Michelin’s CA Shakeup
The Michelin Guide’s 2026 midyear update added six Los Angeles restaurants and five Bay Area venues to its California selection — a clear sign which kitchens are on star-watch lists for the next ceremony (latimes.com) (sfist.com). The LA additions include a tasting-menu fine‑dining spot plus Korean‑Italian and Uzbek fusion concepts that signal Michelin’s widening appetite for hybrid global talent (latimes.com).
Los Angeles’s six new entrants are Corridor 109, Firstborn, Lapaba, Little Fish Melrose Hill, Lugya’h, and Zira Uzbek Kitchen. (guide.michelin.com) Corridor 109 is an intimate, reservation-only counter with just 11 seats led by chef-owner Brian Baik and centered on a seafood-focused tasting menu that sources much of its fish from Japan. (guide.michelin.com) Firstborn opened in Chinatown’s Mandarin Plaza under chef-owner Anthony Wang, occupying the long-vacant former Pok Pok space and positioning Wang’s Chinese‑American tasting and sharing dishes as a centerpiece of the room. (la.eater.com) Lapaba bills itself as a Koreatown pasta bar with housemade pastas and menu highlights such as bulgogi meatballs with milk bread, radiatore with short‑rib ragu, and a mix of Korean and Italian preparations listed on its dinner menu. (guide.michelin.com) Zira Uzbek Kitchen is the Fairfax District concept from owner Azim Rahmatov, while Lugya’h operates inside Maydan Market with chef Alfonso Martinez known for hearty tlayudas and counter‑service portions. (guide.michelin.com) The Bay Area additions are Wolfsbane, Restaurant Naides, Dingles Public House, La Cigale, and Yeobo, Darling in Menlo Park. (sfist.com) Wolfsbane opened in Dogpatch from Rupert and Carrie Blease with a multi‑course tasting format; Restaurant Naides occupies the former Sons & Daughters space in Nob Hill with an 11–15 course Filipino tasting menu from chef Patrick Gabon; Dingles Public House debuted in Hayes Valley serving classic British pub dishes like beer‑battered fish and chips and Scotch eggs; La Cigale is a 15‑seat Glen Park counter cooking over live fire under chef Joseph Magidow; and Yeobo, Darling in downtown Menlo Park is run by Michael and Meichih Kim, the team behind the former Michelin‑starred Maum. (guide.michelin.com)
