Michelin awarded its maximum three stars to two restaurants in San Francisco, doubling the number of establishments in the city with the top ranking.
The new winners are Benu (pictured), where chef Corey Lee creates dishes that reflect American and Asian influences, such as oyster, pork belly, kimchi; and Saison, where Joshua Skenes serves multi-course tasting menus for $248 in the historic California Electric Light Company building.
The French Laundry and the Restaurant at Meadowood hold onto their three stars in the guide to San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country. Acquerello rises to two stars, making Suzette Gresham the third U.S. woman chef to achieve that ranking.
Winners of a single star include two sushi restaurants: Kusakabe and Maruya, Michelin said today in an e-mailed release.
Three stars mean exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey; two are for excellent cooking, worth a detour; one denotes a very good restaurant in its category.
Michelin & Cie, Europe's largest tire maker, produced its first guide in 1900. It was free of charge until 1920 and was intended for chauffeurs. The volume contained practical information, including street maps and tips on repairing tires. The company is based in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Bloomberg News, edited by Hospitality Ireland
