In case you missed it, the Florida selection saw the addition of 9 One Stars (two from Tampa, four from Orlando, and three from Miami) and 2 Green Stars earlier tonight.
For Tampa, sleek and elegant interiors lead the charge as Ebbe and Kōsen deliver dishes like braised oxtail with seared foie gras and sea bream wrapped around sprouts with shaved black truffle respectively.
Orlando, on the other hand, promises a flavor-packed class of new Stars, ranging from Chef Tung Phan's ten-course Vietnamese-French tasting menu to husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Maria Ruiz's Peruvian-Japanese fusion plates.
As for Miami, contemporary and Japanese options like EntreNos and Ogawa steal the show with high-quality ingredients and skillful techniques (think smoked dry-aged cobia and baby sea eels with a soy-cured quail egg).
Rounding out the selection is Green Stars Kaya (where more than 90% of produce comes from Florida farms) and Los Felix/Krüs Kitchen (where initiatives like eliminating the use of seed oils and fostering milpa centers have taken root).
Read below for the full list of Florida's newest Stars—and our Inspectors' takes.
New One Stars
Tampa
Ebbe
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef Ebbe Vollmer's eponymous downtown dweller isn't your typical Tampa restaurant. Sleek and contemporary with a space dominated by a U-shaped marble bar, it's hyper-focused with just one tasting menu. Scandinavian elements make their way onto the dishes here, hinting at the chef's Swedish background, and the cooking is both clever and confident without superfluous fuss. Artful plating takes center stage in dishes like the beet roulade with a brown butter and black cherry sauce. Fermented white asparagus beurre monté and sautéed spinach make a beautiful base for tender turbot that comes alive with a quenelle of sturgeon caviar. Braised oxtail with seared foie gras and a brunoise of sunchoke is equally rich and tender.
Kōsen
Cuisine: Japanese
This elegant restaurant takes a minimalist approach to its design, employing a dark color palette instead of the typical blonde wood. Though a two-concept spot (Kō is a separate space for kaiseki), all eyes should be on the omakase, which Chef Wei Chen runs with skill and precision. Delicate sea bream wrapped around sprouts with shaved black truffle delivers dialed-in flavors, while tempura-fried kamasu, served with myoga and chilled, roasted sweet eggplant, is smart and spot on. After a handful of dishes from the kitchen, they progress into the nigiri. There’s plenty of showmanship and style, but the sushi leans traditional without a lot of fuss, as in the kinmedai, seared, then hit with a squeeze of lime.
Orlando
Camille
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Chef Tung Phan has taken the pop-up and given it permanence at this space just off Lake Baldwin. It's boldly sleek with elegant touches (think wood accents and beautiful lighting). Seats at the counter feature the ten-course Vietnamese-French tasting menu, while booths offer an abbreviated version. Rooted in French techniques, Vietnamese flavors are given a refined twist here. The Dungeness crab curry arrives with a tartlet shell, filled with crab meat and mixed with lime, served atop the lid, which when removed, reveals a deliciously hearty curry. Salmon over king trumpet noodles in a tamarind and pineapple sauce is creative, but the best may be saved for last. The sweet potato brioche topped with a "gold" chocolate ice cream and Vietnamese coffee sauce is an elegant finale.
Natsu
Cuisine: Japanese
At Natsu, there are just two seatings a night at this intimate omakase where a ten-seat counter dominates a spartan-styled room. Meals begin with four dishes from the kitchen, including chawanmushi and truffle kampachi, served with crispy potato straws and a yuzu truffle vinaigrette for an unexpected flavor combination that is especially memorable. The sushi is impressive and doesn't gild the lily, as in skin-on barracuda with a dynamic char or soy-marinated salmon that finishes ever-so-sweetly. Supremely buttery toro needs no flourish and is melt-in-your-mouth tender. It all rounds out with a hand roll and ice cream.
Papa Llama
Cuisine: Peruvian
Don't be fooled by its modest surrounds, as the interior is modern and cool. Leather chairs are especially inviting, and tables offer a view of the gleaming kitchen.
The natural wine program is impressive. "Husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Maria Ruiz prepare modern Peruvian cuisine full of bright ingredients with a bit of polish, and the multicourse tasting menu is an approachable (and affordable) way to sample their sincere cooking. Nigiri kicks off the meal with a smart nod to the Peruvian tradition of Japanese fusion, delivering dialed-in flavors with confidence. Bok choy is elevated with bold, contrasting textures, while chicken thigh roulade with aji amarillo aioli is simply spectacular. For dessert, sweet potato donuts over a blueberry compote seal the deal.
Victoria & Albert's
Cuisine: Contemporary
Nestled within Disney's crown jewel, the Grand Floridian Resort, this restaurant is by no means an easy reservation, but the reward is a kind of magic rarely seen these days. The setting is intimate, and the pacing is that of a leisurely, three-hour waltz orchestrated by a gracious brigade of veteran servers. Chef Matthew Sowers cooks with contemporary verve and draws on influences spanning from Asia to the Nordics. Think delicate tarts set with New Zealand langoustine, striking “sandwiches” made with venison carpaccio and red cabbage, and bold sauces like cherry-cola bordelaise. Other details like water lists, an ornate coffee and tea service, and a serious wine program further impress.
Miami
EntreNos
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chefs Evan Burgess and Osmel Gonzalez are at the helm of this dinner-only spot where a tightly edited à la carte menu puts the spotlight on Florida's seasons (and almost everything is sourced from the Sunshine State). The eclectic space has an inviting feel and the high dining counter offers a prime view of the open kitchen.
It may be small but don't underestimate it: High-quality ingredients meet serious skill here. The smoked dry-aged cobia is a perfect example of what this place does so well. Dry-aged for one week in-house, then smoked and finished over the grill, it's served with a Moujean tea beurre blanc sauce. Pumpkin flan is churned into ice cream and topped with pepita granola and coffee espumita for a dessert that is as unexpected as it is delightful.
Ogawa
Cuisine: Japanese
In a nod to the Little River neighborhood that it calls home, Ogawa translates to "small river." Chef/co-owner Masayuki Komatsu commands a presence with an omakase that stuns with a series of enticing cooked dishes and a procession of focused and skillful nigiri. From baby sea eels with a soy-cured quail egg and bigfin reef squid in a shiso-miso sauce to baby snow crab and Japanese-style herring roe, this appetizer of four bites is the first sign that this isn't your typical sushi counter. Then, lotus root, wild yam and langoustine tempura is sided by a thick sauce made from roasted langoustine shells. After the cooked dishes, nigiri comes next with bright and balanced kisu, creamy ebodai, squid topped with osetra caviar and anago dusted with sansho pepper exemplifying the chef's skill.
Shingo
Cuisine: Japanese
Chef Shingo Akikuni, ever gracious and welcoming, has returned, now back in action behind a spacious, 14-seat counter in Coral Gables. Most premium sushi omakases work with half as many seats, but there’s no cause for concern here: Chef Akikuni and his second-in-command handle the crowd without breaking a sweat and even switch sides midway through the meal. Once the room fills with the sharp smell of vinegar to mix into the sushi rice, it’s off to the races. Fish is sourced almost entirely from Japan, sliced in uniform fashion, and, dressed with little more than a swipe of nikiri. They keep a close eye on the seasons too, evidenced by a recent special of high-grade tuna from Aomori prefecture and an indulgent chawanmushi with matsutake.
New Green Stars
Their vision:
"We are proud that more than 90% of our produce is coming from Florida farms. We center our work around the Filipino value bayanihan, a spirit of communal support. We have built Kaya with the intention to improve the local restaurant-farmer-community ecosystem from how we hire and develop our team to partnering with local artisans, sourcing our produce and seafood as locally as possible, minimizing waste through intentional and creative utilization of byproducts."
Their vision:
"We have partnered with a select local producer due to their expertise, focus on, and keen understanding of the restaurant channels to foster milpa. The idea of milpa centers around the harmony of vegetables flourishing the bionutrients of the farm and the produce being grown. We also place a huge importance on supporting suppliers of local fish species. We only work with grass-fed/grass-finished meats, lamb and heritage pork. Another major initiative for us is the elimination of using seed oils."
Hero image: Kent Phillips/Victoria & Albert's
