The culinary industry's biggest night just wrapped up in Chicago, and the results are in. Asian chefs, authors, and journalists delivered an impressive showing at the 2026 James Beard Awards, earning recognition across some of the food world's most prestigious categories.

These winners are helping shape the future of restaurants, food writing, and culinary storytelling. 

Here is the full roundup of Asian honorees who took home a medal this year.

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Restaurant and Chef Award Winners

Outstanding Restaurant presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water

• Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA

Best New Restaurant

• Lei, New York, NY

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Susan Bae, Moon Rabbit, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• Kato, Los Angeles, CA

Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

• Kevin Diedrich, Pacific Cocktail Haven, San Francisco, CA

Best Chefs (by region)

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

• Jesse Ito, Royal Sushi & Izakaya, Philadelphia, PA

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

• Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton, Denver, CO

Best Chef: New York State

• Hooni Kim, Meju, Queens, NY

Best Chef: Texas

• Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, JŪN, Houston, TX

Book Award Winners

Baking and Desserts

• Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes
  Helen Goh
  (Abrams)

Beverage with Recipes

• Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean
  Irene Yoo
  (Alfred A. Knopf) 

Literary Writing

• The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found
  Michael Shaikh
  (Crown) 

Professional and Restaurant

• Cook Like a King: Recipes from My California Chinese Kitchen
  Melissa King with JJ Goode
  (Ten Speed Press)

Single Subject

• The Japanese Art of Pickling & Fermenting: Preserving vegetables and family traditions
  Yoko Nakazawa
  (Smith Street Books) 

U.S. Foodways

• Umma: A Korean Mom's Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes
  Sarah Ahn and Nam Soon Ahn
  (America's Test Kitchen)

Visuals

• MUMBAI: A Journey Through Its Kitchens, Streets, and Stories
  Sri Bodanapu, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, and Bhavya Pansari, with Nandini Thirani
  (Heirloom Project)

Journalism Award Winners

Dining and Travel

• "Rising Up: Hong Kong Looks Inward to Reinvent Itself"
  Francis Lam
  Conde Nast Traveler

Foodways

• "The hunt for the bean pie street sellers of legend, and how this dessert is a symbol of liberation for many Black Muslims"
  Ahmed Ali Akbar
  Chicago Tribune

Health and Wellness

• "The MAHA Trend in Groceries Will Backfire"; "Brace Yourself for Watery Mayo and Spiky Ice Cream"; "The Cleaner Way to Get Ripped"
  Yasmin Tayag
  The Atlantic

Personal Essay with Recipes

• "The Blueberry Oatmeal That Got Us Through Grief, Then Birth"
  Hana Asbrink and Hali Bey Ramdene
  Bon Appétit

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Seeing this level of representation on the industry's biggest night is a massive win for the community. You now have a fresh list of award-winning restaurants to visit and incredible food journalism to dive into. Add these spots to your travel itinerary, grab a copy of these books, or bookmark this page for your next food tour.

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