Five restaurants earned new MICHELIN Stars tonight in Florida, including the Sunshine State’s second-only Two-Star awardee, Sorekara in Orlando.
At that intimate chef’s counter experience, Chef-Owner William Shen transports diners through Japan’s micro seasons with highly original and whimsical dishes.
Across the state, kitchen innovations are shining through on the menu, from Konro in West Palm Beach, to Itamae Ao in Miami – both new One Star winners.
Two restaurants also earned Green Stars this evening.
Below, find our Inspectors’ takes on each of the newest Star recipients in Florida – plus the full list of returning Florida MICHELIN-Star favorites.
New Two Stars
Orlando
Sorekara
Cuisine: Japanese
In a world of uniformity, Sorekara proudly forges its own path. This Baldwin Park restaurant is unlike anywhere else you've been, offering a surprising and delightful culinary journey that revels in turning expectations on their head. Chef-Owner William Shen's tasting menu highlights Japan's 72 micro seasons with highly original dishes infused with a sense of whimsy (note the course designed to mimic a 7-Eleven snack run or the "nigiri"). Whether it's madai sporting a distinctive riff on tradition or a deeply savory bowl of kegani sourced from Hokkaido, there is an elegance and refinement threaded throughout the meal, which progresses through multiple rooms across several hours. Another hint that this is far from typical? Sorekara is open for one seating only a few nights a week.
New One Stars
Fort Lauderdale
Chef's Counter at MAASS
Cuisine: Contemporary
The Chef's Counter enjoys a prime spot inside the MAASS dining room at the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, and this stylish perch facing the large, open kitchen offers a distinctive dining experience. Chef Ryan Ratino's tasting menu, in the hands of Chef David Brito, is a beautiful tribute to contemporary cooking with French techniques, Japanese ingredients, and a few Florida highlights. Ingredients take center stage in courses like the single seared diver scallop over a truffle puree. Designed as an upmarket riff on chicken noodle soup, it's finished with a velvety broth. A delicate bowl of koshihikari rice cooked in a donabe with maitake mushroom and a Comté foam is excellent from start to finish. Finally, kakigori with candied nuts and fresh raspberries is a delightful conclusion.
Miami
Itamae Ao
Cuisine: Peruvian/Japanese
A restaurant within a restaurant, this 10-seat counter by Chef Nando Chang in Midtown looks to set a new standard for Nikkei cuisine in the region. Those familiar with the chef’s past work in the Design District will take heart in how classic Peruvian-Japanese flavors as well as signature dishes have been reworked, reimagined, and refined. Searing levels of acidity and spice figure prominently on this bold tasting menu, often in the form of leche de tigre. From lobster bisque with sweet potato gnocchi to creamy rice with Hokkaido scallops and parmesan, the cooking possesses style and substance in spades. Sourcing is a priority, with whole fish flown in from Japan, later to be broken down and occasionally strung up in dry-aging fridges along the wall.
West Palm Beach
Konro
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef Jacob Bickelhaupt and sommelier Nadia Bickelhaupt preside over this beautiful, and intimate, counter set within a mixed-use building in West Palm Beach. Bold cooking takes center stage here, where an affinity for rich, umami-packed dishes surprise diners. Meals begin with snacks; the foie gras mousse in a chicken-skin cone is a highlight. The chef's creativity is displayed in dishes like barley risotto with enoki mushrooms, caramelized crispy fried onions, and black truffle shavings, served in a golden egg. Binchotan grilled wagyu in a house-made soy sauce with a poached carrot dotted with celery root and brown butter purée evolves with each bite. A beautiful bowl of coconut and passion fruit sherbet with shortbread cookie crumble delivers a memorable ending. The wine pairing isn't a suggestion—it's required—and the bill is bracing.
Winter Park
Ômo by Jônt
Cuisine: Contemporary
Chef Ryan Ratino's lauded D.C. restaurant, Jônt, is more than just the inspiration for this offshoot. This Winter Park restaurant echoes that spirit and sensibility (think classic French techniques married with pristine Japanese ingredients), albeit with a few Florida touches. The space allows for discrete moments at each meal, while three tasting menus run the gamut from tightly edited and more affordable to loaded with luxury ingredients. No matter the selection, expect Chef Mike Commins' refined dishes punctuated by the seasons, as in chawanmushi with an autumnal twist of braised sweet potato, kombu, and a brown butter sauce. Scallop prepared two ways demonstrates the kitchen's deft hand while chocolate and hazelnut kakigori is an elegant tribute.
New Green Stars
EntreNos, Miami (One MICHELIN Star and Green Star)
Stubborn Seed, Miami (One MICHELIN Star and Green Star)
Full List of MICHELIN-Star Restaurants in Florida
Two Stars
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Miami
Sorekara, Orlando
One Star
Ariete, Miami
Boia De, Miami
Camille, Orlando
Capa, Orlando
Chef's Counter at MAASS, Fort Lauderdale
Cote Miami, Miami
Ebbe, Tampa
Elcielo Miami, Miami
EntreNos, Miami
Hiden, Miami
Itamae Ao, Miami
Kadence, Orlando
Konro, West Palm Beach
Kōsen, Tampa
Koya, Tampa
Le Jardinier Miami, Miami
Lilac, Tampa
Los Félix, Miami
Natsu, Orlando
Ogawa, Miami
Ômo by Jônt, Winter Park
Papa Llama, Orlando
Rocca, Tampa
Shingo, Coral Gables
Soseki, Winter Park
Stubborn Seed, Miami Beach
Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt, Miami Beach
The Surf Club Restaurant, Surfside
Victoria & Albert's, Orlando
Green Stars
EntreNos, Miami
Kaya, Orlando
Krüs Kitchen, Miami,
Los Félix, Miami
Stubborn Seed, Miami Beach
Hero image: Ruben Cabrera / Chef's Counter at MAASS
