Lei’s double momentum

Lei, a Chinatown wine bar from Annie Shi, is now a finalist for the 2026 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation published its 2026 restaurant and chef nominees on March 31 and listed Lei in the national Best New Restaurant category. The winners are scheduled to be announced in Chicago on June 15. (jamesbeard.org) Michelin has also singled out Lei in New York. The Michelin Guide’s restaurant listing for Lei calls the Doyers Street spot “a gift to the city” and highlights its modern Chinese dishes and wine-heavy room. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin went further in late 2025, giving Shi its New York Sommelier Award and describing Lei as her “autobiographical wine bar.” The guide said the restaurant’s menu is built for family-style Chinese dining rather than strict one-dish, one-wine pairings. (guide.michelin.com) Lei opened on June 6, 2025, at 15-17 Doyers Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Resy said Shi built the project around Chinese food and wine service in a neighborhood better known for bring-your-own-bottle dining rooms. (blog.resy.com) Shi was already known in New York restaurant circles before Lei. Eater reported that Lei is her first solo project after her work as a partner at King in the West Village and Jupiter in Rockefeller Center. (ny.eater.com) That mix of Michelin attention and a Beard finalist slot puts Lei in two of the restaurant industry’s biggest award pipelines less than a year after opening. In New York, that gives a small, 2025-opening Chinatown restaurant national visibility alongside more established dining rooms. (guide.michelin.com) (jamesbeard.org) For now, the next date is June 15, when the Beard Foundation names its 2026 winners in Chicago. Until then, Lei is one of five restaurants still in the running for Best New Restaurant. (jamesbeard.org)