ORLANDO, Fla. – The owners and staff of the Filipino, fine-dining restaurant Kaya are heading to Chicago, hoping to bring home the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
Kaya is among the nine finalists from across the country up for the prestigious award from the James Beard Foundation.
“It’s surreal, unbelievable! Really, it’s an honor to have such a nomination, especially from James Beard,” Chef Lordfer “Lo” Lalicon, the co-owner of Kaya, said.
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Kaya first opened in early 2023, bringing a mix of “casual fine dining” and traditional Filipino foods to Orlando’s culinary scene.
The name Kaya means “capable,” which has become a mantra for the “small restaurant.”
“It’s like saying, since we were one of the few Filipino restaurants in Central Florida, we’re saying that Filipino food is good enough. It’s flavorful enough. We can live our dreams and do what we want to do,” Lalicon said on the Florida Foodie podcast.
Lalicon said he and about 39 members of his team will be heading to Chicago for the award ceremony on Monday night.
The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit aimed “to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability,” according to its website.
The annual awards have become an icon of recognition among the culinary community, similar to the coveted Michelin Star.
Kaya has already been recognized by the Michelin Guide, which awarded the restaurant a “Green Star” which recognizes both a restaurant’s quality and its commitment to sustainability.
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Kaya is not the first to represent Orlando at the James Beard Awards. Past nominees from the City Beautiful include Jason and Sue Chin from the Good Salt Restaurant Group, Rabii Saber from Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World, Evette Rahman from Sister Honey’s and Henry Moso from Kabooki Sushi.
The James Beard Award ceremony is set to begin Monday evening at 6:30 p.m.
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