Earning a MICHELIN Star is difficult (there are less than 300 MICHELIN Starred restaurants in the United States since the Guide’s first American addition in 2005). It is so difficult, in fact, that many chefs and restaurants spend most of their lives trying to achieve the legendary accolade. Although there is no secret formula or set criteria, there are five universal criteria that our Inspectors take into account: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine, and consistency both across the entire menu and over time. The most important thing that they’re looking for, however, is really great cooking.
That’s why every month, from newly minted Stars to ones that have stood the test of time, we will highlight a MICHELIN Starred restaurant and explore their story—how they earned one of the hardest accomplishments in the culinary world, what to order and expect, and everything in between.
“We want to expand the landscape of Mexican food in New York with Corima. There are increasingly great options to eat Mexican food here, but these restaurants primarily focus on the cuisines of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Mexico City,” explains Chef Fidel Caballero. “I want to bring the flavors and ingredients from northern Mexico in a way that is both exciting and delicious.”
That ethos, along with his travels and previous experiences (Caballero is an alum of Three MICHELIN Starred Martín Berasategui), is what helped catapult the Allen Street spot to culinary stardom within a year of its inception (while few restaurants have managed—three California restaurants claimed their MICHELIN Star within the first year of their MICHELIN recognition—even fewer have accomplished that feat within the first year of opening).
The result is synergized tasting and à la carte menu (the à la carte menu is often used as a testing ground to experiment with new dishes) filled with hits from the restaurant's pop-up days like lobster nicuatole and black cod with salsa Veracruzana.
But don’t take our word for it, check out what our Inspectors have to say here, and below, find out everything you need to know before you go.
What was your reaction to winning a MICHELIN Star? What did the accomplishment feel like?
It was surreal and a huge honor. We opened Corima with the goal to show diners what Mexican food can be, so being awarded a Star for cooking food that is true to myself and my upbringing feels especially rewarding.
How do you manage expectations after being included in the Guide?
It is a confirmation that Mexican food deserves a seat at the table alongside other great cuisines of the world. We always have and will continue to strive for greatness. If anything, the recognition has just magnified the hyper-focus and attention to detail we’ve had since day one.
Corima went from a new restaurant to being included in the New York selection to eventually earning a Star in less than a year. Did you expect this? What do you think led to the success of the restaurant?
Even though Corima has only been open as a restaurant for 11 months, the concept has been in the works for four years now. We’ve had time for trial and error and research and development, so we were able to come out of the gate swinging when we were finally ready to open our doors. We are constantly evolving and are still a work in progress. Opening the actual restaurant posed all of the challenges you’d expect, but having years of pop-ups under our belt gave us lots of confidence in the food.
Has winning a MICHELIN Star changed the restaurant? If so, in what ways?
It hasn’t changed. If anything, it has given us more confidence to continue as we have. We have always sought to innovate and celebrate Mexican cuisine and culture the way we know best, and we will continue to do so.
What are you most excited about right now?
We are most excited about the evolution of the menu. It’s uni season right now and we are getting some beautiful product from Maine. It shows up in the first snack on our tasting menu, which is a savory buñuelo with beef tartare, bone marrow, and Maine uni. It also shows up on our cocktail menu in our Uni Gin Sour.
How often do you plan to change the menu?
Our goal is to change our tasting menu in full once a season, with small changes happening here and there based on seasonal ingredient availability and Chef Fidel's whim. We often use the à la carte menu as a means of testing an idea that eventually changes form for the tasting menu. An example of that is our shrimp aguachile. It first appeared on our à la carte menu as a flat disc of pounded out raw shrimp swimming in an aguachile of rhubarb and hibiscus. We later refined the dish to land on the tasting menu, where it's been for a month and is just about to leave the menu.
Do you celebrate any specific ingredients?
We try to highlight ingredients from the north of Mexico alongside the best and most exciting local and seasonal ingredients. We heavily feature Sonoran wheat in our menu in our sourdough flour tortilla, which is a great way to show people that Mexico is not just about corn, but the North actually has a large German population. We're in the process of working on a miso made out of Sonoran wheat too, to further highlight the ingredient. Beyond that, we also feature chicatana ants—handpicked in the desert after rain—which are added to the top of our cecina tlayuda. We're also excited to feature sotol on our beverage menu and will soon be done with a rattlesnake garum which will be an exciting ingredient to have in our pantry.
What is one thing you want readers to know about Corima?
You can be a Mexican restaurant without being 100% traditional or just serving tacos. New York is the biggest melting pot in the world, and we try to highlight our culture while also taking creative liberties and inspiration from all of the cultures we're surrounded by in the city.
What’s next?
We’re really excited to be hosting and traveling to do more pop-ups in the next year. “Corima” translates to “circle of sharing” so we are excited to share our cuisine with other chefs and guests around the world.
What is the average price point guests can expect?
For a la carte, the price is approx $120/pp with drinks and for the tasting menu it is approx $150/pp with drinks. We discovered that we have the most affordable Michelin starred tasting menu in NYC, which is something that we are very proud of. We want to make sure our restaurant and food is accessible to as many people as possible.
What is the dish to order?
For someone's first visit at the restaurant, we suggest trying the tasting menu to get a sense of our cuisine and point of view. When people come in for the a la carte, the tortilla has been a huge crowd and critical favorite, but we like to direct guests towards our cecina tlayuda, which features cecina brushed with guallijo oil, an edamame & pistachio guacamole, and is topped with chicatana ants and fresh cracked green Sichuan peppercorn.
Does the restaurant have a dress code?
No. We are very casual and encourage guests to come as they are.
How early should guests arrive prior to their reservation? When is the best time to stop by? Is a reservation a must?
Since we are a small restaurant with no designated waiting area, we encourage guests to show up as close to their reservation time as possible. We try to set aside some seats at the bar for walk-ins each night and would suggest someone dropping in come by around 8 or 830 on a weeknight to snag a seat at the bar. Unfortunately on the weekends, it is tough to accommodate guests who do not have reservations.
Stay nearby:
Nine Orchard (Two MICHELIN Keys)
What was once the Jarmulowsky Bank building retains much of its century-old grandeur — they quite literally don’t make them like they used to. As ornate as the façade and the public spaces may be, the rooms opt for something a little more subdued; the classic architecture is complemented by muted colors and furnishings that are minimalist but warm, and modern conveniences like custom-designed and custom-programmed sound systems and minibars stocked with fine local products.
The Bowery’s evolution has been under way for a long time, and the gradual upscaling of this once-legendary skid row has finally reached Chinatown. 50 Bowery is a statement; this glass tower, standing tall above its low-rise neighbors, is a brand-new hotel from an established boutique-hotel brand. Joie de Vivre is known on the West Coast for a sunny, optimistic vibe, and it’s clear from a glance that it’s a style that’s perfectly at home in New York City.
All images courtesy of: Jovani Demetrie / Corima
