Trying Michelin star food in Asia versus London has given me a contrast in terms of how stars get awarded. In Asia, I feel ambiance can sometimes earn the restaurant additional stars. In London, I feel the food deserves every bit of the stars awarded just like at Dinner by Heston. 2 stars and the spiced squab pigeon taste tender, retaining its original pigeon flavours, goes well with the caramelised onions and sauces... the meat is cooked just right and can be enjoyed very much on its own without additional help from sauces.

This isn't to say that the ambiance sucked or the service sucked. In fact, both were impeccable. It's just that the food is graded fairly and not forced to be enhanced by external factors simply because the country lacks the quality to produce enough 2 or 3 star establishments.