A Michelin one-star restaurant in Shanghai has closed only one day after being awarded the coveted endorsement – reportedly because it did not have two necessary licences.
A notice displayed on the front door of Tai'an Table, in Taian Road, on Thursday said the restaurant had suspended its operation due to an "internal overhaul", news portal Kankannews.com reported.
According to the Market Supervision Bureau in Shanghai the restaurant was run without two necessary licences – a general business licence, granted by the Shanghai Industry and Commerce Bureau and a food business licence from the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration.
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Tai'an Table, which had first opened in April, could seat up to 29 customers and served only dinners from 6pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays. Reservations could be made only through its website.
It had been offering only two set menus: one comprising 14 dishes, at a cost of 1,288 yuan (HK$1,500) per person; the other, providing 10 dishes, had cost 988 yuan per head.
The restaurant's Stefan Stiller, a Michelin star chef, told the website that it would reopen in November at a new location, in Zhenning Road. But the style of the food and method of making reservations would remain the same at the new restaurant.
"We are applying for the general business licence and the food business licence," he was quoted as saying.
On Wednesday Michelin released its first dining guide for mainland China. In the Shanghai guide, 26 restaurants were awarded its coveted stars.