In City Weekend Beijing’s latest profile on Michelle Garnaut, CEO & Founder of the M Restaurant Group, discusses her journey that shaped China’s F&B industry.
“One of China’s most adventurous restaurateurs is bonafide pioneer Michelle Garnaut, who opened two of China’s most celebrated restaurants: Shanghai’s M on the Bund and Beijing’s Capital M.” TO READ MORE, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
Michelle Garnaut’s first restaurant, M at the Fringe in Hong Kong, was a beloved institution right up until she was forced to close in 2009. Here’s a recent piece in the South China Morning Post chronicling her search for the perfect venue (and if that even exists) to re-open in Hong Kong.
“When M at the Fringe closed in December 2009, after 20 years as one of Hong Kong’s most loved restaurants, many regulars felt a loss. It was the city’s first fine-dining restaurant that wasn’t in a hotel and the place had soul – a testament to the warmth and hospitality that Australian restaurateur and former chef Michelle Garnaut had injected into it.” To read the rest of the piece, please click here. (VPN required)
Ever wonder what the Bund was like before it became the tourist destination it is today? Michelle Garnaut, Founder & CEO of the M Restaurant Group, was the first to open an international restaurant on the Bund…back in 1999! But before she opened M on the Bund, Michelle and her team (who had already opened a M at the Fringe in Hong Kong) dipped their toes into the Chinese culinary scene by doing a two week stint at the Peace Hotel from December 5th through 15th, 1996. Shanghai Daily just did a piece on Michelle’s experiences at the Peace in honour of M’s 20th anniversary in China!
“TODAY’S Shanghai enjoys a very diverse dining scene, especially when it comes to Western cuisine. Local diners can find everything from Hawaiian street food to new age molecular cuisine, and special dining events happen regularly throughout the year.” For the full article, please click here.
A view of the Bund in 1996…how things have changed! 
An original flyer for M at the Peace in 1996.
Michelle Garnaut’s–Founder & CEO of the M Restaurant Group–first foray into the restaurant industry was M at the Fringe in Hong Kong. Her restaurant, which was considered the first fine-dining restaurant outside of a hotel chain soon became an institution and was synonymous with delicious food, beautiful decor and a hub for all things cultural. The South China Morning Post‘s article, How Hong Kong Has Absorbed and Adapted Foreign Cuisines, chronicles the different influences on the Hong Kong restaurant scene. Of the many restaurants, few made as large of an impact as Michelle’s M at the Fringe.
“The opening of Michelle’s Restaurant at The Fringe in 1989 (later renamed M at The Fringe), was considered the first fine-dining restaurant not situated in a hotel. Michelle Garnaut’s place was described as warm, ‘like those 18th century salons which can still be found in Macau’, with tastefully mismatched cutlery, and serving delights including Greek goat cheese baked with sun-dried tomatoes into a filo tart, pumpkin tortelli, and poppy seed galette for dessert.” Please click here to read the full article.
Michelle Garnaut–Founder & CEO of the M Restaurant Group–in interview with Forbes’ Russell Flannery on what it takes to start a successful business in China…and how to continually grow it, in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment.
“Few expat entrepreneurs in China have been as successful or respected as Melbourne-born Michelle Garnaut, founder of the M on the Bund restaurant in Shanghai. Having previously worked as a dishwasher, waitress and chef, Garnaut opened M at the Fringe in Hong Kong in 1989. After starting M on the Bund, a European-style eatery, in 1999 and the nearby Glamour Bar in 2001, Garnaut expanded to Beijing with the opening of Capital M in 2009. A colorful speaker, she is involved in numerous charities and was a judge for the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards for five years.” Please click here to read the full article.
Lady Barbara Judge, Chairman Emeritus of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), sits down with Founder & CEO of the M Restaurant Group, Michelle Garnaut, for a conversation and dinner…involving plenty of duck terrine…at Capital M in Beijing.
“Whilst I was living in Hong Kong in the mid-1980s, I discovered a wonderful Australian woman cooking delicious, Western cuisine in a local restaurant and immediately fell in love with her food. Lots of people recognised how good she was, and we all encouraged her to become an outside caterer so we could enjoy her delicious delicacies in our own homes feasting with our own friends. In this way I was privileged to have Michelle Garnaut and her cuisine at home for much of our life in Hong Kong.” Please click here to read the full article.
The Monthly‘s Linda Jaivin in conversation with Michelle on her path to success in China and Hong Kong and her latest endeavors, including her non-profit organization, the Village People Project and her extensive cultural events program in both Shanghai and Beijing.
“Michelle Garnaut and I were finishing lunch at Capital M, her Beijing restaurant. The waiter set down our coffees: a macchiato for me and a plunger for her. I was mid chocolate truffle and she was mid anecdote when she went to pour…” Please click here for the full article.
Michelle Garnaut, CEO & Founder of the M Restaurant Group, was awarded the 2015 Advance Global Australian Food & Agriculture Award.
Held at the iconic Sydney Opera House on 14 September, The Advance Global Australian Summit and Awards celebrated international Australians who exhibit remarkable talent, exceptional vision and ambition. The Awards are the only of its kind to recognise the contributions of the one million Australians living abroad, and those who have returned home. For all of the 2015 winners, please click here.
Watch the ‘New Women, New Men, New Economy‘ panel featuring Michelle, at the 2015 Advance Global Australian Summit here.
Watch Michelle’s Acceptance Speech
Meet the M Restaurant Group Founder & CEO
