7 Los Angeles Restaurants Make The MICHELIN Guide

Seven new Los Angeles restaurants have made it as recommended picks in this year’s MICHELIN Guide. Below, see which haute spots made the cut! 

Bar Etoile

Photo Credit: Kort Havens

Cuisine: Californian

It’s not just about (really) great wine at Bar Etoile, though their expansive list with a French focus is certainly a winner. It’s also about their product-driven cooking presenting simple dishes that allow ingredients to shine. Chef Travis Hayden’s menu may be streamlined but there’s something for everyone in this comfortable spot. Appetizers like snap peas served over a bed of lightly smoked ricotta and dressed with nettle gremolata and pickled coriander are proof that this spot looks to the market for its influences. Perfectly moist striped bass with a crispy skin and topped with salsa macha over caramelized sunchoke is a hit, as is the chocolate tart with passion fruit chantilly.

Kusano

Photo Credit: Aoi
Cuisine: Sushi

The menu is nigiri forward, and while most will arrive simply dressed with just a stroke of nikiri and wasabi, some items, like the Hokkaido uni draped with a thin slice of squid and cooked seaweed have a bit more flair. The unfussy sensibility contines through to dessert with a yuzu granita. “”It’s truly a one-man show at this restaurant named for the chef who takes on everything from drink orders and clearing plates to preparing and serving the food. Thankfully for him there are only a handful of seats at his counter, and just two seatings nightly. Reservations are a must, not only because of the limited seating, but because this well-priced omakase has seats going quickly.

Mori Nozomi

Photo Credit: Lalo

Cuisine: Sushi

Chef Nozomi Mori’s sushi counter stands apart from the pack, both for its excellent edomae-style sushi and for its hospitable staff in the front and back of house. Plan in advance to visit this special spot, where there are just eight seats at the wood counter. While the fish is flown in several times a week from Japan, local, seasonal produce is worked into nearly every dish. Even the smallest details matter here, as evidenced by the Japanese ice imported for use in their five-course tea pairing. Begin with a number of dishes, like chawanmushi with gingko nuts, before enjoying the well-executed nigiri. Mochi accompanied by matcha prepared by the chef herself is an elegant final act.

Rasarumah

Photo Credit: DK Kollander
Cuisine: Malaysian

Expect to be greeted with an array of sambals as well as Malaysian classics on Chef Jonny Lee’s Chinese-Malaysian menu. Don’t let the slightly higher price point steer you away, as these large plates are designed for sharing. Pork jowl or chicken satay skewers start things off right, as do ulam bendi with charred okra, and steamed eggplant with sambal and dried shrimp. There are plenty of main dishes to choose from, but beef rendang in a rich and creamy curry accompanied by a buttery roti is a sure thing. To finish, look no further than the cendol sundae with coconut and pandan ice cream with pandan jelly noodles, red bean, gula melaka syrup, and toasted buckwheat.

Restaurant Ki

Photo Credit: Kohada Kaijin
Cuisine: Korean Contemporary

You’ll need to read the instructions sent ahead of time to find the entrance to Chef Ki Kim’s restaurant, but any navigation woes are quickly put to rest once you’re inside this ten-seat spot. The New Korean tasting menu pulls in global influences, and meals begin with a few bites such as shirako gimbap, a shell filled with truffle rice and diced kimchi, or crispy, tender octopus in a creamy sauce with octopus head and gochujang. Charred sugar snap peas with stillhead trout roe and tuna or creamy pasta made with perilla seed and topped with fresh winter truffle display a creative flair. Main dishes include the likes of barbecue roasted squab with foie gras sauce, and 45-day dry-aged dairy cow with golden beet jus and Korean bone broth. A mushroom ice cream sandwich seals the deal.

Seline

Photo Credit: Pete Lee
Cuisine: Californian

You might not expect to be served ice cream in the middle of savory courses, but at Chef Dave Beran’s Seline, surprises are par for the course. This ambitious tasting menu dances between sweet and savory, and delivers on drama. Begin with a cup of mushroom tea before enjoying the likes of roasted leeks with foamy eucalyptus sauce and a banana leaf puree, or dry-aged beef tartare with celery root and a savory granola. The hot mushroom salad steamed in a squash is plated tableside for a bit of drama. Squab served in two parts plates roasted breast with a fennel sausage-stuffed leg for the opener, followed by smoked chocolate and squab liver truffle with strawberry sauce. The chef’s signature golden osetra caviar served atop hazelnuts and a coffee anglaise is the ultimate ending.

Tomat

Photo Credit: Wonho Frank Lee
Cuisine: Californian

Working with local farmers and suppliers to highlight seasonality along with California’s bounty, Tomat features all-day dining, but the cooking turns more serious when the sun sets. The design feels as farm fresh as the ingredients, with red-orange leather seat cushions set against a pale green backsplash. Kick things off with their barbari bread with roasted tomato powder-dusted butter before savoring appetizers like charred seasonal vegetables over a smooth ajo blanco. Main dishes are meant for sharing, and the half Liberty Farms duck is a perfect choice. Deftly cooked with crispy skin, it’s enhanced with a pomegranate and walnut mole. Sticky toffee pudding with a butterscotch sauce and a scoop of burnt milk gelato is the perfect ending.

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