The prestigious California Michelin Guide–which included two Culver City restaurants in its previous edition–will still return in 2021 after being canceled due to the pandemic.
As reported by Eater Los Angeles, the California Michelin Guide will be published in late September after not putting out a guide in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The guide functions off a rating system of one, two or three stars, with only the most prestigious of restaurants achieving the coveted three-star rating. The Michelin guide was first published in 1900 by the tire company as a way to get European travelers to drive and visit their local restaurants. It has turned into a well-known guide book with even a one-star rating being considered a huge accomplishment.
n/ naka
3455 Overland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
Chef Niki Nakayama’s upscale kaiseki restaurant, which first opened its doors in 2011, is one of the most prominent of its kind in Southern California. Los Angeles Times critic, the late Jonathan Gold wrote that “the sheer level of cooking in this modest bungalow eclipses what you find in grand dining rooms whose chefs appear in national magazines.” Kaiseki is a more than just a cuisine; it’s an experience and the pinnacle of Japanese dining. In addition to Michelin’s 2- star rating, n/ naka also earned Zagat’s number one spot in Los Angeles.
Vespertine
3599 Hayden Avenue
Culvery City, CA 90232
Chef Jordan Kahn’s Verspertine is a 22- seat tasting menu restaurant that is a self- described “gastronomical experience seeking to disrupt the course of modern restaurant” according to its website. Located in Culver City’s Hayden Tract, the reservations only dining experience will set you back at least $250 per person for a (rumored) 18- course meal. Shrouded in mystery, the 2- star restaurant is one of those you- have- to- see- it- to- believe- it establishments complete with an original score and unique menu you won’t see anywhere else.