HONG KONG - A NEW guide to fine dining in Hong Kong and Macau by culinary bible Michelin faced a barrage of criticism on Wednesday, as local gourmets insisted the book failed to understand their city's cuisine.

Critics said the guide, which featured 251 restaurants and hotels in the two cities, focused only on high-end eateries and cared little about an authentic Chinese dining experience.

'Michelin claimed that they only looked at the quality of the food. But I doubt it. The restaurants on the list tend to have classy interior decors and serve food in modern Western style,' food expert Walter Kei told AFP.

He also questioned whether the 12 Michelin inspectors, of which only two are Chinese, had enough exposure to local cuisine to make judgments.

Michelin inspectors awarded three stars - its top recognition meaning 'exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey' - to Lung King Heen, a Cantonese restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel in Hong Kong and French chef Joel Robuchon's Robuchon a Galera in casino resort Grand Lisboa in Macau.

Eight restaurants received two stars, and 18 were awarded one. The starred restaurants included several with Chinese menus, some relatively cheap.

Lum Chun-yip, who runs Lan Fong Yuen, one of the most famous Chinese teahouses in the city, said: 'I think they should have made an effort to understand what locals like to eat here and why.' 'If a foreigner comes to Hong Kong and asks you where to go for great food and you say Four Seasons Hotel or other five-star hotels, I bet he wouldn't be too pleased,' said Mr Lum, who serves at least 3,000 Cantonese milk teas a day.

Local newspapers were full of similar criticism the day after the launch of the guide.

Michelin had already moved to deflect criticism, saying it featured restaurants from across the price spectrum, including some where a dish costs fewer than HK$100 (S$19).

'You do not have to be French to understand French cuisine, you do not have to be Chinese to understand Chinese cuisine,' Jean-Luc Naret, director of the Michelin guides told reporters on Tuesday.

Mr Naret also insisted that in other cities it had expanded its team of local inspectors following the first edition. -- AFP