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Jon Yao Kato, owner of DTLA's Kato, is voted Best Chef in California in 2025 James Beard awards
Jon Yao Kato, owner of L.A.'s Kato, has been named the best chef in California by the James Beard Foundation.
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Topline:
Jon Yao Kato, owner of Kato, the upscale Taiwanese restaurant in downtown L.A., has been recognized as the best chef in California by the James Beard Foundation. Three other SoCal restaurants were finalists in different national categories, but all were shut out.
Why it matters: The James Beard awards are often called the Oscars of the food world. Winners can see high prestige and long lines.
The backstory: Kato, which has a Michelin star, has been open for nine years. It offers high-end food; its tasting menu is $325.
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The context: In his acceptance speech Monday evening, Kato called out to other children of immigrants in the restaurant industry. "L.A. is a city built by the toils of immigrant communities, and right now those same communities are being ripped apart," he said. "But we all deserve the freedom to pursue our dreams, to determine our own futures, and to be treated with equal dignity and respect."
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