yearly list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Awards Thai chefs of the Thailand Culinary Academy took second place in the Gourmet Team Challenge (Practical) of the FHC China International Culinary Arts Competition 14 in Shanghai, China on 14–16 November 2012. They won the IKA Culinary Olympic 2012 competition held in Erfurt, Germany between 5–10 October 2012, where they received four gold and one silver medal. In 2011, the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Northwestern United States, was presented to Andy Ricker of restaurant "Pok Pok" in Portland, Oregon, and for Best Chef in the Southwestern United States to Saipin Chutima of restaurant "Lotus of Siam" in Winchester, Nevada. Michelin stars Three restaurants that specialize in Thai cuisine, but are owned by non-Thai chefs, have received Michelin stars: 2002 – 2011 "Nahm" in London, run by chef David Thompson 2009 – "Kiin Kiin" in Copenhagen, run by chef Henrik Yde-Andersen and Lertchai Treetawatchaiwong 2015 – "Pok Pok NY" in New York City, run by chef Andy Ricker Culinary tours and cooking courses Culinary tours of Thailand have gained popularity in recent years. Alongside other forms of tourism in Thailand, food tours have carved a niche for themselves. Many companies offer culinary and cooking tours of Thailand and many tourists visiting Thailand attend cooking courses offered by hotels, guesthouses and cooking schools. Governmental interventions The Thai government believes that a substandard Thai restaurant meal served abroad "...sabotages the country's reputation." To ensure the quality of Thai food abroad, the government has over the years initiated a series of programs designed to create universal standards for Thai food. In 2003 the Ministry of Finance sent officials to the US to award certificates to deserving restaurants. On their return the project was abandoned. Soon thereafter, the Ministry of Labor created Krua Thai Su Krua Lok ('Thai kitchen goes global'). Its centerpiece was a 10-day Thai cooking course for those who wanted to prepare Thai food overseas. The effort was short-lived. After some officials had a bad Thai meal abroad, in 2013 the Yingluck administration had the idea of standardising Thai food everywhere. The National Food Institute (NFI) came up with a program called Rod Thai Tae ('authentic Thai taste'). A parallel effort was called the "Thai Delicious" project. Thai Delicious project Thailand's National Innovation Agency (NIA), a public organization under the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology, spearheaded a