bites starry

ampa Bay foodies used to have go far afield to find Michelin-starred dining. No more. For the first time ever, the acclaimed Michelin Guide this year bestowed stars on three restaurants in Tampa: Rocca, Koya and Lilac. Each received one star. Although the James Beard Awards are considered by many the Oscars of the culinary world, the Michelin Guide is arguably the best known and most respected restaurant rating system. The most stars a restaurant can get are three, and the process is notoriously selective. Inspectors visit restaurants anonymously and judge them on numerous criteria. This is the second year that restaurants in Miami, Orlando and Tampa were eligible, part of the international guide’s foray into the state. Only four stars were awarded in Florida this year — one went to Tambourine Room in Miami Beach and the others to these three outstanding Tampa restaurants. — Helen Freund and Susan Taylor Martin

In Japanese, omakase means “according to the chef’s choice,” and that’s what diners get in this intimate omakase restaurant that seats only eight patrons a night. Opened in 2020 in Hyde Park by Adriana and Eric Fralick, the team behind Tampa’s popular Noble Rice, Koya was praised by the Michelin inspectors for its “singular interpretation of Japanese cuisine” and “spectacular seafood” courses. As with Noble Rice, much of the fish comes straight from Japan’s fish markets including tuna, uni (sea urchin) and amango (a saltwater eel). Some evenings might start with a scallop tartare tossed in a white soy and tangerine oil or a salmon tartare made with new Zealand’s Ora King salmon topped with Persian lime zest. 807 W Platt St., Tampa. koyatampa.com.