Michelin starred restaurants (Not pictured) – Miami Beach’s Ocean Drive restaurants – Photo Credit: baileyc1/Shutterstock.com
The prestigious Michelin Star designation has been awarded to five restaurants in Florida, expanding its top-notch food scene.
Many people acknowledge it as a measure of culinary brilliance. The announcement was made Thursday night at Disney’s opulent Orlando resort.
According to Gwendal Poullennec, worldwide Director of the Michelin Guides, “Florida has proven to be an international culinary destination with the expansion to three new cities and five restaurants being welcomed into the Michelin Star family in this year’s selection.” “We congratulate all of the chefs and restaurants being honored in this year’s selection, and our anonymous inspectors were once again delighted by Florida’s culinary community.”
Some of the winners are only a few hours away, even though no Tampa Bay eateries were on the list this year. The following is a list of the newest Michelin-starred restaurants in Florida.
Two Stars
Sorekara (Japanese restaurant in Orlando)
This eatery in Baldwin Park serves a tasting menu that highlights Japan’s 72 microseasons and includes a number of incredibly inventive dishes, like the “nigiri,” a course that is meant to resemble a convenience shop snack run.
Another indication that this is anything but normal? An inspector wrote, “Sorekara is open for one seating only a few nights a week.”
One Star
Chef’s Counter at MAASS (Fort Lauderdale; Modern Cuisine)
According to the Michelin Guide, Chef’s Counter, housed inside the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale’s MASS dining room, provides a unique dining experience that incorporates Japanese delicacies, French techniques, and a few Florida highlights.
According to an inspector, “courses like the single seared diver scallop over a truffle puree put the ingredients front and center.”
Itamae Ao (Peruvian/Japanese food, Miami)
Itamae Ao, a 10-seat counter in Midtown that serves Peruvian-Japanese food with intense levels of acidity and spice, is described by the Michelin Guide as a “restaurant within a restaurant.”
“From creamy rice with Hokkaido scallops and parmesan to lobster bisque with sweet potato gnocchi, the cooking possesses style and substance in spades,” an inspector remarked.
Konro (modern cuisine; West Palm Beach)
Located in a mixed-use building in West Palm Beach, Konro provides a cozy eating experience. Rich, unmami-packed food and aggressive cookery are what diners can anticipate. The wine combination “isn’t just a suggestion — it’s required,” according to an inspection.
“Dishes like barley risotto with enoki mushrooms, caramelized crispy fried onions, and black truffle shavings, served in a golden egg, showcase the chef’s inventiveness,” the guide states.
Ômo by Jônt (Orlando; modern food)
This Winter Park restaurant, which combines traditional French cooking methods with fresh Japanese ingredients and a few distinctive Florida accents, captures the essence of its equivalent in Washington, D.C.
According to one inspection, “the three tasting menus range from tightly edited and more affordable to loaded with luxury ingredients, while the larger space allows for discrete moments at each meal.”
Additional honors
With EntreNos and Stubborn Seed being honored for their sustainable cooking endeavors, this year’s selection also introduced two new Green Stars to Miami. Click here to view a complete list of restaurants that have won awards.
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
