a Michelin Star restaurant?
1. Read the text
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Watch the video
Text
Just over a 100 restaurants in the world are members of the culinary super-elite that have been awarded with three Michelin stars. And now Hertog Jan in Bruges, Belgium belongs to this prestigious group. Its owner and Head Chef is Gert de Mangeleer.
– It has the same emotion that like having a child. The first and the second are special, but the third, it’s amazing.
His key to success lies not far from home – four kilometers to be exact, in this farm. And co-owner Joachim Boudens is checking the parsnips that will be served back at the restaurant. All the vegetables they serve are home-grown.
– At a certain moment we felt so unhappy about the quality, the taste and the smell of the products available on the market, the limited offer and seasons that were not represented, we found that problematic.
De Mageleer’s passion for food has transformed a local eatery that once served spaghetti and waffles into this world-class restaurant.
Interested diners have to be patient though, as the waiting list for Friday and Saturday dinners are now about six months.
Vocabulary
Culinary – used in or relating to cooking.
Prestigious – the respect and admiration that someone or something gets for being successful or important.
Home-grown – grown or made at home or in your local area.
Parsnips – a vegetable that is the long white root of a plant related to the carrot.
Eatery – a usually small and informal restaurant.
Waffles – a crisp cake with a pattern of deep squares on both sides that is made by cooking batter in a special device.
Video
(find video on Hertog Jan here)
I think it’s a great satisfaction… reaching an important goal like that is a fantastic prize for the people who invested time and work in it. Obviously the quality is more and more requested by clients and the home-grown products are nowadays the symbol of quality and health..that’s why they are so appreciated. I don’t believe so much in Michelin stars, but I really believe in the good evaluation of consumers and that seems excellent…