Interesting all around. Thank you for the insight!
I hope we do see the crowning of a 3-star or two. Although I do think a lot of chefs would rather have 2-stars and be happier than be the only place in town with 3-stars and try to live through the pressure.
I noticed for SGV restaurants, Elite, Newport Seafood and Seafood Palace were not named as Bib Gourmands. Any chance any of them could end up with 1 star, or will they be snubbed this year?
Absolutely. The French Laundry got three stars in the first SF guide in 2007. Alain Ducasse, Le Bernardin, Jean-Georges, and Per Se got three stars in the first NY guide in 2006.
0 chance. Itâll be the end of the red guide if that happens.
More likely The Plate.
Thatâll be really confusing though. Take Elite and Sea Harbour, theyâre both known for their dim sum only but Sea Harbour is relatively pricier. So how can Sea Harbour end up with Bib (restaurants with quality cooking that cost under $40 with 2 course + wine) and Elite with The Plate (restaurants with quality cooking that cost over $40 with 2 course + wine)? Is my interpretation of The Plate still wrong?
A restaurant that is less expensive than a Bib can be a Plate, if the inspectors review it but donât find it âgood enoughâ to be a Bib.
Good to know. As previously mentioned I guess they are more for the established restaurants. It would be pretty crazy if Somni got 3. Thank you for the clarification!
So The Plate is lesser in quality than a Bib (good quality + under $40)?
If THW can get in on the backs of their pork buns Newport Seafood can get in on the back of their lobster.
I suspect (I have NOT been to THW HK) that it simply got a star because Michelin tried to be inclusive in the HK guide. After all, how can it be a âlegitâ guide if no dim sum based restaurant, a signature of Cantonese cuisine, not get any star other than Lei Garden? It could simply be AKA pity star. You can clearly tell by looking at the Cantonese places that got a star (HK BBQ and Wonton Noodle places). Again, these are considered to be quintessential Cantonese stuff.
If you look more closely at the full blown family style Cantonese restaurants that got star(s) in the HK guide, youâll notice that what they do is so far removed from the Canto restaurants that exists in SGV. Itâs simply impossible for them to get a star. Heck, even the famed The Chairman havenât gotten a star in years which pisses off many locals.
I think the only difference is the under-$40 requirement. I donât think the SF guide means to suggest that China Village and Sichuan Home (Bib) are better than Din Tai Fung or Koi Palace (Plate).
Yeah, I think if it is less than $40 and in the Plate it is safe to assume it is (in Michelinâs eyes) not as good as a Bib. However, if it is greater than $40 then price may be why its not in the Bib, not quality.
If price were the only differentiating factor why are there so many Plate restaurants that are under $40?
Great China (Bib) is definitely better than some of The Plate Chinese places. Also, it not only has one of best wine lists in the Bay Area, but it has a very deep and wide selection of Burgundies. That probably helps.
Maybe Bib Gourmand means good food + good wine + good value + theoretically possible to get out for $40 before tax and tip, and The Plate just means good food.
Well, no, most of the SF Bibs have excellent wine lists, but Sichuan Homeâs is shit.
Only checked TFL. It opened in 1994. I thought people were talking about a restaurant getting a star the year it opened. No?
Howlin Ray 1*
That will be the first of its kind. If they start doing that, theyâll need to give one to KBBQ, American BBQ, etc
This might be their âstreet credâ LA wildcard. Especially since it didnât make it to Bib
Itâs conspiciously absent from bib gourmand for a place constantly talked about. But then, it could show up on the Plate instead, where it makes more sense for a place that just serves chicken sandwiches.
If they did get one, it would also be a slap in the face of numerous taco trucks that didnât get one IMO.