The first-ever edition of the Beijing Michelin Guide was released on Thursday, making Beijing the third Chinese city to have a Michelin guide after Shanghai and Guangzhou.  

Xin Rong Ji (Xinyuan South Road) became the only three-Michelin-star restaurant on the "Micheline Guide Beijing 2020."  The restaurant chain, featuring Taizhou cooking with fish from the East China Sea, obtained two one-star awards with its branches in different locations as well. 

"King's Joy" and "Wulixiang Shanghai Cuisine" were dubbed two-star restaurants, while 20 others, including Da Dong, Beijing Kitchen and Fu Chun Ju, nabbed "one-star" award.

According to the Michelin's rating system, one star means the cooking is of high-quality and the eatery is "worth a stop," while two-stars means the restaurant "worth a detour." The highest honor – three stars – represents "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

Kamran Vossoughi, president of Michelin China, said on Thursday's ceremony that they have opened a new culinary chapter in China with the release of the guide book in Beijing. He further explained that the Michelin inspectors visit places from hutongs to modern buildings anonymously to make the list.

Michelin, a tire company, first developed its guides to help drivers find a place to eat or sleep on the road. It didn't include restaurant star ratings until 1926. The Michelin guide boasts that it "could change the fate of a restaurant."

However, not everyone is buying the theory. Immediately after Beijing Michelin Guide was inaugurated, many people complained on social media that the guide is more of a travel guide for tourists than a professional restaurant rating list as it lacks a deep understanding of Beijing food.