Downtown Sushi Hyun is one of two Vancouver restaurants that earned a Michelin star in 2025.Sushi Hyun/The Canadian Press
For the fourth year in a row, the Michelin Guide, which is, yes, put out by the French tire company, has bestowed a couple more restaurants in Vancouver with its coveted stars.
Both of the Michelin stars awarded this year went to Japanese restaurants: cozy yakitori bar Sumibiyaki Arashi in Mount Pleasant, and the luxurious Sushi Hyun downtown, where chef Juhyun Lee also earned the Michelin Young Chef award.
The tiny Sushi Hyun can serve omakase to only a handful of customers at a time.Sushi Hyun/The Canadian Press
Meanwhile, Good Thief earned a Bib Gourmand nod for its lively Vietnamese cuisine and standout cocktails, with bar manager Vysion Elter winning a Michelin Exceptional Cocktails Award.
Two other Vancouver eateries also joined Michelin’s recommendations for the city: Elem in Mount Pleasant and Nero Tondo in East Vancouver.
All the new Michelin restaurants in Toronto for 2025
Vancouver now has 12 restaurants with one Michelin star. There are 15 eateries with the Bib Gourmand recognition, which Michelin describes as a distinction recognizing “eateries for great food at a great value.”
All the restaurants in the 2025 Michelin Guide for Vancouver can be found here.
Here’s a look at the latest additions:
One star
Sumibiyaki Arashi
Type of cuisine: Japanese
Chef: Pete Ho
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant (363 E. Broadway)
What the Michelin inspectors said: “With this understated 14-seat Mount Pleasant counter, Chef Pete Ho has ushered in a new gold standard of yakitori to Vancouver … Combining specially sourced heritage breed birds, skillful butchery, masterful seasoning and brilliant use of the grill, the results are uncomplicated yet profound. From impeccably cooked crisp-skinned breast and thigh to less conventional cuts like chicken ‘oysters’ and heart, each piece is revelatory—no wonder it’s the most hotly in-demand reservation in town.”
Sushi Hyun
Type of cuisine: Japanese
Chef: Juhyun Lee
Neighbourhood: Downtown (795 Jervis St.)
What the Michelin inspectors said: “An unremarkable exterior belies the lavish omakase that awaits diners once they step inside Chef Juhyun Lee’s sophisticated oasis. Japanese luxury pervades every element of the meal, from exquisite seafood and hand-made ceramics to the silken, subtly fragrant hinoki counter (crafted from a tree more than two centuries old). Subtlety goes hand in hand with indulgence in Chef Lee’s meticulous preparations, with spectacular ingredient quality allowed to take the spotlight … Effortlessly attentive, unobtrusive service and a thoughtful collection of wines and sakes, selected by Chef Hyun himself, provide an additional layer of comfort and refinement.”
The Bib Gourmand
This award recognizes “good quality, good value restaurants” where diners can have two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for less than US$50.
Good Thief
Type of cuisine: Vietnamese
Chef: Jonathan Lee
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant (3336 Main St.)
What the Michelin inspectors said: “Described as the rebellious younger sibling to next-door Anh and Chi (Bib Gourmand), this lively bar and restaurant offers a more freewheeling, inventive take on Vietnamese cuisine, matched with equally inspired cocktails. The compact menu comprises small plates ideal as bar snacks, like juicy binchotan-grilled skewers, or impeccably fried, crunchy frog legs anointed with torn mint and a seductive sweet-tangy sauce glaze, as well as more substantial plates like humble garlic noodles enhanced with morsels of Dungeness crab. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on the brilliant drinks—many of which can be made spirit-free.”
