Michelin Guide awards these 4 local restaurants Bib Gourmands

ORLANDO, Fla. — Eight Florida restaurants debuted in the Bib Gourmand selection of Michelin Guide’s 2023 Miami, Orlando and Tampa edition, the company announced Thursday.

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Michelin said Bib Gourmand restaurants “offer a meal of good quality at a good value.”

Of the eight restaurants, four of them are in Central Florida.

Read Michelin Guide’s description of those restaurants below:

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Jaguar Sun (Miami, Contemporary cuisine) This local favorite cooks as well as it shakes, offering a winning combination of excellent house-made pastas and balanced, creative cocktails. Warm Parker House rolls and Caesar salads stacked to the sky are opening acts to an umami-packed mushroom tagliatelle or spicy strozzapreti with plump mussels, ‘nduja and breadcrumbs. A warm, personal staff makes everyone feel like a regular. (Michelin Guide)

Isan Zaap (Thai cuisine, Orlando)

Orlando’s Thai restaurants typically dole out southern curry dishes and the ubiquitous pad Thai, but Isan Zaap strays from the pack with its gaze trained exclusively on northeast Thai cuisine with Laotian overlaps. There is an impressive level of attention to detail and a nice balance of spice and fermented flavors, and though impeccably executed curry makes an appearance, there’s also an entire section dedicated to som tums that can be topped with fermented crab or fermented pork sausage.

Norigami (Japanese/sushi cuisine, Winter Garden)

There are just eight seats at this tiny but mighty spot at the Plant Street Market from Chef David Tsan. This is sushi done in a casual “choose your own adventure” style, as guests pick from various cuts of fish and shellfish and then select as either nigiri, sashimi aburi or temaki. Can’t choose? The well-priced, ten-piece omakase is a nice option.

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Otto’s High Dive (Cuban/American cuisine, The Milk District)

This tiny but oh-so-sweet space recalls the charm of old Florida with its whitewashed brick walls and white tile floors. Billed as a neighborhood rum bar, Otto’s High Dive is on point at every turn, from the genuine service to the unfussy but well-executed food. The kitchen delivers a concise edit of Floridian/Cuban fare with oodles of tropical elements.

Taste of Chengdu (Chinese/Sichuan cuisine, Baldwin Park)

A long-standing restaurant in the Orlando area, Taste of Chengdu promises exactly that, as the expansive menu is singularly focused on Sichuan specialties. Chef Xiong “Tiger” Tang shows restraint in his use of spices, instead opting for depth and balance; while classics like mapo tofu are given a nuanced nudge.

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The other winners in Florida include Tampa’s Gorkhali Kitchen (Nepali cuisine), Miami’s Jaguar Sun (contemporary cuisine), Tampa’s Psomi (Greek cuisine) and Miami’s Rosie’s (Southern/American cuisine).

Michelin Guide official ceremony Thursday in Miami to formally announce the winners.

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