5 SoCal Restaurants Added To Michelin Guide

CALIFORNIA — The famed Michelin Guide this month added six Golden State restaurants serving everything from succulent steaks to meaty swordfish schnitzels.

This Michelin distinction marks restaurants that are a worthy destination or detour on any road trip, and its seal of approval draws foodies from far and wide.

"By revealing some of the new additions made by our inspectors throughout the year, we enhance our digital tools to further strengthen the ties that bind us to food lovers," Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, said in a previous Patch interview. "We hope that these regular revelations and updates to the selection throughout the year will provide opportunities to highlight the profession and invite everyone to discover and support the restaurants around them."

Here's the list of additions announced by Michelin last month with inspector notes from the restaurants:

Bansang — 1560 Fillmore St., San Francisco

The cooking at this Michelin-ranked restaurant is "unapologetically contemporary" in its take on Korean cuisine, and is well-loved for readily incorporating ingredients such as parmesan cheese and chorizo into the likes of kimchi fried rice or crispy rice cakes.

Bansang's tapas-style menu also features more classic offerings such as mulhwe, a dish of raw seafood with a chilled fermented bone broth. In addition, Bansang's sweet-tangy soy lime glazed fried chicken was described as a highlight of the menu for its "craggy, ultra-crunchy exterior and juicy, tender meat."

Leona's Sushi House — 11814 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.

This Los Angeles-area eatery is known for both its great ambiance and terrific food. The Japanese fusion menu was dreamt up by Chef Shigenori Fujimoto, Frank Leon and Evan Ross and features dishes such as rich and savory udon carbonara with thin smoked pork belly and creamy egg and Parmigiano.

The restaurant is beloved for its seafood, which includes an impressive ceviche and sashimi-quality halibut bathed in a ponzu sauce vinaigrette.

Niku X — 900 Wilshire Blvd. Ste 212, Los Angeles.

This hidden gem of a restaurant is nestled on the second floor of The Wilshire Grand Central and boasts breathtaking traditional Japanese design elements and a fully open kitchen.

The restaurant features classic Yakiniku-style cooking with contemporary techniques. Beef is the focal point at Niku X, where certified Japanese A5 Wagyu is sourced from the group's privately-owned farm as well as from Australia, Portland and Japan.

Yakiniku courses are cooked over state-of-the-art robotayaki grills and may include hotate (scallops) with Hokkaido uni butter and seven-day, dry-aged steelhead trout.

Selanne Steak Tavern — 1464 S Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach.

This historic setting on Pacific Coast Highway was once a home and now houses a winning steakhouse. The ambiance of Selanne Steak Tavern is warm and welcoming, and guests can enjoy a variety of dine-in settings ranging from the upstairs Loft, the bistro-style Wine Library, the handsome Tavern or the Veranda.

Steak is the focal point of this gem in Laguna Beach. According to Michelin inspectors, the steak "lives up to its promise with tender, well-marbled meat."

Highlights of the menu at Selanne's include thick-seared mushrooms in a Madeira reduction, creamy mashed potatoes and the tavern's monkey bread dessert.

Sushi Yuen — 18558 Gale Ave. unit 100-102., City of Industry.

Sushi Yuen is known in the community for its well-priced lunch. The restaurant prioritizes the use of upscale, super-fresh ingredients above all else.

Highlights of Sushi Yuen's lunch meal include a miso-marinated black cod with crunchy river crab; a caviar-topped West Coast oyster; gamtae seaweed handrolls; and a dessert of preserved persimmon, sweet melon and panna cotta.

Mabel's Gone Fishing — 3770 30th St., San Diego.

This popular gathering place is known for its charm, friendly staff and excellent seafood. The restaurant's menu focuses on blending Californian and Iberian cuisine, and the results are "undeniably delicious."

Highlights of Mabel's Gone Fishing includes a crispy, meaty swordfish schnitzel, oysters and simple crudos.