The Michelin Guide is scheduled to launch its Shanghai edition this autumn, unveiling its first-ever selection of the best restaurants in the city, the publisher announced yesterday.

Shanghai's fine dining scene will be inspected and reviewed as part of the first official selection of Michelin hotels and restaurants in China's mainland, according to a statement by Michelin.

"The city is an economic and cultural crossroad, and its gastronomy is the result of a strong culinary heritage which makes the dining scene very exciting," said Michelin Guides' international director Michael Ellis.

"Shanghai's culinary scene ranges from popular to fine dining restaurants, and we are eager to discover the high quality of Shanghai's gastronomy and starting the selection," he said.

The selections of all restaurants in the guide are made by Michelin's famously anonymous inspectors, who are trained to scrupulously apply the same time-tested methods used by Michelin inspectors for many decades throughout the world.

The quality of ingredients, the chef's personality as revealed through cuisine, the preparation and combination of flavors, value for money and the ability to produce excellent cooking with consistency over time and across the entire menu are mentioned as the five criteria applied by inspectors as defined by Michelin.

"The launch of the Shanghai edition will reshuffle the industry and cause pressure on fine dining restaurants in the city," said food critic Xiao Gao. "The guide will provide an authoritative reference to diners."

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