Vancouver Michelin Guide 2025 winners: Two new stars and one Bib Gourmand addition
The 2025 restaurant additions to the Vancouver Michelin Guide were made official during a gala event on Thursday night.
Two one-star restaurants were added to the city’s list: Sumibiyaki Arashi (with chef and owner Peter Ho at the helm) and Sushi Hyun (chef-owner Juhyun Lee) were both recognized for their high-quality cooking.
Read our review of Sushi Hyun, published March 2025 here.
Good Thief was added as a Bib Gourmand (recognized for good value) winner. Michelin also added two eateries — Elem and Nero Tondo — as recommended restaurant status (recognized for above-average food).
The latest additions to the list see the Vancouver Michelin Guide restaurant total top 76 restaurants.
Read our review of Good Thief, published Sept. 2024 here.
Four special awards were also presented during the ceremony: Exceptional Cocktails Award to Vysion Elter of Good Thief; Sommelier Award to Franco Michienzi of Elisa; Outstanding Service Award to Danielle McAlpine of St. Lawrence; and Michelin Young Chef Award to Juhyun Lee of Sushi Hyun.
All 10 of the city’s one-star Michelin Guide restaurants will hold on to their stars for another year.
Annalena, Barbara, Iden & QuanJuDe Beijing Duck House, OK Kyujiro, Burdock & Co, Published on Main, Sushi Masuda, Kissa Tanto, St. Lawrence and Masayoshi all retained their one-star rankings.
The Michelin Guide Vancouver partners with Destination Vancouver to boost tourism and benefit local businesses, for an undisclosed cost. Michelin operate in cities or regions depending on their tourism appeal (as it is still associated with marketing and boosting Michelin tire sales), its culinary depth, and ability to fund coverage for the guide.
Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, feels the partnership has been a “net positive” both for the city and Michelin, and worth the investment. “Media articles now refer to Vancouver as a Michelin city and it has opened eyes to the depth and diversity of the culinary culture here,” he says.
“Michelin restaurants have customers coming in specifically because they’re on the list and they see a bit of more international and U.S. diners,” he says. “And they’re also able to attract and retain quality employees.”
After a five-year agreement (ends next year), the exclusive partnership that has to-date restricted Michelin to the City of Vancouver will be revisited. As for expanding Michelin coverage to Vancouver’s suburbs and beyond, Chwin says it’s too early and too tricky to comment because there are many factors involved, including ability to pay.
Michelin’s anonymous chief inspector for North America has told Postmedia that inspectors will “keep an eye on other locales as possible culinary hot spots for inclusion.”
The late Joël Robuchon, a legendary French chef with dozens of Michelin stars, has claimed that one Michelin star increases business by 20 per cent and two stars, by 40 per cent. With the coveted three stars, business skyrockets with 100 per cent more business.
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Source: vancouversun.com