These 9 LA Restaurants Just Nabbed Michelin Honors: How Many Have You Tried?

Published Mar 13, 2024 5:00 AM

A table is laid out with a dazzling array of Italian favorites, including meatballs in red sauce, and slice after slice of pizza (some square cut, some traditional, some thin, some thick.) And there are also several thick slabs of cake and other desserts, as well as a bowl of roasted Brussels sprouts to balance it all out.

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Why this rating matters
Amour
Little Fish
Liu's Cafe
Pollo a la Brasa
Quarter Sheets
sawa
UKA
Sushi Sonagi
Funke

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Getting a table in L.A. just got a little harder.

The Michelin Guide announced 10 additions to its guide to California dining Tuesday — and nine of the new spots are in and around Los Angeles.

The restaurants run the range from a Peruvian chicken place — Pollo a la Brasa in Koreatown — that's the definition of the kind of casual dining that we love here in L.A., to Quarter Sheets Pizza in Echo Park and Sushi Sonagi, an exclusive sushi bar in Gardena that will set you back three figures, easy. The new additions to the guide showcase the wide variety of dining experiences that Los Angeles has to offer.

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Why this rating matters

While this isn’t the coveted Michelin star, the organization's top honor, the mention is still a big deal for many of these restaurants who began from humble origins: they've now earned the title of “recommended” by Michelin.

Sushi Sonagi's IG feed celebrated the recognition this way: "WOW... Our family is incredibly proud and honored to be included and to represent the city of Gardena, South Bay, and Los Angeles! Thank you to all our guests for cheering us on and for completing our purpose and we promise to only get better and keep pushing for you!!"

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This new crop of restaurants represents a continuing shift for the Michelin Guide, which was famous for highlighting fine dining establishments in certain geographic locations (think Los Angeles, San Francisco, Napa.)

However, the organization has recently made great strides inviting diners to explore beyond traditional dining destinations: Heritage in Long Beach nabbed the only Michelin Star awarded to a California restaurant last year.

Michelin’s full guide to California dining will be unveiled later this year. Until then, Michelin has been adding to its dining list here and there — a kind of amuse-bouche while we wait.

“We hope that these regular revelations and updates to the selection throughout the year will provide opportunities to highlight the profession and invite everyone to discover and support the restaurants around them,” Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides, said in a statement announcing the newest inclusions on the list. Here they are, along with their price point and guide description.

Amour

A collage of side-by-side images: On the left, is the interior of a restaurant that will make you feel like you were whisked away to a Parisian brasserie, from the smartly striped seating to the sconces that adorn each table, and the ivy making its way up the brick wall decor. On the right is a charger and matching white plate, serving up seared pieces of fish resting on a bed of diced carrots and a clear, saucy broth. The knife is perched on a decorative rest, so you know this is fine dining.

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Location: 8715 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
Guide description: $$$$ · French Contemporary
AmourWeHo.love

Little Fish

A collage of side-by-side photos: On the left, a jammy egg is perched over a rice dish that is served in a white bowl and accented with mushrooms and strips of scallion. On the left, is a seafood served on toast and accented with slivers of red onion, seafood and whole-grain mustard and sprigs of parsley.

Location: 1606 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park
Guide description: $ · American
LittleFishEchoPark.com

Liu's Cafe

A collage of side-by-side photos: On the left, is a marble table busy with a cup of milky tea, a shallow dish of chili oil, a bowl of noodles, a fried rice dish, and more. More tea is brewing in a nearby pot, and a pair of dark wooden chopsticks are at the ready. On the right, the simple interior of a cafe, with dark brown wooden seating, a large brass lighting ornament overhead, and dark brown high top tables.

Location: 3915 1/2 W. 6th St., Los Angeles
Guide description: $ · Chinese, Taiwanese
LiusCafe.com

Pollo a la Brasa

A to-go container is piled high with juicy charred chicken legs, and tucked along side it are two plastic containers filled with a dazzling herbacious green sauce for drizzling and dipping.

Location: 764 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles
Guide description: $ · Peruvian
@Pollo-a-la-brasa

Quarter Sheets

Location: 1305 Portia St., Los Angeles
Guide description: $$ · Pizza
@QuarterSheets

sawa

A collage of side-by-side photos: On the left is the darkened interior of a high-end restaurant. The seating is black leather, and black napkins are perched just so along the ornate sushi bar. on the left, a striking piece of earthenware pottery holds a delicate seafood adorned with edible flowers. Next to it, a cold drink is accented with a spiral of citrus and lavendar. The meal is served on a moss-covered tablesetting. The lighting in both photos is low, creating a dark and mysterious mood for diners.

Location: 111 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles
Guide description: $$$$ · Japanese, Sushi
BarSawa.us

UKA

A collage of side-by-side photos: On the left, a delicate piece of fish is set off by a creamy sauce and delicate, dill-like strands of geenery on top. The meal is served in striking gray earthenware. On the right is a look inside the dark, sleek, minimalistic interior of the restaurant where there is a single piece of art visible on the wall.

Location: 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles
Guide description: $$$$ · Japanese Contemporary
JapanHouseLA.com

Sushi Sonagi

A collage of side-by-side photos: The photo on the left shows the spare minimalistic interior of an upscale sushi restaurant. The photo on the right shows one of the menu items, it almost looks to pretty to eat: It's a delicate, fluted pastry cup laden with a bite that has been topped off with roe and decorated with edible flowers.

Location:1425 W. Artesia Blvd., Gardena
Guide description: $$$$ · Japanese, Sushi
@Sushi.Sonagi

Funke

A collage of side-by-side images: On the left, a stone table top is adorned with one plate after another holding Italian favorites including delicate ravioli, a roasted and stuffed artichoke, and a pizza with fresh basil torn on top. The photo on the right shows the dramatic entrance to Funke, with its deep red doors flanked by black panels, all set off by strategic lighting.

Location: 9388 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills
Guide description: $$$$ · Italian
FunkeLA.com

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