Michelin removes stars from two Toronto restaurants
Toronto’s 2024 Michelin Guide is here, and two celebrated Toronto restaurants had their stars removed.
The first-ever Canadian city to be included in the Michelin Guide back in 2022, this year’s guide marks the third for the city, with the best-of-the-best in the city (and, surprisingly, beyond) flocking to the Michelin Guide ceremony at History on September 18 to find out who made the cut.
It wasn’t all pomp and circumstance for every Toronto restaurant, however, because while establishments revelled in their new addition to the guide, two heavy hitters saw their stars removed.
After similarly holding court on the guide since the inaugural instalment, the elegant Mount Pleasant Japanese restaurant, Yukashi, from Chef Jin Lee and Executive Chef Daisuke Izutsu (Don Don Izakaya, Kasa Moto) also lost its star and now joins the list of 61 recommended restaurants.
“I didn’t know that I had lost a star until I heard the announcement at the ceremony, where Yukashi was listed and announced under the recommendations rather than the Star category,” Chef Daisuke tells blogTO.
Even despite the loss of his star, though, Daisuke says that he’s still grateful for his restaurant’s ongoing recognition from Michelin and for the support of Yukashi’s guests, friends, and family, who, he says, “have been, and continue to be, an integral part of our journey.”
“I see this as a valuable and unique experience that will allow me to grow both as a chef and as a person,” he tells blogTO. “It pushes me to face new challenges and strive for excellence.”
“Without any irony, I sincerely thank Michelin for presenting me with this challenge and opportunity to improve.”
Another stalwart resident of the Toronto guide since 2022, Alobar Yorkville — the more casual sister to Queen West’s Alo, which maintained its one-star rating on the list — was downgraded to a recommendation this year.
Alobar did not respond to blogTO’s request for comment on their change of status.
Another Michelin restaurant notably absent on this year’s list is Frilu, which closed down after six years earlier this summer.
In terms of new stars awarded at this year’s Michelin Guide ceremony, Little Italy’s DaNico, a fine dining Italian establishment, was the only one actually located in Toronto to make the cut.
Making a surprising departure beyond city borders, the other restaurants awarded one-star ratings on the 2024 guide include Creemore’s The Pine, Niagara’s Restaurant Pearl Morissette and Oakville’s Hexagon.
According to the Michelin Guide, the star rating honours “establishments serving exceptional cuisine that’s rich in flavor, remarkably executed and infused with the personality of a talented chef,” which is sampled and analysed by anonymous inspectors throughout the year.