‘new discoveries’
The dining world’s prestigious Michelin Guide has named 10 Bay Area restaurants as “new discoveries” — a prelude to the upcoming release of its California stars.
The finds range from an eclectic Cal-Viet restaurant in San Leandro to a contemporary Indian bistro in Los Altos to a barbecue sensation in Oakland.
Michelin’s announcement is the first in the region that covers San Francisco Bay Area/Wine Country since the June 2019 first statewide guide. In the 2019 Michelin Guide for California, 90 restaurants earned star-studded spots. Of those, 59 were in the Bay Area. The guidebook also listed the 151 restaurants that won Bib Gourmand awards for good food at reasonable prices.
The dining reviewers decided against awarding its coveted stars in 2020 because of the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic and California wildfires had on the restaurant industry.
The 2021 guide is scheduled for release in late September.
Will the praise for these restaurants, which are listed as “new additions” on the guide’s website, be elevated to Michelin stars come this fall? Or become Bib Gourmand honors, the Michelin awards given to restaurants that offer “excellent food at reasonable prices” to diners? It’s a wait-andsee situation for these chefs.
Here is the list of the additions, along with dining notes from the Michelin inspectors.
AURUM, LOS ALTOS » “Thanks to the collaboration between Chef Manish Tyagi and Owner Anupam Bhatia, the menu is an homage to India’s forgotten recipes. Every dish is elegantly composed, and flavors are infinitely varied.”
ETTAN, PALO ALTO » “Chef Srijith Gopinathan brings his impressive pedigree and unique brand of upscale Indian cooking to Palo Alto. Kulchas are a menu highpoint, deliciously stuffed with the likes of peak-season peas andricotta, and served with a bright green kale chutney.”
KHOM LOI, SEBASTOPOL » “Extensive travel throughout Thailand has informed and inspired this team to bring a taste of Chiang
Mai to Sebastopol. The housemade Thai sausage is superb; and the paste for all the curries are made in house, with our favorite being the green curry with Manila clams and potatoes.”
HORN BARBECUE, OAKLAND » “This local sensation from Matt Horn serves up ‘West Coast Barbecue’ set within a cool, warehouse-style space. Employing his family’s cooking traditions and all manner of meat-smoking, the chef
turns out brisket, pulled pork and sausages — all unfussy, yet irresistible.”
NORTH BLOCK, YOUNTVILLE » “Chef Nick Tamburo had big shoes to fill following the closure of longtime favorite, Redd Wood, but he’s made it look effortless. Start with thin slivers of kampachi garnished with preserved perilla or swipe large corn and nori fritters through a cloudlike mousse of corn studded with trout roe. Wood-fired pizzas are a nod to the previous tenant.”
ROUTIER, SAN FRANCISCO » “Belinda Leong and Michel Suas have long been recognized as pastry royalty in the Bay Area, so naturally, this foray into sit-down dining is a treat. To sweeten the pot even further, they tapped JP Carmona, formerly chef de cuisine at Manresa, to lead the kitchen.”
TOP HATTERS KITCHEN, SAN LEANDRO » “Husband-and-wife coowners Matthew Beavers and DanVy Vu opted to honor this fixture’s former life as a familyowned hat shop by keeping the name. The well-crafted cocktails are also dubbed with nods to millinery. Chef Vu’s skillful contemporary combination of Vietnamese and Californian flavors is tantalizing.”
3RD COUSIN, SAN FRANCISCO » “Locals now pack this intimate spot for hand-made pastas, such as porcini- and black truffle-ravioli; as well as less conventional indulgences, such as uni crème brûlée with caviar. The Wagyu flat-iron steak with maitake-bordelaise also hit the mark.”
RÊVE BISTRO, LAFAYETTE » “The staff are a smooth, efficient bunch; and the bistro menu from chef/ owner Paul Magu-Lecugy spans the classics. Think gougères and wild boar pâté, to a heartier plate of noisettes de chevreuil poélées. The lemon meringue tart is a sublime way to cap off the meal.”
MARLENA, SAN FRANCISCO » “Husband-and-wife team David Fisher andSerenaChowFishermanage both the savory and sweet side of things. Diners will appreciate the precise technique and subtle, yet imaginative use of ingredients found throughout the seasonal menu.”