I’m glad to see that the reactions to the release have been mostly positive. This thread and social media have not been as negative as I thought. I guess Michelin did something right.
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I’m not sure the food, plating or anything about Playground 2.0 says Michelin. That being sais the food is excellent and they use high quality, well sourced ingredients. The dry aging fish process is a new revelation. The atmosphere is super casual. Some of the inspectors might faint after hearing all the f bombs dropped by Jason during dinner.
Consistency is not a yes or no thing, some restaurants are more consistent than others. Of course you have to be consistent to get one star, but you have to be even more consistent to get two stars. Hayato may be consistent enough for one star, but not two, even though in other respects it may be worth two stars.
You clearly have not been to Saison in at least 4 years. Saison kept its stars even after the menu was reduced to 6-7 courses. So the number of courses reducing is NOT the reason it lost a star. (As a side note, I don’t think Saison was ever serving 28 courses. I have been to Saison many times over the years and 15-20 courses was the max. Do you still recall what the courses were? )
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Day’s not over yet… lol
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There’s a link to a photo spread of pretty much the same series.
With all the animosity shown by Eater toward Michelin, their own guide looks remarkably similar except that Michelin has the courage to further defined what’s “good”, “great”, and “greatest” is to them. 
That was when they had one star at a different location…totally different restaurant…you’re only contradicting yourself now, since by this evidence it seems to be less courses->more stars. Saison only got three stars after they reduced the number of courses, and now that it went back up, they lost a star.
Ah, OK. I hadn’t heard about the changes until they’d been in place for a while.
Nice insight from Bill Addison.
He isn’t exactly an unbiased source. His livelihood is at stake if Michelin gains more traction than his reviews, so he, along with Pete Wells, Soleil Ho, Tom Sietsema, etc. all have to say bad things about Michelin. If he doesnt agree with a place like Urasawa getting 2 stars and thinks some place like Bavel deserves a star, I think I trust Michelin’s group of inspectors more than him. Pete Wells is rough on Michelin for being “elitist” but his NYT stars at the 4 and largely 3 star levels are just as bad if not worse. The point it, a restaurant critic whose ratings or reviews are competing with Michelin’s is not going to have good things to say about Michelin.
What is that list?
I love Bill Addison’s writing but I don’t agree with a few things he wrote.
It’s fine that he has doubts about an inspector’s credentials but at least the guide supposedly visits a restaurant repeatedly before gifting away a star and it’s rinse and repeat with anonymous inspectors each year. Whereas I’m not even sure if Bill Addison goes to the restaurant multiple times before he a review. On top of that, it’s easy for a restaurant to ensure that he has a perfect meal since he’s a known figure…lastly, once he writes a review, that restaurant doesn’t get another look for years. How exactly is that fair to a restaurant if they happen to have an off day on his visit?
By my count only two of the Eater 38 got Michelin stars. Maybe most got Bib Gourmand or The Plate, but that’s hundreds of restaurants.
A.O.C.
Animal Restaurant
The Arthur J
Bäco Mercat
Bavel
Bestia
Elite Restaurant
Felix
Gish Bac Restaurant
Here’s Looking At You
Howlin’ Ray’s
Joy
Kismet
Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant
Lukshon
Luv2eat Thai Bistro
Ma’am Sir
Majordomo
Mariscos Jalisco
Mizlala
n/naka **
Night + Market Song
Otafuku
Otium
Park’s Barbeque
Petit Trois
Pizzana
Pizzeria Mozza
Republique
Rosaliné
Rose Cafe-Restaurant
Rossoblu
Shaanxi Garden
Somni **
Sonoratown
Spago
Sqirl
Tsubaki
But you can see my point where the same restaurants appear on both guides.
With my eye test, 27 of the 38 restaurants appeared on the Michelin guide…
Sorry, I meant only to put it in alphabetical order.
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i believe he goes to restaurants at least 3 times. usually goes a month or two after they’ve opened or even longer depends on when they can get there.
Fair enough, but my other points still stand.
I like his writing too but he is also “Columbusing” when he writes, “Thai Town’s defining Jitlada.”
Give me a fucking break. Jitlada itself (let alone scores of other defining Thai restaurants) existed for years in Thai Town (and in the Valley) long before Jazz/Tui and a “re-born” Jitlada got famous. It’s like saying Wolfgang Puck invented pizza.
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