LOS ANGELES AREA RESTAURANTS HONORED IN MICHELIN'S INAUGURAL MICHELIN GUIDE CALIFORNIA SELECTION

LOS ANGELES (June 3, 2019) – The term “star” has a very different meaning in Los Angeles for the first time in nearly a decade. Los Angeles’ dining scene has been sizzling for years, being named the “Most Exciting Food City in America” by the likes of GQ, Zagat and more, and MICHELIN today announced that 24 Greater Los Angeles area restaurants were awarded with its most prestigious accolade in its inaugural MICHELIN Guide California selection. 

The 2019 MICHELIN Guide California includes seven new two-star distinctions of which six are in the Greater Los Angeles area:

n/naka offers a clever, modern take on kaiseki at this dazzling dining room. The chef’s stellar skills and technique are visible in every dish. 

Providence provides a consistently excellent meal with skill and technique. The seafood-focused menu at this Hollywood establishment impresses diners with each course.

Somni is tucked away at the SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills hotel and amazes diners with a stimulating experience that is a feast for the senses. Desserts are especially memorable and display attention to detail.

Vespertine is a Culver City destination where every dish oozes with personality and creativity. The innovative chef thrills diners with flavors, impressive technique and wholly unexpected dishes. 

Sushi Ginza Onodera stands out for excellent sushi technique and product. Even the miso soup is special and flavorful with a trio of aged miso pastes.

Urasawa is an exemplary Beverly Hills sushi temple that showcases deep knowledge and tradition. The chef handles each morsel of fish himself in a display of world-class skill and expertise. 
In addition, the 2019 MICHELIN Guide California features 27 new one-star distinctions of which 18 are in the Greater Los Angeles area:

Bistro Na's serves Chinese Imperial Court cuisine and is helmed by a Beijing-based restaurant group. Focused on product quality, the menu proudly acknowledges their effort to utilize good ingredients. 

CUT provides quality beef and expert preparation as the original location of culinary icon Wolfgang Puck’s stellar steakhouse. The menu focuses on classics that never seem to go out of style.

Dialogue offers an evolving, lengthy menu with entertaining and artistic presentations from a maturing and highly talented chef who previously headed NEXT in Chicago. The cooking exudes inspiration from start to finish.

Hayato is a relative newcomer to the downtown Los Angeles dining scene. The chef offers a personal expression of kaiseki that is intimate and very impressive.  

Kali is inspired by the chef’s vision for playful food, and carefully composed preparations that exceed expectations. A refrigerator displaying dry-aged ducks, steaks and even a pig’s head is a natural conversation starter.

Kato’s 27-year-old chef delivers an impeccably plated tasting menu focused on Californian and Asian flavors. The judicious use of deeply flavored sauces and charred elements are repeated showstoppers.

Le Comptoir presents a vegetable-focused menu that originates from the chef’s own garden in Long Beach. This intimate Koreatown space seats a mere handful of diners nightly.

Maude was named after the chef’s late paternal grandmother and exemplifies meticulous attention to detail. The tasting menu changes quarterly based on a single wine region and the results are impressive and memorable.

Mori Sushi received one-star awards in the 2008 and 2009 editions of the MICHELIN Guide Los Angeles. Everything from the homemade tofu to the kitchen’s selection of seasonal fish is nothing short of exquisite.

Nozawa Bar serves omakase in a hidden room at the Beverly Hills location of Sugarfish. The warm rice highlights the flavor of the fish.  

Orsa & Winston showcases the culinary traditions of both Japan and Italy at this impressive downtown Los Angeles hot spot. The multiple prix-fixe menu items showcase the beauty of local ingredients.

Osteria Mozza serves delightful Italian cuisine that represents good quality with a touch of Mediterranean flavors in a casually elegant setting. This restaurant has long been a favorite in Los Angeles, and was awarded one star in the 2009 MICHELIN Guide Los Angeles.

Q Sushi is a downtown Los Angeles sushiya with a lineup of high quality fish and impressive technique. The chef gracefully prepares each course and thoughtfully serves each diner virtually from his own hands. 

Rustic Canyon provides a vegetable-focused menu that is truly impressive. After years away from professional kitchens, the re-energized chef has re-emerged in Santa Monica.  
 

Shibumi offers Kappo-style Japanese fare in downtown Los Angeles. The chef’s skillful cooking is evident and his plates are flavorful. 

Shin Sushi is an under-the-radar counter that showcases excellent knife work, high quality ingredients and a delightful omakase. The friendly chef engages with each customer as he slices their fish to order. 

Shunji is a delightful and popular Westside Los Angeles sushiya helmed by the chef who previously flashed his knife at several hot spots in the 80’s. While the menu does offer á la carte, the omakase is far and away the best option.  

Trois Mec is a Los Angeles based restaurant where the classic French skills and technique of the chef lend a hand to his contemporary menu that is equally creative and delicious.

Last week, MICHELIN named 65 restaurants in the Greater Los Angeles area to its Bib Gourmand establishments, a category that highlights restaurants serving high-quality meals which include two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for $40 or less. The selections range from a truck to sleek dining rooms, small neighborhood enclaves to delis and include Ethiopian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and more.  

“Los Angeles is a literal melting pot of talent with chefs hailing from a mosaic of cultures who are open to experimentation and innovation. Mix in access to the country’s best produce and an audience of Angelenos who celebrate creativity and you’ve got L.A.’s formula for being the most exciting food city,” stated Stacey Sun who is the Executive Director of the city’s dineL.A. program, which has celebrated L.A.’s thriving global culinary scene for 11 years through two annual restaurant week programs, Winter dineL.A. and Summer dineL.A. More than 400 restaurants participate by offering specially-priced menus for lunch and dinner. This year’s Summer dineL.A. will take place in July.   

In celebration of MICHELIN Guide’s return to California, a handful of Los Angeles businesses will offer culinary adventures and tastings at some MICHELIN recognized L.A. establishments this summer available through Los Angeles Tourism’s Discover L.A. Exclusives program. For more information and to book an experience, visit https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/exclusives.

The 2019 MICHELIN Guide California is available now in English, Spanish and Chinese at https://guide.michelin.com and will be available in print from major U.S. booksellers on June 6, 2019. 

To plan your next Los Angeles vacation, find us @discoverLA on Instagram or Facebook or visit discoverlosangeles.com. 

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Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) is the official non-profit destination marketing and sales organization for Los Angeles and the ultimate resource for where to stay and play in the L.A. area.

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