Gourmet on a world tour German dines in all 145 three-star Michelin restaurants
Matthias Ruhl (50), a German software engineer, has visited all 145 three-star restaurants in the world. His culinary odyssey began in 2007 and has taken him through 20 countries.
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- Matthias Ruhl began his journey in 2007 when a nearby restaurant in California received its third Michelin star.
- Inspired by haute cuisine, he began visiting three-star restaurants on trips and vacations abroad.
- In Japan, Ruhl faced his greatest challenge: reserving a table at Makimura in Tokyo.
- In total, Ruhl estimates that he spent around 100,000 euros on the menus and another 100,000 euros on travel expenses.
- He enjoyed the most expensive menu at "Ultraviolet" in Shanghai, where he paid the equivalent of 1,400 euros.
Matthias Ruhl lives in Los Altos, California, and travels the world to enjoy the best culinary experiences. This journey began in 2007 in his adopted home of California, when a nearby restaurant received its third Michelin star.
The taste and perfection of haute cuisine, the high art of cooking, fascinated Ruhl so much that he decided to visit every three-star restaurant in the world, as "Bild" reports.
During the pandemic, he had the idea to pursue his hobby intensively, especially after he sold his start-up and wanted more time for himself and his family.
At the time, he had already visited around 60 to 70 three-star restaurants. Since then, he has focused his travels entirely on gourmet temples and has eaten in all 145 of the world's best restaurants, according to the Michelin Guide.
Computer program for reservations
He was particularly impressed by Japan: "Because of the perfection with which food is cooked and served here." However, it was not allowed to photograph the food everywhere. His biggest challenge was to reserve a table at "Makimura" in Tokyo, as the restaurant is mainly frequented by regulars.
After numerous unsuccessful phone attempts, Ruhl developed a computer program that checked the restaurant's reservation website once a minute for available seats and notified him by text message as soon as a seat was free. "After a few months, the time had come."
Expenses of 200,000 euros
Matthias Ruhl has never calculated exactly how much he has spent on his hobby, but estimates around 100,000 euros for the food and another 100,000 euros for travel expenses.
The most expensive meal cost him around 1400 euros at "Ultraviolet" in Shanghai. He usually spends between 250 and 500 euros per person for a three-star dinner.
Despite his culinary excursions, Ruhl occasionally enjoys simpler dishes such as kebabs in his home town of Fribourg. When asked about his last meal, he opted for "Brägele" with herb quark, a dish he ate almost every day in a small restaurant during his civilian service.