MICHELIN Guide Inspectors spend all year on the road uncovering the best restaurants to recommend and today, the Michelin Guide released a sneak peek of the 2024 MICHELIN Guide Florida selection featuring nineteen new additions spread across the Sunshine State.
From key lime pies to Cuban sandwiches, Florida’s ever-growing list of MICHELIN Guide restaurants (137 if you’re keeping count) is as diverse as they come. With this year’s newest additions spread across Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Winter Park, that list has gotten even larger.
In Orlando, there are five new restaurants (including one in Winter Park). Some of these have opened very recently so these Inspectors are very up to date. Read on for the Michelin Guide’s notes and the full list.
What other Orlando restaurants are missing from this list right now? Join the conversation on facebook.com/tastychomps!
Orlando
Zaru
Cuisine: Japanese
This sleek, Mills 50 eatery is located in the same strip as the Tien Hung Market. With an upbeat playlist and an attractive dining room, the restaurant specializes in chewy noodles made from wheat sourced from Japan’s Kagawa Prefecture. Ikura, tempura and top-notch ingredients like Hokkaido uni and A5 Kagoshima wagyu pair with broths of wonderful smokiness and depth.
Sushi Saint
Cuisine: Japanese
Mike Collantes, Chef/owner of Soseki, has another hit on his hands with Sushi Saint. This downtown temaki spot lures guests with its lounge-y vibe and contemporary design. The team takes great care in sourcing high-quality rice and nori for their cone-shaped temaki, and while the hand rolls take center stage, their small plates, like Sichuan cucumbers with chili crunch, are worth trying.
Natsu
Cuisine: Japanese
There are just two seatings a night at this intimate omakase, where a ten-seat counter dominates a spartan-styled room. Meals begin with four dishes from the kitchen, 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.
Camille
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Chef Tung Phan has taken the pop-up and given it permanence at this space just off Lake Baldwin. Rooted in French techniques, Vietnamese flavors are given a refined twist here. 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.
Winter Park
Chuan Fu
Cuisine: Chinese
The large Szechuan menu features many of the classics served in a traditional family-style manner, and the solid cooking shows its skill with layered flavors and bold takes. First, tuck into the cucumber salad, with its punch of soy and garlic, before settling into the Chongqing chicken with its chili and peanut garnish.
