Inside the Florida Michelin Ceremony
Inside the Florida Michelin Ceremony
Nine new restaurants receive One Star and two restaurants achieve Green Star status
There was a pulse of joyous electricity in the air as Florida’s best chefs and restaurateurs gathered at the Tampa Edition Hotel for the state’s third Michelin Ceremony. As attendees checked in they were offered champagne and caviar before moving to the hotel’s lounge, Punch Room, for cocktails and camaraderie.
Being the third time attending for many chefs helped quell the nerves apparent at the first ceremony, held in Orlando in 2022. Still, a Michelin designation, including Bib Gourmands and Stars, must be earned each year, giving an element of surprise (and a rise in blood pressure) to the industry professionals attending.
In total, 149 restaurants make up the 2024 Florida Michelin Guide which encompasses Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. 71 Miami restaurants are included in the Guide (39 recommended, 18 Bib Gourmand, and 14 Starred), 48 Orlando/Winter Park restaurants (30 recommended, 11 Bib Gourmand, and 7 Starred), and 30 Tampa restaurants (21 recommended, 4 Bib Gourmand, and 5 Starred).
Nine restaurants (three in Miami, four in Orlando, and two in Tampa) were added to the one-star roster, bringing the total number to 26. Once again, the only restaurant to earn two Michelin stars was Miami’s L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. So far, Florida has not received a three-star distinction — an honor reserved for only 13 restaurants in the United States. In addition, two restaurants received green stars for their sustainable practices.
Four special awards were also announced: Justin Levaughn (Otto’s High Dive in Orlando) won the Exceptional Cocktails award, Gabriela Ospina (Miami’s Boia De) won the Sommelier award, Israel Perez (Orlando’s Victoria & Albert’s) won the Outstanding Service award, and Tam Pham (Tam Tam) received the Young Chef award.
The ceremony started with a taped statement from Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the Michelin Guides. “Since the arrival of the Michelin Guide to Florida in 2022, there has been significant growth in the state’s local culinary scene, proving Florida is a leading gastronomic destination for travelers near and far,” he said.
After the ceremony, attendees were invited to the Edition rooftop for cocktails, light bites, and music under the stars. Hugs and high fives were shared, new Michelin chef coats were modeled, and stars were proudly displayed.
Florida’s new Michelin-Starred restaurants, including inspector notes, are as follows. Find the complete Florida Michelin Guide here.
Orlando
Camille (Vietnamese cuisine)
Chef Tung Phan has taken the pop-up and given it permanence at this space just off Lake Baldwin. Seats at the counter feature the ten-course Vietnamese-French tasting menu, while booths offer an abbreviated version. Rooted in French techniques, Vietnamese flavors are given a refined twist here. The Dungeness crab curry arrives with a tartlet shell, filled with crab meat and mixed with lime, served atop the lid, which when removed, reveals a deliciously hearty curry. Salmon over king trumpet noodles in a tamarind and pineapple sauce is creative, but the best may be saved for last. The sweet potato brioche topped with a “gold” chocolate ice cream and Vietnamese coffee sauce is an elegant finale.
Natsu (Japanese cuisine)
At Natsu, there are just two seatings a night at this intimate omakase where a 10-seat counter dominates a spartan-styled room. Meals begin with four dishes from Chefs Stone and Sky, including chawanmushi and truffle kampachi, served with crispy potato straws and a yuzu truffle vinaigrette for an unexpected flavor combination that is especially memorable. The sushi is impressive and doesn’t gild the lily, as in skin-on barracuda with a dynamic char or soy-marinated salmon that finishes ever-so-sweetly. Supremely buttery toro needs no flourish and is melt-in-your-mouth tender. It all rounds out with a hand roll and ice cream.
Papa Llama (Peruvian cuisine)
Husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Maria Ruiz prepare modern Peruvian cuisine full of bright ingredients with a bit of polish, and the multicourse tasting menu is an approachable (and affordable) way to sample their sincere cooking. Nigiri kicks off the meal with a smart nod to the Peruvian tradition of Japanese fusion, delivering dialed-in flavors with confidence. Bok choy is elevated with bold, contrasting textures, while chicken thigh roulade with aji amarillo aioli is simply spectacular. For dessert, sweet potato donuts over a blueberry compote seal the deal.
Victoria & Albert’s (Contemporary cuisine)
Nestled within Disney’s crown jewel, the Grand Floridian Resort, this restaurant is by no means an easy reservation. The setting is intimate, and the pacing is that of a leisurely, three-hour waltz orchestrated by a gracious brigade of veteran servers. Chef Matthew Sowers cooks with contemporary verve and draws on influences spanning from Asia to the Nordics. Think delicate tarts set with New Zealand langoustine, striking “sandwiches” made with venison carpaccio and red cabbage, and bold sauces like cherry-cola bordelaise. Other details like water lists, an ornate coffee and tea service, and a serious wine program further impress.
Miami
EntreNos (Contemporary cuisine)
Chefs Evan Burgess and Osmel Gonzalez are at the helm of this dinner-only spot where a tightly edited à la carte menu puts the spotlight on Florida’s seasons (and almost everything is sourced from the Sunshine State). The eclectic space has an inviting feel, and the high dining counter offers a prime view of the open kitchen. High-quality ingredients meet serious skill here. The smoked dry-aged cobia is a perfect example of what this place does so well. Dry-aged for one week in-house, then smoked and finished over the grill, it’s served with a Moujean tea beurre blanc sauce. Pumpkin flan is churned into ice cream and topped with pepita granola and coffee espumita for a dessert that is as unexpected as it is delightful.
Ogawa (Japanese cuisine)
Chef/co-owner Masayuki Komatsu commands a presence with an omakase that stuns with a series of enticing cooked dishes and a procession of focused and skillful nigiri. From baby sea eels with a soy-cured quail egg and bigfin reef squid in a shiso-miso sauce to baby snow crab and Japanese-style herring roe, this appetizer of four bites is the first sign that this isn’t your typical sushi counter. Then, lotus root, wild yam and langoustine tempura is sided by a thick sauce made from roasted langoustine shells. After the cooked dishes, nigiri comes next with bright and balanced kisu, creamy ebodai, squid topped with osetra caviar and anago dusted with sansho pepper exemplifying the chef’s skill.
Shingo (Japanese cuisine)
Chef Shingo Akikuni, ever gracious and welcoming, has returned, now back in action behind a spacious, 14-seat counter in Coral Gables. Chef Akikuni and his second-in-command handle the crowd without breaking a sweat and even switch sides midway through the meal. Once the room fills with the sharp smell of vinegar to mix into the sushi rice, it’s off to the races. Fish is sourced almost entirely from Japan, sliced in uniform fashion, and dressed with little more than a swipe of nikiri. They keep a close eye on the seasons too, evidenced by a recent special of high-grade tuna from Aomori prefecture and an indulgent chawanmushi with matsutake.
Tampa
Ebbe (Contemporary cuisine)
Chef Ebbe Vollmer’s eponymous downtown dweller isn’t your typical Tampa restaurant. Scandinavian elements make their way onto the dishes here, hinting at the chef’s Swedish background, and the cooking is both clever and confident without superfluous fuss. Artful plating takes center stage in dishes like the beet roulade with a brown butter and black cherry sauce. Fermented white asparagus beurre monté and sautéed spinach make a beautiful base for tender turbot that comes alive with a quenelle of sturgeon caviar. Braised oxtail with seared foie gras and a brunoise of sunchoke is equally rich and tender.
Kōsen (Japanese cuisine)
Though a two-concept spot (Kō is a separate space for kaiseki), all eyes should be on the omakase, which Chef Wei Chen runs with skill and precision. Delicate sea bream wrapped around sprouts with shaved black truffle delivers dialed-in flavors, while tempura-fried kamasu, served with myoga and chilled, roasted sweet eggplant, is smart and spot on. After a handful of dishes from the kitchen, they progress into the nigiri. There’s plenty of showmanship and style, but the sushi leans traditional without a lot of fuss, as in the kinmedai, seared, then hit with a squeeze of lime.
MICHELIN Green Star
Kaya (Orlando; Filipino cuisine)
Initiatives: more than 90% of produce comes from Florida farms; sourcing produce and seafood from local suppliers with the intention of improving the local restaurant-farmer-community ecosystem; minimizing waste through intentional and creative utilization of byproducts.
Los Félix/Krüs Kitchen (Miami; Mexican/Contemporary cuisine)
Initiatives: elimination of using seed oils; partnership with a local producer who farms on a milpa and fosters the harmony of vegetables; sourcing fish species from a local supplier; grass-fed/grass-finished meats, lamb and heritage pork.