Right?!? It felt like Garlic & Chives was like throwing the community a tiny bone.
2 Likes
Thanks for saving us a click @brouhaha (and welcome to FTC!).
Itās all subjective, but itās surprising to see Dong Lai Shun mentioned. I think @chandavkl mentioned many dishes tasted like ādishwaterā.
And Grand Harbor listed in the same group as Sea Harbour?! That was the bad Dim Sum restaurant @ipsedixit @chandavkl and literally every single one of our SGV friends has said is overpriced, mediocre Dim Sum. (We went once and I couldnāt go back (it was that mediocre).)
Also Aburiya Raku mentioned in the same group as Tsubakiā¦ that should never be a thing; Tsubaki is so bad (except their Sake program). (Though neither deserve a Michelin Star.)
5 Likes
In the 2009 LA book (before they came up with The Plate), there were only four Korean restaurants: Asianya, Parkās, Seoul Jung (closed), and Yongsusan.
In the current SF book, of 188 restaurants on The Plate list, three are Korean, and only one of those is a traditional place.
https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/san-francisco/restaurants/the-plate-michelin/korean
But you can get two savory and one sweet items at Grand Harbor for under $40. 
True. 
Maybe Parkās BBQ gets a Michelin star.
FWIW, Dha Rae Oak is pretty awesome, so itās nice that it got a mention. From a recent trip:
2 Likes
Thank you so much for the warm welcome!
I agree with your thoughts on the Raku/Tsubaki grouping. Itās weird to see such qualitatively different restaurants in one group.
I also want to echo what was previously said in regards to places like Majordomo getting the āaffordableā designationā¦ It almost looks like a list that someone would make when you try really hard to come up with a great group, but end up having too few restaurants, and so you end up just adding more so that you can make it to ten pages double-spaced with the dots on the iās a different size.
4 Likes
Thanks @PorkyBelly. Yah as @Nemroz @attran99 said, whereās all the Vietnamese cuisine?! LOL. Only 5 restaurants in Orange County are noteworthy?
Ngu Binhās Bun Bo Hue is so utterly delicious, legendary and only $8.99, itās kinda sad they got no mention. And plenty of other standouts in Little Saigon that @Ns1 @JeetKuneBao @hppzz @beefnoguy can chime in on.
Sure, they donāt need a Michelin Star, but not even Bib Gourmand?
(And Kitakata Ramen Bannai (OG) > HiroNori Ramen for sure.)
2 Likes
Parksās didnāt get a star in 2009 and I donāt think theyāve changed.
Maum (Palo Alto) didnāt get a star, so the bar is pretty high.
L.A., I give theeā¦ Michelin.
3 Likes
I can only surmise that service is not part of the judging criteria at this level.
Hilarity. Kudos
LXSO is Vietnamese too, i just learned. apparently itās Tin Vuong (little sister) restaurant within a restaurant concept at Blue & Gold in huntington beachā¦and the dishes look very similar to Little Sister. Not that it makes it any better of course.
Obviously vast majority of Vietnamese spots donāt fit into the Eurocentric evaluation criteria used by Michelināand itās not just about how the food tastes likeā¦itās also the perceived skill involved in the making the food. Vietnamese food just isnāt perceived to have artisanal quality or skill. Michelin evaluators would have to completely blow up their idea of skill and finesseāie, the skill and dexterity of a delicate banh cuon vs. tweezer food,ā¦
3 Likes
If you look at the entries for Napa Valley Wine Country and SF, itās business as usual. Yawners and some expected choices. (Or as the Brits would say, tossersā¦ )
Itās perfectly fine. Our favorite local joints donāt need to be overrun. Places that will get the star instead of the Bib that we donāt want, will happen and places that donāt deserve, will get it also much to everyoneās dismay.
Ngu Binh would appeal only to expats and hard core foodies who seek out the real deal, not meant for tourists.
2 Likes
whatās the over/under on 1986 copping a star?
The stinking rose still in the running for a star
11 Likes
Longo Seafood?! Fuck this shit.
But love the Burritos La Palma selection.
2 Likes
Excuse me. A star? Itās shooting for 3 mind you.
5 Likes
Also just noticed thereās only 1 Ramen restaurant listed - Okiboro Ramen.
Which means either Tsujita Ramen got 1 Star (which is too generous), or it got left off the list entirely and Michelin chose Okiboro over Tsujita. 
No Inaba either. Fantastic Tempura and Soba. Oh well.
1 Like
Could be on The Plate:
The Michelin Plate
While a rating of one to three stars is most coveted by chefs and restaurateurs alike, what usually remains under the radar are the restaurants listed in the red book but have not been awarded a star. These places are, in fact, judged by the same five criteria used for starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants, and are recognized as establishments serving good food.
The Michelin Plate is the symbol for those restaurants that have neither a star nor a Bib Gourmand. For restaurants, being in the selection is the sign of very good food, and the Michelin Plate is the symbol for that. Many restaurants start off by entering the guide and then moving up to getting a star in following years. Some of the factors that may contribute to moving up from a Plate to a star include having talent in the kitchen, ambition and resources, like good suppliers to get the products needed.