At the 2025 James Beard Awards, Chef Jon Yao of Kato was honored with the Best Chef: California award, a rare win for the state amidst recent challenges. While California had seven nominees, the state's restaurants have faced increased difficulty in recent years, especially during recent curfews and protests in Downtown Los Angeles. Despite these adversities, Yao used his acceptance speech to celebrate the immigrant community, emphasizing the narratives of perseverance that these chefs share through their cuisine. Kato has been recognized for its Taiwanese-inspired dishes, highlighting the importance of cultural storytelling in the culinary arts.
"We tell stories, stories of immigrants, diaspora, endurance and perseverance," Yao said in his acceptance speech, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Despite the state's restaurants being named finalists in seven categories, only one California nominee went home with a medal, in the category of Best Chef: California.
Yao's award comes following an extremely difficult period for Kato and many other eateries in the general Downtown LA area after protests and violence.
Kato closed its doors for dinner two nights last week; co-owner Ryan Bailey estimated to SFGATE that the restaurant's losses could reach up to $100,000.
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