2017 New York Michelin Guide Released: Newcomer Aska Awarded A Rare Two Stars

Michelin released its New York Guide a couple of days ahead of schedule (ostensibly because Eater found a copy on Tuesday in a SoHo bookstore). As always, it offers a mixture of consistency and surprise. Newcomer Aska, the Nordic tasting menu restaurant in Williamsburg, received two stars just months after reopening in a new location (highly unusual for a newly opened restaurant). Michelin also called Aska "the best new restaurant in New York."

As for the rest of the red book, there were no changes to the Big Six, which all retained their three stars: Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, Eleven Madison Park, Jean-Georges, Le Bernardin, Masa and Per Se (which still merits three-star status despite having been downgraded by The New York Times and disappearing off the World's 50 Best Restaurants list this year). Ichimiura lost its two Michelin stars and dropped off the list completely. The Spotted Pig was demoted to Bib Gourmand status earlier this week.

The 2017 list welcomes 12 new one-star restaurants, a large grouping: Claus Meyer's contemporary Scandinavian restaurant Agern; New American restaurant Contra; Brooklyn red sauce spot Faro; fresh-produce-focused Gunter Seeger; "The Chef's Apartment" L'Appart which opened in the downtown Le District; La Sirena, the homemade pasta restaurant from the Batali and Bastianich super-team; high-end vegan/vegetarian restaurant Nix, and three sushi restaurants: Sushi Ginza Onodera, Sushi Inoue, and Sushi Zo.

Bouley lost its Michelin star because it is closing, but chef David Bouley tells The New York Times that they will be relocating.

The Michelin Guide for New York, featuring 77 of the most revered restaurants in New York, goes on sale this week.