Michelin updates California
The California Michelin Guide expanded its watchlist this spring — five new Bay Area restaurants (including a Korean‑Taiwanese spot in Menlo Park) and six new Los Angeles additions were added ahead of the June star announcements. The moves are being read as strong indicators of likely star recipients when the official ceremony hits (sf.eater.com) (la.eater.com).
The Michelin update named 12 specific newcomers on March 25, 2026: San Francisco’s Dingles Public House, La Cigale, Naides and Wolfsbane; Menlo Park’s Yeobo, Darling; Los Angeles’s Corridor 109, Firstborn, Lapaba, Little Fish Melrose Hill, Zira Uzbek Kitchen and Lugya’h; and Montecito’s Little Mountain. (sfgate.com) Inspectors singled out menu moments at several Bay Area additions, noting Naides’ brioche “pandesal” with braised chicken gizzards, Wolfsbane’s Dungeness crab with sweet potato and Maltaise sauce, and Yeobo, Darling’s Korean‑Taiwanese lasagna layered with soy‑braised pork. (sfgate.com) Corridor 109 is described as an 11‑seat, reservation‑only counter in Melrose Hill focused on Japanese‑sourced fish, while Lapaba’s menu explicitly fuses Italian technique with Korean elements such as bulgogi meatballs in truffle tomato sauce. (guide.michelin.com) Los Angeles additions include Little Fish Melrose Hill (a sit‑down iteration of the Echo Park original), Firstborn (a Chinese‑American concept in Mandarin Plaza), Zira Uzbek Kitchen on the Fairfax strip from owner Azim Rahmatov, and Lugya’h’s tlayudas served at Maydan Market. (guide.michelin.com) The Michelin Guide notes these entrants are added to its Selection twice a year and are labeled “New” on the guide and mobile app, with the March 25, 2026 update appearing ahead of the annual distinctions. (guide.michelin.com) Michelin inspectors must visit restaurants multiple times and evaluate criteria such as product quality, mastery of technique, chef personality and consistency — the Guide’s formal star awards will be announced at the annual June ceremony. (tastingtable.com)
