Subscribe
Subscribe Now to receive Goldsea updates!
- Subscribe for updates on Goldsea: Asian American Supersite
Asian American Cuisines Win Big At Annual James Beard Award
By Romen Basu Borsellino | 17 Jun, 2025
Of the 77 awards given out at the annual ceremony, at least 8 went to AAPI Chefs and Restaurants
The presentation of the 2025 James Beard Awards proved what we already knew: Asian cuisine is top flight.
The annual awards, which honor the top restaurants and chefs in the country, were held last night in Chicago. Of the 27 prizes handed out, at least a third went to Asian restaurants, chefs, or restaurateurs. Recipients included Chef Junksik Yim, who was declared Outstanding Chef, the night’s top award.
In 2009 Jungsik Yim opened Korean restaurant Jungsik in Seoul. Following its success, he launched JUNGSIK in New York in 2011, for which he won this year's top James Beard prize. Per the restaurant’s website, “Chef Jungsik Yim has gained acclaim for his “New Korean” cuisine, which reimagines traditional Korean dishes with a modern twist.” They credit JUNGSIK for “the global recognition of Korean cuisine.” The New York location has also earned three Michelin stars since its launch.
Another major award, Outstanding Bar, went to Kumiko, a Japanese dining bar in Chicago. Kumiko, in its own words, “focuses on the delicate balance of Japanese ingredients, craft cocktails, and exceptional saké rather than wine. Owner Julie Momose, who was born and raised in Japan, gained an appreciation for hospitality as a child by watching her mother entertain guests “with meticulous attention to detail and special attention to their individual needs.” She was at the ceremony to accept the awards.
In additional to the national awards, a number of regional ones were given out as well, like Best Chef for the State of New York, which was presented to Vijay Kumar who run’s Semma, an Indian restaurant in New York City. Chef Kumar accepted the award by delivering the following heartfelt remarks:
“When I started cooking, I never thought a dark-skinned boy from Tamil Nadu would make it to a room like this,” he said. “But the food I grew up on, food made with care, with fire, with soul, is now taking the main stage. There’s no such thing as a poor person’s food or rich person’s food. It’s food. It’s powerful. And the real luxury is to connect with each other around the table. Tonight, Indian cuisine stands tall. Tamil food stands tall. My own food and heritage stands tall and it all matters.”
In addition to simply handing out awards, last night’s ceremony, which featured Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, served as a celebration of immigrants and cultural diversity. “From Little Italy to Chinatown, we have a deep and lengthy tradition of bringing people together through food, and every neighborhood restaurant is a story,” Governor Pritzker said. It was a sentiment expressed by other speakers as well, some of whom specifically called out the current wave of ICE raids.
Other victories for the AAPI community included:
Outstanding Bakery - Jinju Patisserie in Portland
Best Chef (California Regional) - Jon Yao, Los Angeles’s Kato, a Taiwanese Restaurant
Best Chef (Northeast Region) - Skye Hanuel Kim, Providence’s Gift Horse
Best Chef (South Region) - Nando Chang, Miami’s Itamae AI, a Japanese Peruvian Restaurant
Best Chef (Southwest) - Yotaka Martin, Phoenix’s Lam Wong, a Thai Restaurant
In addition to simply handing out awards, last night’s ceremony, which featured Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, served as a celebration of immigrants and cultural diversity.
Asian American Success Stories
- The 130 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time
- 12 Most Brilliant Asian Americans
- Greatest Asian American War Heroes
- Asian American Digital Pioneers
- New Asian American Imagemakers
- Asian American Innovators
- The 20 Most Inspiring Asian Sports Stars
- 5 Most Daring Asian Americans
- Surprising Superstars
- TV’s Hottest Asians
- 100 Greatest Asian American Entrepreneurs
- Asian American Wonder Women
- Greatest Asian American Rags-to-Riches Stories
- Notable Asian American Professionals