Among the local restaurants added: Korean restaurant Sungho in San Francisco; Ethel’s Fancy from chef Scott Nishiyama in Palo Alto; and chef Srijith Gopinathan’s latest restaurant, Eylan, in Menlo Park. Sacramento also had a big showing with the additions of Kin Thai, Majka Pizzeria, and Pho Momma.
It’s a triumphant moment for chef Scott Nishiyama, who left the fine dining world to start Ethel’s Fancy, which he called “a very personal restaurant” at its opening. Imagined as an homage to his mother and maternal grandmother, Nishiyama’s menu skewed toward shareable plates that change with the season, which the guide called “eclectic, down-to-earth Californian cuisine.” The addition of Eylan to the guide is also quite an achievement for Gopinathan and restaurant partner Ayesha Thapar, as it’s their fourth restaurant project in the Bay Area. It’s been a string of hits for the duo, as they had also recently opened the well-received Copra in San Francisco in 2023 and Ettan before that in 2020. At Eylan, Gopinathan’s team serves Indian dishes with a bit of Bay Area influence, cooking dishes by live fire, as he told Eater SF in January. The guide notes that Gopinathan’s “compelling balance of flavors makes each dish stand on its own.”
San Francisco’s Sungho also landed on the list, despite a curious review from San Francisco Chronicle food critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan in November 2024, who inexplicably (and quite accidentally) visited the restaurant on its opening day after a sudden change in chef. That aside, the guide praised the restaurant’s meat stews, such as gukbap and kalguksu, and its raw marinated crab dish yangnyeom-gejang.
This latest announcement is an excellent showing for Sacramento, which did not land any restaurants in the guide back in March, when the first additions for 2025 were released. At the time, reporter Benjy Egel of the Sacramento Bee wrote that “hope isn’t yet lost for additional praise,” though he noted that the Sacramento section had been “stagnant” since 2022 with no new additions in later years. Sisters Napis Lindley and Napak Kongsitthanakor opened Kin Thai in 2020, and the Guide loved the “vibrant, punchy flavors” of their menu. In 2024, the Bee credited Majka Pizzeria as one of the restaurants upgrading the Sacramento pizza scene in the last few years. Pho Momma opened in 2022; the guide noted the charm of the staff and restaurant but stated “it’s the cooking, made with apparent care and high-quality ingredients, that really sets it apart.”
Meanwhile, seven Southern California restaurants were added to the list: Komal in Los Angeles; Somni in West Hollywood; Vin Folk of Hermosa Beach; Atellier Manna in Encinitas; and Lilo in Carlsbad. Oceanside also received a couple of nods, with the addition of Tanner’s Prime Burgers and 24 Suns.
It’s worth noting that these restaurants aren’t quite “starred” just yet — these additions, along with those added to the California Guide in March, are designated as “New” and “Recommended.” That may (or may not) change with the California Michelin Guide ceremony on June 25 in Sacramento, where chefs will learn whether their restaurant is awarded a Michelin star or a spot on the Bib Gourmand list. Becoming an addition to the guide, however, does not guarantee either, although it’s generally considered a good sign ahead of the ceremony.
