Dining Out 8 minutes 06 June 2023

New Additions to MICHELIN Guide California June 2023

10 fresh new additions to California.

Editor's Pick New Additions California

MICHELIN Guide Inspectors spend all year on the road uncovering the best restaurants to recommend—and their discoveries are too good to keep secret. With the full 2023 MICHELIN Guide California selection coming up this summer, we wanted to spread the news about ten new additions spread across the Golden State.

Those longing for Hollywood's Golden Era will do wise to visit Josiah Citrin's spot Dear Jane's. One part clubhouse, another part seafood-centric boîte, the only better pairing are the cocktails and the food. Outside of Los Angeles, chefs Ben and Ayako Sato are upping the ante at Taira Sushi & Sake with their innovative take on sushi, izakaya, and omakase.


Los Angeles

Cento Pasta Bar
Cuisine: Italian

Tucked away in West Adams, this one-time pop-up gone brick-and-mortar from Chef Avner Levi feels timely but has a great laidback vibe.

The menu leans Italian-contemporary, with selections including antipasti and mole-braised ossobuco made with yogurt-marinated lamb over couscous, but as the name suggests, pasta takes center stage.

Cento Pasta Bar
Cento Pasta Bar

Cobi's
Cuisine: Asian

Discover Thai and Malaysian delights along with other influences on this broad Southeast Asian menu. Start with dumplings, satay or curry puffs, those crispy triangular shells filled with curried split peas and potatoes sided by pickled onion and tamarind ketchup. From there, pick a curry or a wood-grilled main dish such as grilled prawns in a ginger and yellow bean sauce. Prix fixe options include a smattering of dishes selected by the chef.

Katrina Frederick/Cobi's
Katrina Frederick/Cobi's

Dear Jane's
Cuisine: American

In case this Marina del Rey restaurant's glass wall with views of the boats outside didn't give it away, Dear Jane's celebrates the life aquatic with its focus on old school seafood and Continental cuisine. This spot pours it on with large portions and over-the-top flourishes (caviar makes a regular appearance) while keeping things grounded with strong cooking. 

Art Gray/Dear Jane's
Art Gray/Dear Jane's

Dunsmoor
Cuisine: American

With embers glowing, flames snapping and smoke billowing, two ferocious ovens serve as the twin hearts and hearths of this Glassell Park hot spot. Much of the Southern-inspired menu must pass through them — oysters, cornbread, rib eyes and pork chops. Nearly everything here offers some kind of hearty, no-nonsense kind of comfort.

Gari Askew/Dunsmoor
Gari Askew/Dunsmoor

Juliet
Cuisine: French

The open kitchen buzzes all day, but dinner is where this team shines. Oysters, tartare or tuna carpaccio could kick off the meal, but the mousse au foie de volaille, with its delicate tart filled with chicken liver mousse, toasted hazelnuts and an apple gelee, is an auspicious beginning. Sea bream with ratatouille and pistou is simple but well executed, and pairs well with one of their many wines available by the glass.

Liz Barclay/Juliet
Liz Barclay/Juliet

Villa's Tacos
Cuisine: Mexican

This brick-and-mortar marks a milestone for a chef who first started serving out of his grandmother’s house. The signature queso taco is instantly recognizable, built on a blue corn masa tortilla stacked with refried beans, onion, cilantro, guacamole, cotija cheese, crema and a melted skirt of Monterey Jack. Variations with asada and chorizo are favorites, with vegan options on offer as well. Colorful, messy and filling, these tacos thrive on their own but also sing with the homemade salsas, some of which are ferociously spicy.

Guillermo Torres/Villa's Tacos
Guillermo Torres/Villa's Tacos

Orange County

Kaori Sushi
Cuisine: Japanese

Kaori Sushi is living proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Don't let its location within a nondescript open-air mall fool you, as this spot's flavors are anything but ho-hum. The menu may not be large, but it includes a list of daily dish selections, cooked dishes, such as mara udon or gyu tongue, and more unusual choices like kani blue crab "risotto." An entire menu is dedicated to the restaurant's well-regarded "rolls," but stick to the classic sashimi and nigiri.

Salmon Ikura Don Sushi Plate - Kaori Sushi
Salmon Ikura Don Sushi Plate - Kaori Sushi

Poppy & Seed
Cuisine: Southern

Settle in at sunset or under the stars to enjoy dishes such as creamy Anson Mills grits topped with gravy and plump tail-on shrimp. Charred eggplant puree and pickled sea beans lend a bite to steak tartare, while fried Brussels sprouts are sweet and salty thanks to bacon jam and pomegranate. Juicy strawberries and roasted beets make an earthy-sweet combination that could pull double duty as dessert.

Poppy & Seed
Poppy & Seed

Taira Sushi & Sake
Cuisine: Japanese

Young duo Chef Ben and Ayako Sato have penned a love letter to Japan here, where great care is paid to details (even the menu is handwritten nightly) and warm hospitality makes everyone feel welcome. Standouts include kinmedai seared with ponzu, spring onions and red yuzu or tender firefly squid topped with scallions and laced with nori. Seared spicy cod roe and hearty stewed fish cheeks are inventive starters, and a smattering of "rolls" are on offer (think ume shiso roll).

Taira Sushi & Sake
Taira Sushi & Sake

San Diego

Artifact at Mingei
Cuisine: International

The culinary offerings are proudly eclectic and international, ranging from carefully pleated rock shrimp gyoza with a yuzu-flavored dashi, to lamb kibbeh with quinoa tabbouleh. Plant-based options, like Thai green curry with sweet potato and crispy noodles, are clearly no afterthought, and desserts like cardamon tapioca with saffron granita hold their own.

Artifact at Mingei/Kimberly Motos
Artifact at Mingei/Kimberly Motos

May New Additions

Napa

Auro
Cuisine: Contemporary

Soak up the bucolic splendor of Napa’s northern reaches in the Four Seasons resort, the ideal setting for this au courant embodiment of classic Wine Country fine dining. Chef Rogelio Garcia displays a distinctly Californian perspective, using precise technique in order to highlight exceptional ingredients. Whether it’s a lively crudo of dry-aged kampachi with golden kiwi aguachile, or an earthy, ultra-silky sunchoke velouté with jamon de Bellota and Périgord truffle, each dish is finely tuned and harmonious.

Jon Troxell/Auro
Jon Troxell/Auro

Oakland

Bombera
Cuisine: Mexican

Fire provides the central motif for this boisterous community staple, from the venue itself (a former fire station) to the name (Spanish for fire woman), all the way to a crackling wood-fired oven that not only animates the kitchen, but also provides ash used to nixtamalize corn for house-made masa. All of this seems perfectly fitting for Chef Dominica Rice-Cisneros, whose passion has helped to shape Oakland's current Mexican restaurant scene, combining a locavore pedigree and fine dining chops with a respect for the generational knowledge of heritage cooking.

Roasted carrots, Toasted Almond Misantla Photo: Clara Rice/Bombera
Roasted carrots, Toasted Almond Misantla Photo: Clara Rice/Bombera

Lion Dance Cafe
Cuisine: Singaporean

Billing itself as “authentic, not traditional," the plant-based cooking deploys bold flavors rooted in Chef Chia's Teochow Chinese-Singaporean heritage in a small menu of unique dishes boasting seasonal ingredients. One of the marquee dishes is the laksa, featuring slippery rice noodles in a riotously aromatic, complex coconut broth with rotating garnishes that might include smoky sambal made from urfa peppers and a chili crunch made with nutty pepitas; the crusty sesame-studded sourdough shaobing is also a signature.

Ariana Zhang/Lion Dance Cafe
Ariana Zhang/Lion Dance Cafe

Parche
Cuisine: Colombian

Alongside an assortment of ceviches and empanadas, the menu proudly announces its Colombian bona fides with dishes like patacones (smashed fried plantains) and arepas, but isn’t shy about departing from tradition. The cooking embraces the country’s multicultural influences, including African and Lebanese, spotted in items like a labneh dipping sauce served with cheese-filled yuca buñuelos, or a leche de tigre with tahini.

Salmon Salpicon salmon tartar, citrus-parsley aioli, crispy capers, crispy plantain rings Photo: Adahlia Cole/Parche
Salmon Salpicon salmon tartar, citrus-parsley aioli, crispy capers, crispy plantain rings Photo: Adahlia Cole/Parche

Pomet
Cuisine: Californian

Proprietor Aomboon Deasy is also a farmer, best known as the owner of K&J Orchards. She tapped Chef Alan Hsu to lead the kitchen, and his menu is unsurprisingly ingredient-driven, proudly proclaiming the myriad local farms that supply it (in addition to Deasy's own). Whether it’s oysters with Niitaka pear and cider mignonette, or pasta filled with a puree of “ugly mushrooms” and sauced with a celery root miso butter, simplicity is a virtue when ingredients are this good.

Aomboon Deasy/Pomet
Aomboon Deasy/Pomet

Snail Bar
Cuisine: Contemporary

Although it would be easy to dismiss this perpetually buzzy spot as just another cooler-than-thou hipster haunt for natural wine, here you'll find some of Oakland's most exciting and well-crafted cooking. Chef Andres Giraldo Florez has worked in some of the world’s loftiest kitchens, and although the vibe here is unfussy, his fine dining chops are evident in every precise, flavorful dish.

Crudié and Petit Plateau - Miaggi Oysters with Seaweed Mignonette, Cherrystone Clams, Carmelized Shallot, Tomato, Scallop Crudo, Santa Rosa Plum, Ajo Bianco Photo: Cole Wilson/Snail Bar
Crudié and Petit Plateau - Miaggi Oysters with Seaweed Mignonette, Cherrystone Clams, Carmelized Shallot, Tomato, Scallop Crudo, Santa Rosa Plum, Ajo Bianco Photo: Cole Wilson/Snail Bar

Peninsula

Breakwater Barbecue
Cuisine: Barbecue

This is the kind of place where you'll want to grab a beer immediately upon entering before tucking into the likes of chili made with house-ground brisket, smoked short rib and house-made sausage. Braised in smoked pork stock with roasted poblano, smoked tomato and garlic, it's packed with smoky, spicy flavors and best sided with a slice of corn bread. But wait, there's more, specifically the Texas Trinity. It's an impressive heap of brisket, ribs and links, plus two sides.

Texas Trinity Platter - 1/2 lb brisket, 1/2 lb ribs, 1 house link and 2 large sides served with Breakwater Pickles, onion, thick sliced bread & sauce Photo: Wyatt Fields/Breakwater Barbecue
Texas Trinity Platter - 1/2 lb brisket, 1/2 lb ribs, 1 house link and 2 large sides served with Breakwater Pickles, onion, thick sliced bread & sauce Photo: Wyatt Fields/Breakwater Barbecue

Kajiken
Cuisine: Noodles

Kajiken has landed on the West Coast from Japan with the promise of shaking up your noodle routine with abura soba. This noodle dish is similar to ramen but eschews the broth, instead punching up the flavor courtesy of a special blend of oils and sauces. The springy noodles are made in house (score a seat facing the windowed noodle-making area) and are satisfying enough to eat plain, but with nine varieties, why?

Photo: Courtesy of Kajiken
Photo: Courtesy of Kajiken

San Francisco

Anomaly SF
Cuisine: Contemporary

Chef Mike Lanham impresses with beautifully presented dishes that display both creativity and a keen sense of texture, drawing upon a modernist toolkit without going overboard with foams and gels. The frequently changing tasting showcases a wealth of seasonal produce alongside a playful sensibility, as in an emoji-inspired egg bite, or a sophisticated trio of fennel preparations, a winking response to a previous complaint that the ingredient was over-used.

Sunchoke Royale & Caviar Photo: Andrea Bartley/Anomaly
Sunchoke Royale & Caviar Photo: Andrea Bartley/Anomaly

Aphotic
Cuisine: Seafood

Chef Peter Hemsley takes full advantage of California's coastal bounty, sourcing exceptional seafood from small sustainable purveyors and utilizing techniques like dry aging and fermentation to maximum effect. The kitchen’s creativity is displayed in dishes like thinly shaved Monterey abalone with swordfish “bacon” and citrusy dashi broth, as well as a warm bread course paired with a curry-scented hollandaise loaded with sweet Dungeness crab.

Pacific skate, green garlic & smoked nage Photo: Kelly Puleio/Aphotic
Pacific skate, green garlic & smoked nage Photo: Kelly Puleio/Aphotic

Copra
Cuisine: Indian

Chef Srijith Gopinathan’s return to San Francisco’s dining scene is a love letter to the cuisine of his home state of Kerala, on the southwestern coast of India. The sizable menu is geared towards sharing, though the modest portions encourage enthusiastic ordering, from a “palette” of assorted brightly flavored chutneys with pappadom, to a seriously aromatic fried chicken dish inspired by a favorite street food.

Chad Santo Tomas/Copra
Chad Santo Tomas/Copra

Friends Only
Cuisine: Sushi

Sip on delightfully unique cocktails with the likes of black truffle amaro or sesame orgeat, and enjoy a parade of bites highlighting seafood of impeccable quality, much of it painstakingly dry-aged in house. Traditional nigiri and sashimi are served alongside cooked dishes, as in cherrywood-smoked unagi brightened with the prickle of sansho pepper, or binchotan-grilled spot prawn with ramp butter.

Photo: Courtesy of Friends Only
Photo: Courtesy of Friends Only

HK Lounge Bistro
Cuisine: Chinese

Families and business types alike find pleasure in artfully pleated Shanghai dumplings filled with rich broth and fresh crab meat, or baked pork buns with a crackling topping; sweet bites like fried sesame balls, egg tarts and mango pudding are also much admired. At dinner, the menu is fleshed out with more substantial, large-format dishes, including crisp-skinned roast duck and fragrant steamed seabass.

John Storey/HK Lounge Bistro
John Storey/HK Lounge Bistro

LeYou
Cuisine: Ethiopian

Dynamic chef/co-owner Aida Taye offers a lighter, unique approach to Ethiopian cuisine, as in a kifto that substitutes lean tuna for beef. Kick off the meal with kategna, an injera toasted to a crisp, doused with chili powder and served with a sour-cream/yogurt dip. A vegetable platter includes gomen, or chopped collard greens; atakilt, a tender stew of cabbage, potatoes and carrots; fossolia, or green beans stewed with carrots, turmeric, tomato and onions; and azifa selat'a, refreshing green lentils tossed in lemon juice and hot mustard vinaigrette. 

Ben Landis/LeYou
Ben Landis/LeYou

Noodle in a Haystack
Cuisine: Japanese

This humble counter, located in a nondescript corner building in the Inner Richmond, is one of the city’s hardest-to-snag reservations, with a singular ramen-centered tasting menu that is hotly in-demand. The particular bowl on offer at any given time is subject to the season and the creative impulses of the kitchen, unbound by strict tradition.

“Carbon-Abura” Soba Uni, Ikura Shoyuzuke, Soy-cured Jidori Yolk, Roasted Shrimp head oil, ​Konbu dashi Photo: Ian Teraoka/Noodle in a Haystack
“Carbon-Abura” Soba Uni, Ikura Shoyuzuke, Soy-cured Jidori Yolk, Roasted Shrimp head oil, ​Konbu dashi Photo: Ian Teraoka/Noodle in a Haystack

Petiscos
Cuisine: Portuguese

Authentically prepared dishes highlight the flavors of Portugal and feature imported ingredients. The rustic, home-style cooking includes favorites such as broa, a traditional cornbread, and lupini beans, codfish croquettes and a tender octopus salad that is a meal unto itself. Braised pig ears tossed with citrus and herb dressing are a pleasure to dig into, as are the meaty, golden-brown grilled sardines. 

Photo: Courtesy of Petiscos
Photo: Courtesy of Petiscos

Prik Hom
Cuisine: Thai

The name translates to fragrant chili, and aroma is part and parcel of the cooking, from complex hand-pounded curry pastes, to a bright, herbaceous salad of crunchy lotus stem. Even a signature dessert of coconut ice cream topped with candied palm seeds and pandan-flavored rice crisps is finished with a plume of fragrant smoke from a traditional Thai incense candle.

Panjasin Suwanpanya/Prik Hom
Panjasin Suwanpanya/Prik Hom

Rosemary & Pine
Cuisine: Contemporary

Thoughtful cooking features top-notch ingredients, blending Chef Dustin Falcon’s fine dining training with Italian-American favorites from his childhood in New Jersey. Fried burrata with fra diavolo sauce and pistachio pesto is a lofty take on mozzarella sticks, and house-made pastas like paccheri alla vodka and pillowy honeynut squash agnolotti attest to the kitchen’s skill.

Tortellini Americana Photo: Courtesy of Rosemary & Pine
Tortellini Americana Photo: Courtesy of Rosemary & Pine

Suragan
Cuisine: Korean

This singular endeavor aims to translate the historical cuisine of Korea’s Joseon dynasty into a modern context. The journey begins with Sanga Yorok, a collection of royal court recipes that dates back more than 500 years, a timeframe that will progress chronologically as seasons pass. Chef Choi interprets the ancient text into a contemporary tasting menu, spanning dishes like fermented fish with orange, tomato and fennel.

Jason Leung/Suragan
Jason Leung/Suragan

Hero image: Shade Degges/Juliet


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