Three dozen restaurants around California have been added to the delicious and prestigious pages of the official Michelin Guide.
Michelin, a French tire company, created the original guidebook as a way to help drivers find good spots to eat along road trips. These days, the restaurants that receive Michelin recognition are usually worth a special trip in and of themselves.
The company announced this week 37 restaurants would be added to the Michelin Guide of California. The recognized restaurants serve counter-service omakase sushi (Rebel Omakase), casual and inventive Thai dishes (Bird & Buffalo), and menus that change with the seasons (Hatchet Hall).
“We hope that these regular revelations and updates to the selection throughout the year will provide opportunities to highlight the profession and invite everyone to discover and support the restaurants around them,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, in an announcement.
While Los Angeles dominates the list of new spots – more than half are in the L.A. area – there are several around the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Santa Barbara and elsewhere.
Two restaurants – Yangban Society in Los Angeles and Kingfisher in San Diego – were honored just two months ago on Bon Appétit’s list of Best New Restaurants.
The full list of new additions is below:
- AMA Sushi (Montecito)
- asterid by Ray Garcia (Los Angeles)
- Bar Le Cote (Los Olivos)
- Bird & Buffalo (Oakland)
- Caboco (Los Angeles)
- Camphor (Los Angeles)
- Chulita (Venice)
- Cyrus (Geyserville)
- Damian (Los Angeles)
- The Dutchess (Ojai)
- Ember (Arroyo Grande)
- The Hatch (Paso Robles)
- Hatchet Hall (Los Angeles)
- Hi Felicia (Oakland)
- in bloom (Paso Robles)
- Itria (San Francisco)
- Ken (San Francisco)
- Kingfisher (San Diego)
- Kinn (Los Angeles)
- Kodo (Los Angeles)
- La Cha Cha Cha (Los Angeles)
- Les Petites Canailles (Paso Robles)
- Matu (Beverly Hills)
- Meteora (Los Angeles)
- Nate’s on Marsh (San Luis Obispo)
- Osito (San Francisco)
- peasants FEAST (Solvang)
- Pizzeria Bianco (Los Angeles)
- Ramen & Tsukemen TAO (Buena Park)
- Rebel Omakase (Laguna Beach)
- Saffy’s (Los Angeles)
- San Laurel (Los Angeles)
- Sushi Kaneyoshi (Los Angeles)
- Valle (Oceanside)
- Yangban Society (Los Angeles)
- Yuji (San Francisco)
- Yunomi Handroll Bar (Los Angeles)
You can read more about each restaurant from the Michelin Guide preview.
The full Michelin selection – including which restaurants have received a prestigious one, two or three Michelin stars – will be revealed on Dec. 5.