Michelin Guide stars, honors at Boston restaurants bring pride, high expectations, Bib Gourmand

Sumiao Chen dropped her phone the moment she saw that her restaurant earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction.

“When they presented the restaurants in Boston selected by The Michelin Guide, our name was not listed on the screen,” the founder and owner of Sumiao Hunan Kitchen in Cambridge recalled to MassLive this week.

“Then later, they moved to the Bib Gourmand category, [and when] I saw our restaurant’s name, my phone dropped on the ground,” Chen said.

The Michelin Bib Gourmand is not part of Michelin’s star rating system, but is a separate, special distinction “recognizing restaurants that serve high-quality food at great value,” according to the Michelin Guide website .

“I never even aimed to get a Michelin. But just everything came along,” she added. “I was really excited.