Photo: VCG

Foodie Bible Michelin published its first Beijing food guide on Thursday, awarding stars to 23 restaurants including one 3-star eatery, but quickly faced doubts from Chinese netizens who felt some of the restaurants were either not that good or too expensive.

Only one restaurant received 3 stars, Xin Rong Ji, located at Xinyuan South Road, a seafood-centric chain that was launched in East China's Zhejiang Province in 1995, according to Beijing News.

King's Joy, located in a traditional courtyard next to Yonghe Temple, received 2 stars, and serves "vegetarian fare with organic vegetables from local farms" and wild mushrooms from Southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to the guide.

Some restaurants famous for Beijing cuisine with regional characteristics were included, such as Da Dong, a Peking duck restaurant, and Family Li Imperial Cuisine in Xicheng District, run by the family's fourth generation who still replicate imperial recipes.

Along with the star-rated establishments, 15 restaurants are featured in the Bib Gourmand selection, and 62 restaurants received a Michelin Plate.

The guide also included space for a variety of Beijing snacks. For example, Baodu, first recorded in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), consists of fresh beef or lamb tripe cut into slices and then briefly blanched in boiling water before it's served. 

Douzhi, a fermented odorous drink made with mung beans and similar to soymilk, is also mentioned. Foreigners are often challenged to drink Douzhi when visiting Beijing but many disagree with the taste. 

Although the guide includes rich Beijing cuisine, Chinese netizens are not buying it. 

"Not all Michelin restaurants taste great as every person has different tastes, but most restaurants recommended by the guide are very expensive," said one Sina Weibo user.

"I don't think a Western-style guide can rank Chinese restaurants," said another Weibo user.

Some netizens shared their personal experiences as evidence, claiming they had eaten at some of the restaurants mentioned in the guide, and the food was not as good.