ONA Restaurant in France has become the first vegan restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star on Monday, January 18.
The restaurant also received a green star from Michelin in addition, an accolade given to establishments for making use of strong ethical practices.
ONA was opened by Claire Vallee in 2016, an endeavour she only managed to pull off thanks to crowdfunding, as she didn’t have the funds herself. “It felt like I got hit by a train,” Vallee said to The Guardian after hearing the news. “This goes to show that nothing is impossible,” she added.
According to BBC, Vallee holds no formal training as a chef. She taught herself various cooking practices after becoming vegan when she visited Thailand some years ago.
The restaurant is located in the city of Ares and serves only plant-based meals made with ingredients such as fir tree, boletus mushroom and sake, or celery, tonka and amber ale.
The restaurant is currently temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Picture: Facebook/ONA