I’ll defend Michelin in Japan. I ate at all the three star Japanese restaurants and about half the two stars in Tokyo (several years ago). They were all outstanding, I had no doubts about any of them. Could there be other kaiseki or sushi places in Tokyo that are just as good? Maybe. But you won’t go wrong following Michelin — at least for kaiseki, sushi, and tempura. That’s what makes Michelin valuable. You can be assured of a very good meal at virtually any starred restaurant. I wouldn’t say the same about any other guide (or the bib gourmands / plates).
In my opinion the dubious Michelin rankings in Japan tend to be non-Japanese restaurants.
More like 7 in Tokyo (Japanese only) and a couple in Kyoto. Sorry it offends you but it is relevant to the topic of whether Michelin is useful in Japan (and more generally). I find Michelin extremely useful.
Selby’s: not so special for me, except the phenomenal wine list. 5.3 Warrior points. I’d eat at Gjelina any day over this. The whole Palo Alto area sucks IMO.
Selby’s is more or less a steakhouse with some additional “new American” dishes and so why would anybody compare it to Gjelina when the cooking style between both places has nearly no overlap. This place is very meat focused and you didn’t even eat one meat dish - You often post so random things that it is hard to know if you don’t care to make sense or simply don’t know better.
And, Selby’s isn’t even in Palo Alto (not even the next town next to Palo Alto). And just seeing your restaurant posts in this area shows more that you haven’t done any basic research - there are a number of good places
There are exceptions to that rule, but it’s true. Why don’t you make more of an effort to find the exceptions rather than wasting a bunch of money on mediocre food?
That is quite a wine list.
A 6-oz. petite filet, a 12-oz. NY strip, and a 14-oz. American “wagyu” rib-eye with no indication of for how long or whether they were dry-aged is a sad excuse for a steakhouse.
The two steaks that come with creamed spinach, potatoes, and optionally a popover are steakhouse-style, but that’s just two out of 13 entrees. It’s not a steakhouse or trying to be.
Oh, you’re eating at places Michelin recommends. Shalizar is very good and I’m pretty sure Wakuriya is. Sushi Yoshizumi is great but good luck getting a reservation.
Yes --I’ve been following Michelin recommendations (a hobby of mine), which is why I posted about Selby’s in a Michelin thread. I didn’t think Selby’s was deserving of a star. The risotto was overcooked (not al dente despite the waiter describing it as so), and I didn’t enjoy the flavor. The tuna tartare was too basic. I felt like the lobster main course didn’t come together. Despite these criticisms, I’d go back to Selby’s. It’s a good, comfortable restaurant with an amazing wine list and outstanding service. I just felt like it wasn’t star-worthy.
I’ve been going up to Palo Alto on last-minute business trips, so hard-to-get reservations aren’t feasible. Selby’s and The Village Pub seem to always have reservations available, and Protege also seems doable.
imo, the only place in palo alto/menlo park/mountain view that does something for which a better version can’t be found in LA is garden fresh, doing vegan chinese (https://www.yelp.com/biz/garden-fresh-mountain-view-4).
Only looking for places which are better than any comparable place in LA might set an unrealistic high bar. There are a number of places in that area which provide very good food. Just some ideas (beside those already mentioned) - Camper, Left Bank, Gish, Ethel’s Fancy, Donato Enoteca, Pausa, Pizzeria Delfina, Bistro Vida, Naschmarkt, Kabul Afghan, Zareen, ROOH, Ettan, Sushi Shin, Kenmuri, Vesta, Teleferic Barcelona, Isarn Garden, Meyhouse, Bevri, Tamari
Call me unrealistic, but when I’m traveling, my question is not “where can I get good food that’s not better than or excitingly different from what I can get at home?”
