Michelin Guide director Jean-Luc Naret confirmed yesterday that there would be a Hong Kong and Macau guide following the success of last November's Tokyo guide, Michelin's first Asian destination.

The Hong Kong and Macau guide would be the world's first bilingual Michelin guide. It would be published in traditional Chinese and English.

Michelin said 14 inspectors from various countries, including the two Chinese, had been anonymously dining at restaurants in Macau and Hong Kong and staying at hotels.

About 1,200 restaurants had been selected and inspectors had already visited 800 of them.

But it would not be known how many of them would be described in the guide until later this year.

Michelin said the guide would feature a selection of the best hotels and restaurants in various comfort and price categories.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board welcomed the city's inclusion, and said it would 'actively publicise' the fact that the city's eateries and hotels were featured in the guide.

Michelin's well-known star system is based on a restaurant's quality of cooking - product quality, preparation and flavours, the 'personality' of the chef's cooking, consistency over time and across the entire menu, and value for money.

Culture critic and food columnist Hugo Leung Man-to said that having only two Chinese people on the inspection team was problematic.

'Would they only have two French out of 14 inspectors to do a Michelin France guide? Of course not,' he said.

'Perhaps a lot of great restaurants, in the minds of local diners, won't be featured. It is a reference for local diners, but we don't have to take it too seriously. However, to foreigners and expats, this guide has its value.'