Michelin’s third annual list of Toronto choices is set to be announced tonight. This time they will be “featuring selections from beyond Toronto” .
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“Beyond Toronto” - I would be shocked if an obese bunny excluded from any mention.
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Frilu (before it closed) was “beyond Toronto” … LOL
But I’m guessing they mean even further out places such as Hexagon in Oakville, Langdon Hall in Cambridge or RPM in Jordan Station …
Will be watching on the sideline tonight … with popcorns in hand … LOL
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Well, maybe slightly more nerve-wracking this time around …
A couple of the restaurants lost star … a few new ones awarded star … a few newly selected ones … a few new Bibs …
Until next year! LOL
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Few drop outs. Interestingly I tried hexagon a few years ago and had to trek all the way to Oakville. I think it was decent but not worth the trek.
Surprised Lucie didn’t get one as they were really good.
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DaNico, Hexagon in Oakville , Pearl Morissette in Jordan Station, and The Pine in Creemore were each awarded one star. Four new Bib Gourmands: Berkeley North, Conejo Negro, Guru Lukshmi and Rasa. Alobar Yorkville and Yukashi have lost their stars.
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Lucie is “recommended”.
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Not surprised they got a bib. Really good dosa there. Reasonably priced, as well.
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Yup solid dosas.
As expected, Fat Rabbit was mentioned.
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Yeah, Alobar Yorkville and Yukashi lost their stars.
So far nobody’s commented on the ‘headline’ omissions.
Neither George nor Canoe have received a star in the three years of reviewing. Plus LSL has failed to garner an entry of any kind.
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100% agree with your ’ LUCIE ’ remark! Maybe next year?
To me, this 2024 Edition is extremely upsetting!
I have been following and using the little red book as my 'chow reference ’ since I worked in Paris on an Oil & Gas mega project in 1991. My supervisor, who at that time, had eaten in ALL Michelin 2 and 3 stars establishments in France was my ‘culinary’ mentor and together, we treated the guide as our trusted ’ foodie bible '!
Based on my own and our subsequent 127 Michelin star and non-star establishments visited, recommendations by the guide were 99% trustworthy and spot on! A few exceptions being some ethnic restaurants based in Paris!. Also, according to Michelin’s North America Marketing Manager, who became my friend, I was the first person who ordered the New York Guide in 2005! As such, I can attest that, with an abundant of Michelin knowledge and experience under my belt, I was STUNNED to see - according to their award guideline:
" In awarding stars and recommendations, Michelin considers the quality and freshness of the ingredients , the technical skill and flair that goes into the preparation, the clarity of the flavours, the VALUE FOR MONEY and ultimately, the taste. Of equal importance is the consistency in replicating the excellent food, time and time again.
The decoration, service and comfort level have no bearing on the award!!
PLUS their venture outside of Toronto, that NOT A SINGLE OF OUR EXCELLENT CHINESE RESTAURANT IN MARKHAM, RICHMOND HILL and SCARBOROUGH receive a single mentioning??!! Instead? Some pseudo -Chinese restaurants like Sunny’s and Mimi’s, with non-Chinese owners and management were given questionable accolades?!!
GO FIGURE???!!! 
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I wonder if the ordering style in Chinese restaurants affect this? I’ve not been to Sunny’s nor Mimi’s. But when I go to a Chinese restaurant, I need to gather a group of friends so we can order many dishes or the set menu. Because if we go as two, we can probably only manage an appetizer, main, and rice and we would be full. Sometimes the main is so large (like Szechuan boiled spicy fish with pickled vegs) that one of those and rice is enough for the two of us.
Do Michelin inspectors dine in groups that large? And if they do, do they get noticed and unveiled as inspectors? How about the starred restaurants in Hong Kong (which I’m not familiar with at all)? Are they banquet style? Or are they tasting menu / small dishes? Do the inspectors have to try all the items on the menu?
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Michelin is now in Hong Kong, Macau, all over China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan…etc. All restaurants there operate with similar Modus Operandi!!..yet, stars and recognitions are going out everywhere!
Also, if Vancouver’s Peking Duck specialist “QJD” is a one star, why then their only North American offshoot, “QJD Markham” did not even get a mention in the TO guide? Standard of the two ain’t that much of a difference!
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The city of Toronto ends at Steeles Ave. to the north and Frilu (before they closed) was north of Steeles in Thornhill. So technically, they were “beyond Toronto.”
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’ Simulicious ’ in Markham and also ’ beyond Toronto ’ was on the Bib list for the past 3 years!!
Doubt Michelin have a fixed and rigid system?!
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I suspect LSL didn’t open in time to “catch the inspections” for this year … maybe next year? Curious to see though. But regardless, it’s still out of my price point.
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SumiLicious is on the south - Scarborough - side of Steeles, so just barely within the Toronto borders. Frilu was Michelin’s one and only restaurant outside of the 416 before yesterday’s announcement.
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