Apple TV’s new series, Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, sharpens the taste of a star.
- CaliNewYork
- Oct 12
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 16
Courtesy of Apple TV -- ChrisWill Media – By: Christopher L. Antie
October 10, 2025. Apple TV introduces culinary in an all-new way. Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars is a globe-trotting culinary docuseries on Apple TV that dives deep into the high-stakes world of Michelin-starred dining. Each episode follows chefs from different countries as they chase, defend, or reclaim the coveted stars that define elite gastronomy. Food lovers now get to experience thrilling highs and crushing lows as the world’s best chefs pursue the ultimate accolade: a Michelin Star. These anonymous inspectors have never let anyone in on their mysterious ways, until now. The series explores the emotional and professional rollercoaster chefs endure while pursuing Michelin recognition. From humble strip mall kitchens to countryside family restaurants, it reveals the grit, artistry, and obsession behind every dish. Intense, intimate, and visually stunning—balancing behind-the-scenes drama with mouthwatering food cinematography.
Chris and Will got invited to explore the series with interest and curiosity. Chris, a former Le Cordon Bleu Chef, steps back into the kitchen by remembering the stress of wanting and staying on top. “Winning isn’t always for image, it’s for expanding, saving, and creating a fine restaurant environment that lives long and Gourmands food lovers like me,” Chris states. What is a Michelin Star? Jesse Burgess says, “Movies have the Academy Awards, music has the Grammys, and restaurants have Michelin Stars.”
A Michelin Star is one of the highest honors a restaurant can receive, awarded by the prestigious Michelin Guide to recognize exceptional culinary excellence. Michelin Stars are given to restaurants—not chefs—based on quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques, harmony of flavors, chef’s personality expressed through the cuisine, and consistency across the menu and over time. Only three stars are awarded, and you must maintain the star every year or you risk losing your star. One star means “Very good in its category,” high-quality cooking, and worth the stop. Two stars means “Excellent, worth a detour,” exceptional dishes with a unique flair. Three stars means “Exceptional, worth a special journey,” culinary artistry at its peak.
Stars are awarded by a secret system and are never discovered. Anonymous Michelin inspectors—former restaurant pros—visit multiple times, tasting a wide range of dishes. They judge independently, then decide collectively. Service and decor don’t factor in—only the food on the plate matters. It’s like the Oscars of the food world. Earning even one star can transform a restaurant’s reputation and business overnight.
Episode one takes you to New York, to the restaurant Coqodaq. Coqodaq is the most luxurious, expensive piece of Chicken you’ll ever eat. The Coqodaq is a high-concept Korean fried chicken restaurant in New York City that’s redefining comfort food with a luxury flair. Opened in January 2024 by Simon Kim—also behind the Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse Cote—Coqodaq blends Korean and American culinary traditions in a sleek, immersive setting designed by the Rockwell Group. Their signature dish is a sustainably sourced, gluten-free Korean fried chicken served with a variety of house-made glazes and sauces. They feature one of the largest champagne collections in the U.S., alongside curated wines, beers, and cocktails. You’re surrounded by glows with warm, muted lighting, which includes a dramatic black soapstone bar, creating a refined yet festive vibe. The food looks amazing and seems like the best fried chicken you’d ever taste, but do they have what it takes to win their first Michelin star?
LEFT: Coqodaq Executive Chef SK Kim presenting a dish in “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars,” now streaming on Apple TV.
RIGHT: Chicken Nuggets with caviar served at Coqodaq in New York City as featured in “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars,” now streaming on Apple TV.
We can’t stop at fried chicken. How about walking over to the first-ever luxury restaurant in a subway station, where Chef Dae Kim shows you how stressful the food industry can be. Nōksu is headed for its first Michelin star, and Kim could be the youngest to get it. Nōksu is one of New York City’s most intriguing fine dining destinations—hidden in plain sight beneath the bustling streets of Manhattan. Located inside the 34th Street–Herald Square subway station, this subterranean 15-seat tasting counter offers a surreal blend of urban grit and culinary elegance. Tucked behind a code-locked door at the 32nd Street entrance to Herald Square, it’s a sleek black marble oasis in the middle of the subway system. Chef Dae Kim, a Korean-born chef who trained at Per Se and Silver Apricot, brings a deeply personal and poetic vision to the menu. Chef Kim describes Nōksu as “a flower growing out of the mountain stream”—a metaphor for beauty emerging from unexpected places. The restaurant provides a 9- to 15-course journey focused on seafood and game, including crab, fluke, clams, mackerel, and dry-aged squab. Their signature dish is a Barbecued squab, ladled with hot oil in the style of Peking duck, often dry-aged and dramatically presented. You definitely feel the intimate, modern, and moody atmosphere—with chefs using tweezers to plate dishes while 80s hits play overhead. The food got our taste buds rolling, and the atmosphere made us all ready to pack our bags and head to New York.
LEFT: Nōksu Chef Dae Kim in “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars,” now streaming on Apple TV.
MIDDLE: Nōksu owner Bobby Kwak preparing in “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars,” now streaming on Apple TV.
RIGHT: Mackerel dish served at Nōksu in New York City as featured in “Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars,” now streaming on Apple TV.
Chef stresses over his own ego, desperately wanting to win a Michelin star, but then he starts to second-guess himself, arriving at the ceremony late. As everyone gathers for the ceremony, there’s one more restaurant to talk about, Cariño in Chicago. Cariño is a gem in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, offering a bold and intimate exploration of Latin American cuisine. Helmed by Chef Norman Fenton, the restaurant delivers a tasting menu that’s both deeply personal and wildly inventive. It showcases a contemporary Mexican with Latin American influences, presented through a high concept tasting menu and taco omakase. The signature dishes fuse traditional ingredients with modern techniques—think huitlacoche ravioli with fried corn silk, queso truffle quesadillas, and lamb tartare tostadas seasoned al pastor-style. Your dining experience will leave you cozy and elevated, tucked beneath the rumble of the train tracks at 4662 N. Broadway. The intimate setting enhances the theatrical pace of the meal, where courses arrive like poetic stanzas. “Cariño” translates to “affection” or “darling” in Spanish—a nod to the warmth and care infused into every dish. Cariño isn’t just a restaurant—it’s a culinary love letter to Latin America, wrapped in Chicago grit and elegance.
Chef Norman Fenton is a family man and travels from Chicago to Mexico. While he goes after a star, he leaves his wife and kids in Mexico. His professionalism takes the stress out of the kitchen, and it provides a sense of family while visiting. If these two episodes don’t leave you wanting more, then you have to watch them again and again until it does. The show provides you with the energy of wanting to binge-watch over and over again. It leaves you asking, “Is it worth it?” You have three restaurants so far, aiming for a star. Which team do you want to receive a star?
