Hayato Awarded Second Michelin Star

It’s a big day for (mostly) fine dining chefs and restaurants around greater Los Angeles!

It’s Michelin stars day in California. The Big Red Book, known as a guide for high-end (and often Eurocentric and Japanese-heavy) dining, is back after a yearlong pandemic hiatus to dole out stars to restaurants they feel are worthy of the honor. The stars are awarded based on a three-tiered scale and, for some chefs and restaurateurs, they can represent a lifetime of work and dedication wrapped up into a single achievement.

The biggest winners for Los Angeles are Hayato, the Downtown LA kaiseki restaurant at ROW DTLA, and Mélisse, chef Josiah Citrin’s Santa Monica fine dining stalwart; both now have two stars