MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino-owned restaurants in the US have been awarded by French tire company Michelin a one-star rating.
Japanese restaurants Soseki and Kadence are both located in Orlando, Florida.
Filipino Michael Collantes, owner of Soseki, said that he was surpirsed after receiving the one-star rating from the prestigous brand.
"For me personally, getting Michelin star is a culmination of many years of hard work in this industry," Collantes told ABS-CBN News in a report.
"It’s really just the right mix of the right people involved. Everyone’s passion and talents coming together and really focusing on the experience, and on what the guest is experiencing day in and day out," he added.
Collantes said that Sokei changes its menu monthly for guests to enjoy new dishes every time they visit.
"When we started Soseki, we wanted that to be a culmination of past, present, future. We definitely uprooted in Japanese. 'Soseki' meaning 'foundation' or 'cornerstone,' but also utilizing our own culture."
Kadence owner Mark Berdin, meanwhile, said that Filipino hospitality, such as playing karaoke in the restaurant, played a key role in receiving the Michelin rating.
"I always play like karaoke music basically. Because I was stuck in the era, being with your uncle seeing karaoke all the time. For me, a restaurant is a joyous and happy place wherein you come in, you start singing with people. You start talking to people that you don’t normally talk to," Berdin said.
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