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    Home » US Travel » New York

    New York Michelin Stars 2013

    Published: Oct 11, 2012 · Modified: Jul 15, 2022 by Jennifer Che

    Untitled"Foie Gras" at Eleven Madison Park

    It's official! The 2013 Michelin guide for New York City has just been released.

    The Michelin Guide is a guide book published by Michelin (yes, the tire company) that reviews and rates outstanding restaurants around the world. It originated from France in 1900 and was pretty European-centric until 2005, when it published its first guide for the US (New York City, to be more specific). Since then, it has published guides in many cities, including Tokyo, San Francisco, Chicago, and Las Vegas.

    According to the Michelin Guide, one star represents a restaurant that is "very good cuisine in its category".  Two-stars mean "excellent cuisine, worth a detour", and three stars are given to restaurants offering "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey". 
     Fried Asparagus with black truffle
     Cherry Belle Radishes and Miner’s Lettuce with Black Winter Truffle Mayonnaise at Per Se

    There are some notable changes. Several newcomers came onto the list, such as two-star Atera and the following one-star places:  Blanca, Cafe China, The Nomad, Torrisi Italian Specialties, Lan Sheng, and Hakkasan.

    I'm thrilled there are three Chinese restaurants on this list. Hakkasan, a high-end modern Chinese restaurant, is originally from London and hails from the creator of the Wagamama chain (also from London). Cafe China and Lan Sheng are both Sichuan restaurants in Midtown. Out of all the newcomers, Torrisi Italian Specialties is the only one I've tried, and I can definitely attest that the food there is excellent.
    Untitled
    Mosaic of Capon, Foie Gras, and Celery Root at Daniel

    In terms of changes, the original chef of the shojin (temple) cuisine restaurant, Kajitsu, had left earlier this year. We visited Kajitsu right when the new chef had begun. Although it was a great dinner, we weren't blown away with the meal as much as we had hoped. It seems like the Michelin reviewers felt the same way, dropping it from a 2-star restaurant to a 1-star restaurant.

    The three-star champions remain the same as last year.  Out of all those places, Daniel is my favorite in terms of overall experience (the service, food, and ambiance were all just perfect), while Le Bernardin is still my favorite when it comes to the food (love, love, love Eric Ripert's command of seafood).

    Three Stars


    Daniel
    Per Se
    Masa
    Le Bernardin
    Eleven Madison Park
    Jean Georges
    Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
    Untitled
    Uni + Lardon at Marea

    Two Stars


    Corton
    Gilt
    Gordon Ramsey at The London
    Marea
    Momofuku Ko
    Soto
    Atera

    The two star list is still pretty exclusive (such a far cry from Tokyo, which currently has fifty-seven two-star restaurants). I love the food at Marea, although I found the total experience at Momofuku Ko to be more unique, surprising, and overall more interesting and fun. It's not a surprise that a reservation is so difficult to procure.

    One Star


    Adour
    Ai Fiori
    Aldea
    Annisa
    Aquavit
    Tasting Menu
    Parallel Tasting at Aureole in Las Vegas (also 1 star)


    Aureole [Vegas Aureole post]
    A Voce Columbus
    A Voce Madison
    Blanca
    Blue Hill
    Bouley
    The Breslin
    Brushstroke
    Cafe Boulud
    Café China
    Casa Mono
    Danji
    Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen

    Bryan has eaten at way more of these 1-star establishments than I have. I know that he prefers Batali and Bastianich's B&B Ristorante to their 1-star New York establishment, Del Posto.  Neither Bryan or I  was particularly impressed with Aureole when we tried it in Vegas (even though it's also rated a 1-star there).


    Del Posto
    Dovetail
    Dressler
    15 East
    Gotham Bar and Grill
    Gramercy Tavern
    Hakkasan
    Jewel Bako
    Jungsik
    Junoon
    Untitled
    Somen noodles with Summer Cypress at Kajitsu (dropped from 2 stars to 1 star)


    Kajitsu
    Kyo Ya
    Lan Sheng
    Minetta Tavern
    The Modern
    The Nomad
    Oceana

    As I mentioned earlier, I guess I've only had the "1-star" version of Kajitsu because I tried it right when the new chef began. The experience was really interesting and the variety of plants and other ingredients was most definitely exotic. The entire meal just did not blow me away like I had hoped. Perhaps I need to visit Kyoto someday to get the true kaiseki or shojin ryori experience.
    Untitled

    Porterhouse for two at Peter Luger


     Peter Luger
    Picholine - closed
    Public
    Rosanjin
    Rouge Tomate
    Saul
    Seasonal
    Spotted Pig
    Sushi Azabu
    Sushi of Gari
    Tamarind Tribeca
    Tori Shin

    Peter Luger must be one of the few cash-only places on this list (interestingly, contrast that with Japan, where it's not unusual for 3-star Michelin establishments to ask that their $500+ meals be paid by cash). Of course, the steak at Peter Luger is fantastic and probably worth all that hassle (though Carnevino in Vegas is still our all-time favorite steak place),
    roe and smoked fish
    Trout Roe and Smoked Fish at Torrisi Italian Specialties (newly added to the list)


    Torrisi Italian Specialties
    Tulsi
    Wallse
    WD-50 [Wylie Dufresne]

    We loved our meal at Torrisi Italian Specialties, and we haven't even had their famous 20-course dinner tasting. The lunch was excellent, though we still like Il Buco Alimentari's pasta a bit better, and (of course), nothing beats Rome and our favorite place there.

    Thoughts
    Although the Michelin Guide may not catch every great little hidden restaurant in a city, it does a good job of at least choosing excellent restaurants to feature. I've never had a bad meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant, and in general, I agree with their rankings. 3-star establishment tend to be better than 2-stars, which are better than 1-stars.
    P1000200
    Kampachi Tartare from Le Bernardin

    However, I wouldn't just "Michelin-shop" when choosing where to eat in a new city. There are a ton of fantastic restaurants out there that have not been recognized by Michelin.  Heck, entire cities (Boston included!) have never been reviewed by the Guide. In general, it takes a lot more comprehensive research (my favorites are Chowhound boards, local newspaper reviews, local blogs, and confirmation by other "top restaurant" lists) to really get a complete picture of any one city.

    Nevertheless, the Michelin Guide works great, especially if you're short on time (hello business traveler like Bryan!). Chances are, you'll enjoy an excellent meal if you eat at any establishment recommended by the Guide.

    A note from our sponsors:
    Of course it's fun to dine out in New York, but sometimes you'd prefer to have the food brought to you. Consider catering NYC for a change.
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    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

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