A high-end German restaurant has been removed from the Michelin Guide website after its French chef Jean-Claude Bourgueil made a racist remark.

Announcing the reopening of his eatery, Im Schiffchen, the 73-year-old chef wrote on his personal Facebook page that he does not want Chinese customers at his restaurant.

Im Schiffchen is situated in Düsseldorf, Germany.

It had been closed for a few months as a result of Covid-19.

“We start on Friday, but only with our bistro. No Chinese wanted!!!” Bourgueil wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, May 13.

Backlash

Backlash was swift.

Bourgueil was hit with responses from social media users disgusted by his remark.

They called his comment “racist”.

One commenter wrote: “Im Schiffchen should be ashamed. What Jean Claude Bourgueil said is just sickening. A wimp and liar.”

Backtrack

Bourgueil then promptly tried to walk back his statement, which he denounced as “thoughtless” and “completely wrong”.

The remark was not aimed at the Chinese people, Bourgueil defended himself.

He wrote he was referring to the “dictators” and “strongmen” in the Chinese government instead.

“I am a child of the French revolution and detest all dictators in this world. Dictators that oppress their citizens and punish people with death,” he explained in a statement.

“People of nine different nationalities work at our restaurant,” he went on to rationalise.

“My wife is Asian and I myself am a foreigner in this land. Rest assured, I can be accused of many things, but certainly not racism and I do not tolerate it.”

Publicity surrounding his remark

Overseas Chinese in Germany continued to berate the chef over the internet.

A joint letter was put together by multiple overseas Chinese groups and sent to local media outlet Rheinische Post.

The collective missive was to express their disdain over the chef’s words.

Other publications then reported on the development and major faux pas by Bourgueil.

Beijing's loudhailer Global Times subsequently highlighted that Im Schiffchen had been removed from Michelin Guide’s website.

The Im Schiffchen Facebook page also could not be accessed.

Düsseldorf is home to a large Asian population, including the biggest Japanese community in Germany.