In a star-studded ceremony at Lyric Opera in Chicago, the James Beard Foundation announced this year’s two big winners from Philadelphia, among a tight yet intriguing list of Pennsylvania finalists.
Kalaya’s Outstanding Restaurant nod is the biggest deal
of the night. Thai chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon’s South Philly restaurant openedin 2019, relocated in 2022, and has been a critical darling for years. The win is a landmark for both Thai cuisine and the city. Kalaya was up against restaurants such as Brooklyn’s popular natural wine and New American destination, the Four Horsemen, as well as Nashville’s perennial favorite, the Catbird Seat.
“To my husband, Steve Catalan, who sometimes has to eat cold pizza because I cannot pick up the food from my own restaurant,“ said Suntaranon with her characteristic sense of humor in her acceptance speech. ”To the city of Philadelphia. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for embracing Kalaya. To my business partner: You keep saying no to me, and at the end of the day, I get to look you in the eye tonight and say, ‘You are welcome.’“
She continued by dedicating the award to her mother: ”This award is for her, for us, to celebrate the food of our country, of our hometown …. To make good food, you’re not only to be a good chef. You have to be a good person, and you have to work with good people. We all have that quality. Thank you James Beard Foundation for shining the light on us.“
Winner of Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic is Jesse Ito of impossible-to-get-into Royal Sushi & Izakaya (and newcomer Dancerobot). When he opened in 2016, he was credited for “changing the way Philadelphia does sushi.” He won out against Amanda Shulman of Her Place Supper Club, and Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate of the ambitious Honeysuckle. Outside of Philly, Nathan Flaim of Luca in Lancaster was also nominated.
Outstanding Restaurant
Kalaya
Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (Washington D.C., Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia)
- Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya
Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Foundation Awards
