The culinary pretender that won big: Lao Zheng Xing's Michelin star

Lao Zheng Xing, a restaurant located in a six-story building in Shanghai's Huangpu district, got another nod of affirmation for its culinary excellence when it was awarded one Michelin star.

The Michelin Guide Shanghai, which marked the French publication's first foray into the Chinese mainland, awarded 26 restaurants with a total of 31 stars.

The guide has since its debut sparked controversy, with many experts in the local dining scene commenting that there is a skew toward Cantonese and hotel restaurants and how the guide is hardly representative of Shanghai's effervescent dining scene.