Three and easy for fiery Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay, the fiery footballer turned celebrity chef, is celebrating today after finally being awarded a coveted third Michelin star. His delight at the news was augmented by a spectacular congratulatory gift from his wife Tana - a £152,000 blue Ferrari Maranello 550 capable of speeds up to 200mph.

Understandably, Ramsay was slightly confused as to which excites him more. "I think from Monday to Friday the third star is the best news, but from Saturday morning to Sunday it has got to be the Ferrari," he said.

There can be no doubting the depth of Ramsay's longing for the elusive third star. His disappointment at not being awarded one last year was captured in a fly-onthe-wall documentary. Millions saw the rugged 33-year-old cursing and shouting in his inimitable style.

"Cooking is a passionate thing and I was upset at the time," Ramsay says now. "But it didn't stop me. I just kept my head down and kept on concentrating."

The effort has paid off. The third Michelin star means that his restaurant in Chelsea, Gordon Ramsay, is now officially the best in London. No other restaurant in town has three stars. Marco Pierre White and Nico Ladenis used to have three stars apiece - but handed them back last year. Ramsay today criticised their actions as "totally immature" and swore: "The last thing I will ever do is hand my three stars back".

The chef heaped praise on his staff, who, as undercover video evidence has proved, are often the butt of his famous temper, and he vowed not to rest on his laurels: "I am very happy I have been given such an accolade, but the hardest thing now is to maintain it."

Ramsay, who famously ejected AA Gill and Joan Collins from his restaurant, said the value of the Michelin stars lies in the ultra-secret identity of the judges. "No one knows who they are, they are pure incognito. They don't write for newspapers and they don't go to parties - unlike some restaurant critics," he said.

Meanwhile, two Indian restaurants in London have been awarded one Michelin star apiece for the first time ever. When the Evening Standard contacted Atul Cocchar at his restaurant Tamarind in Queen Street, Mayfair, it was the first he had heard of the award. "Is it really true?" he asked. "I can't believe it. I need to go home and get drunk." After a few minutes, Mr Cocchar offered a more sober assessment. "I would say, 'At last.' We have waited a long time for this."

The second Indian restaurant to win a star was Zaika in Fulham Road, where chef Vineet Bhatia said: "I am very, very emotional. All the hard work has paid off. We have always felt we deserved recognition." Speaking of his innovative cuisine, Mr Bhatia added: "I have never cooked a curry in my life." He said he hoped his success would make it easier for other Indian chefs to follow in his footsteps.

Charles Campion writes: whatever the public make of it (and you rarely see casual diners leafing through the Michelin red book when seeking a restaurant), as far as London's chefs are concerned the Michelin Guide is the one that counts.