Latest news with #Jungsik
Time Out
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Here are the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award winners
James Beard Awards season is finally here! Over the past few days, the James Beard Foundation descended up Chicago to celebrate the food, drink and hospitality industry. The 2025 James Beard Awards included various ceremonies, including the Impact Awards and the Media Awards, all culminating in the Restaurant and Chef Awards on June 16. Held at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago, the James Beard Awards honor excellence in the culinary industry, from fine dining establishments to casual neighborhood favorites. Nyesha Arrington and Andrew Zimmern hosted this year's mainstage, while the red carpet and ceremony livestream was hosted by some of New York's own, including Fariyal Abdullahi of Hav & Mar and Gregory Gourdet of Maison Passerelle, alongside Nilou Motamed and Francis Lam. The final awards ceremony was livestreamed via Eater. Out of the seven awards this year, New York brought home a whopping five. This year's awards ceremony included three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. New York took home one of the inaugural awards, as Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service was awarded to Ignacio Jimenez of Superbueno. As for Outstanding Hospitality, the honor went to Atomix. This isn't the first win for the Nomad restaurant, which previously won two James Beard Awards, including Best Chef: New York State in 2023 and Outstanding Restaurant Design (75 Seats and Under) in 2019. Outstanding Restaurateur went to Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr for their trio of French restaurants— Frenchette, Le Rock and Le Veau d'Or. The duo beat out fellow New York restaurateur Simon Kim of COTE, Undercote and COQODAQ. As for the title of Best Chef: New York State, the award went to Vijay Kumar of Semma. Kumar follows in the footsteps of his Unapologetic Foods colleague, Chintan Pandya, who won the award in 2022 for his work at Dhamaka. Chef Kumar won over Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh, Ryan Fernandez of Southern Junction Barbecue in Buffalo, NY, Eiji Ichimura of Sushi Ichimura and Atsushi Kono of Kono. When asked in a post-interview if New York was soon to be the new central hub of Indian cuisine, Kumar agreed, saying, 'a lot more Indian every year from every single state, not just from New York.' One of the most important awards of the evening, Jungsik Yim of Jungsik won Outstanding Chef. Nominated for the first time, Jungsik's award follows a three-Michelin-star rating from the Michelin Guide in 2024, the first Korean restaurant in the U.S. to receive the honor. Gabriel Kreuether of his eponymous restaurant, Gabriel Kreuther, was also up for the award. Leading up to the Restaurant and Chef Awards, the Foundation held the 2025 James Beard Media Awards on Saturday, June 14, honoring the nation's top food authors, broadcast producers, hosts and journalists. While the winners of the Impact Awards were announced in April, the Foundation honored them on Sunday, June 14. Previously known as the Leadership Awards, the Impact Awards recognized leaders and organizations 'focused on climate change mitigation, the Farm Bill, racial and gender equity, and innovative business and staffing practices that set new standards for the independent restaurant industry.' Brooklyn's Anthony Edwards Jr was one of the recipients of the award for his work at EatOkra. Together with his fellow co-founder and partner Janique Edwards, the two created the app to connect foodies with Black-owned restaurants, eateries and food trucks across the nation. Also announced this past April were the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Humanitarian of the Year Award. The awards went to author, culinary journalist and activist Toni Tipton-Martin and founder of Cafe Momentum Chad Houser, respectively. Here are the winning 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award winners for New York: Ignacio Jimenez of Superbueno Best Chef: New York State Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York, NY Outstanding Hospitality Atomix, New York, NY Outstanding Restaurateur Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Rock and Le Veau d'Or Outstanding Chef Jungsik Yim, Jungsik
Axios
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
Boston finalists shut out at James Beard Awards
The James Beard Awards named no winners in Massachusetts Monday night. But the ceremony did give a shoutout to Sullivan's Castle Island, which was named an America's Classics winner in February. Why it matters: It's the biggest night in the restaurant business. Driving the news: Jungsik Yim, the veteran chef behind Korean restaurant Jungsik in New York, won the outstanding chef award, beating Sarma's Cassie Piuma. Brookline's Merai lost to Puerto Rico-based Identidad Cocktail Bar for best new bar. Sky Haneul Kim of Gift Horse in Providence won the Best Chef: Northeast award, beating Urban Hearth owner Erin Miller and three other finalists. Yes, but: Brendan and Adrian Sullivan joined the ceremony in Chicago to celebrate their award, four months after winning the James Beard Foundation honors . "It's so surreal to be in the company that we're in tonight ... It's a 'pinch-me moment,'" Adrian Sullivan tells Axios.
Eater
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Here Is the Full List of James Beard Awards 2025 Winners
Tonight, in a star-studded ceremony at the Lyric Opera in Chicago, the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of the 2025 James Beard Awards, considered the highest accolade for chefs and restaurateurs in America. In the major categories, Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado was named Outstanding Restaurant, Jungsik Yim of Jungsik in New York City took home the award for Outstanding Chef, and Bûcheron in Minneapolis was named Best New Restaurant. It was a big night in general for NYC, which was shut out of the major categories entirely last year: This year, Atomix won for Outstanding Hospitality, while the team of Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr (of Frenchette, Le Veau d' Or, and Le Rock) won Outstanding Restaurateur. This evening's Restaurant and Chef Awards follow Saturday's Media Awards hosted by Padma Lakshmi, which celebrated food media working in cookbooks, journalism, and television and audio. For this 35th-annual Restaurant and Chef Awards, Nyesha Arrington and Andrew Zimmern acted as the ceremony hosts. Tonight's award winners, selected from a finalists list announced on April 2, follow previously announced 2025 Beard Award recipients: journalist and historian Toni Tipton-Martin (who earned the Lifetime Achievement Award), Cafe Momentum founder Chad Houser (who received the Humanitarian of the Year Award), and the five winners of the Impact Award. Several winners addressed the current political moment directly in their speeches — three specifically emphatically declared 'fuck ICE' at the end of their remarks. The full list of winners, below: Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, Frenchette, Le Veau d' Or, and Le Rock, New York, NY Jungsik Yim, Jungsik, New York, NY Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, CO Phila Lorn, Mawn, Philadelphia, PA Bûcheron, Minneapolis, MN JinJu Patisserie, Portland, OR Cat Cox, Country Bird Bakery, Tulsa, OK Charleston, Baltimore, MD Identidad Cocktail Bar, San Juan, PR Arjav Ezekiel, Birdie's, Austin, TX Ignacio Jimenez, Superbueno, New York, NY Jon Yao, Kato, Los Angeles, CA Noah Sandoval, Oriole, Chicago, IL Carlos Delgado, Causa and Amazonia, Washington, D.C. Karyn Tomlinson, Myriel, St. Paul, MN Salvador Alamilla, Amano, Caldwell, ID Vijay Kumar, Semma, New York, NY Sky Haneul Kim, Gift Horse, Providence, RI Timothy Wastell, Antica Terra, Amity, OR Nando Chang, Itamae AO, Miami, FL Jake Howell, Peninsula, Nashville, TN Yotaka Martin, Lom Wong, Phoenix, AZ Thomas Bille, Belly of the Beast, Spring, TX The following wins were previously announced: • Lucky Wishbone, Anchorage, AK • Dooky Chase, New Orleans, LA • U.S. Representative Angie Craig (the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture) • Anthony Edwards, Jr., (co-founder of Black-owned restaurants guide EatOkra) • Seanicaa Edwards Herron (founder and executive director of the Freedmen Heirs Foundation) • Dune Lankard (president and founder of Native Conservancy) Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. Additional photo illustration credits: Getty Images for the James Beard Foundation
Eater
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
NYC Restaurants Score Five 2025 James Beard Awards
The James Beard Foundation announced the winners of its restaurant awards — the equivalent of the food world Oscars. The evening netted five prestigious medals for New York City including chef Vijay Kumar of Semma in Greenwich Village winning Best Chef: New York State and Jungsik Yim of Downtown's Jungsik landing the Outstanding Chef Award. Best Chef: New York State Award went to chef Vijay Kumar of Semma — one of the most renowned restaurants among those under the Unapologetic Foods umbrella from chef Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar. The accolade follows Semma landing a Michelin star, the only NYC Indian restaurant to have one at the moment, as well as its number one ranking on the New York Times 100 Best Restaurants in New York City earlier this month. South Indian-leaning Semma opened in Greenwich Village in 2021 and landed the medal three years after Pandya's Best Chef: New York State James Beard in 2022. 'When I started cooking, I never thought a kid like me from Tamil Nadu could make it to a room like this,' said Kumar in his acceptance speech. 'But the food I grew up with — food made with care and fire, with soul — is now taking the main stage. There's no such thing as poor people's food or rich people's food. If it's true, it's powerful. The real luxury is to be able to connect with each other around a table.' Kumar joined New York finalists such as Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh in Brooklyn; Ryan Fernandez of Southern Junction Barbecue in Buffalo; Eiji Ichimura of Sushi Ichimura in Tribeca; Atsushi Kono of Kono on Bowery. Winner of Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service Award is Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez of Superbueno in the East Village. Superbueno 'isn't one of those places you just pop into for a quick round. Not if Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez, the bar's charismatic co-owner, has anything to say about it,' says Punch. His 10-or-so drink menu has honored 'various notable Mexican ingredients and dishes,' with drinks like the popular vodka-soda that's 'anything but basic.' The two-Michelin-starred Atomix won the Outstanding Hospitality Award, the tasting menu restaurant from Junghyun 'JP' Park, and his wife, Ellia Park. The duo opened the restaurant in Nomad in 2018, which the New York Times awarded three stars the year it opened. Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr of Frenchette, Le Veau d'Or, and Le Rock won the Outstanding Restaurateur Award. The duo has long been famous since their early days in Balthazar under restaurateur Keith McNally. More recently they have wowed diners in reviving the storied Le Veau d'Or on the Upper East Side as well as creating destination spot with the polished Le Rock in Rockefeller Center, Frenchette at the Whitney, and Tribeca neighborhood staple, Frenchette. Jungsik Yim of Jungsik won the final award of the night for Outstanding Chef. The Korean chef opened his first New York restaurant in 2011 followed by SEA, a less formal Southeast Asian restaurant that debuted in 2024. Yim, whose restaurant earned three Michelin stars this year, has helped define Korean dining in New York, with chefs like Park of Atomix cooking under him before he opened their own restaurant. Following Yim's win, commentator Francis Lam noted that 'New York City is in the golden age of Korean dining right now. Speaking through a translator in his acceptance speech, Yim said it seemed like yesterday that he opened his first New York City restaurant, 'but somehow, 14 years have gone by. Looking back, I really wasn't ready to open a fine dining restaurant, not even close. I had no idea what I was doing, but I did it anyways. I was young and maybe a little too brave. Maybe ignorance was a kind of courage. I had passion and that was enough to open the doors.' This year's James Beard awards were hosted by Nyesha Arrington and Andrew Zimmern and featured red carpet coverage by Hav & Mar chef Fariyal Abdullahi; Top Chef' s Gregory Gourdet of Portland's James Beard winner, Kann, and NYC's new Maison Passerelle; writer and editor as well as host of the Splendid Table, Francis Lam; and Iron Chef judge, editor, and global food expert Nilou Motamed. Each Beard category features a winner voted on by a panel of judges. They choose among finalists whittled down from a longer list of semifinalists announced in January. The winners were revealed a ceremony held at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago and livestreamed on Eater. Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. See More:
Forbes
06-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Lysee: It's Not An Art Gallery; It's A Pastry Shop
In her NYC café Lysee, Eunji Lee makes desserts with a Parisian and Korean touch. When you saunter up the stairs to the second-floor take-out section of Lysee, a pastry shop in the Flatiron district on East 21st Street of Manhattan, you are greeted with a series of its desserts in glass displays as if you were at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That's intentional, explains Eunji Lee, the owner and chef at Lysee, who is of Korean heritage but who trained as a pastry chef in Paris for 11 years including under chef Alain Ducasse and his 3-star Michelin-rated Le Meurice for four years. In 2016 she was named pastry chef at Jungsik, a Korean style eatery in Tribeca, which brought her to New York City. And in June 2022, she opened Lysee. It only accommodates 15 guests on the first-floor and yet she devotes half of her second floor to museum-like displays. But why? Isn't it a profit-making venture, not a museum gallery? Lee is non-plussed by the question and explains that to her 'pastry is an edible art.' She views her French-style pastries with a Korean touch as works of art, as a painter would view her canvas. To her, she's not giving away square footage, she's just giving her pastries the respect they deserve. She says, 'I don't want my pastries to be mass produced. I want each of them to be a unique creative pastry.' Moreover its name Lysee refers to Lee, her surname, and musee, French for museum. When she opened, she involved a business partner that enabled her to open as full partners, without having to seek out other investors. Another factor comes into play about why she could devote her limited space to activities that don't generate revenue. Lee explains that 70% of its revenue derives from take-out and only 30% from dining-in, perhaps due to its limited seating. How do guests find out about Lysee? Lee explains that she won several pastry awards at Jungsik, which extended her reputation, and it's mostly word-of-mouth, among local residents and its regulars. Lee also wanted to keep her dessert eatery intimate, so it could offer specialized hospitality. Had the space been bigger and had more seating, she feared it would lose the personal touch. It's open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. But the tight quarters has also meant a long wait for reservations, in some cases. On Yelp, Lise from NY City said she had to wait a month to book a table for 4 people at Lysee. When dining there, she liked the desserts but found them a bit pricey. But Sarah from Manhattan walked in at lunch time, without a reservation and grabbed one of the 5 tables. She liked the corn pastry, but even she advised a reservation is necessary in the future. Lee calls Lysee a 'dessert café' because it serves, 'tea to wine with selected beverages, which pair along with the desserts.' From Friday to Sunday, it offers what Lee calls a 'bread menu' including dishes such as spring quiche, along with a brunch prix-fixe menu including a choice of sandwiches such as smoked salmon, granola yogurt with fruits, a welcome drink and a dessert, Lee suggests. Her signature dessert, the namesake Lysee, costing $18, consists of Korean-toasted brown rice mouse, pecans and caramel, but what stands out is how light and fluffy it tastes. It literally melts in one's mouth and seems airy. Other specialties include its mille feuille for two, spring quiche, babka, and vanilla-caramel brioche. When this reporter stopped by after lunch, every single person of about 10 people in the first-floor eatery was of Korean heritage. But Lee explains that tourists and locals dine there in equal number to its Korean clientele. It attracts a plethora of Koreans because 'its Korean ingredients and culture are reflected in our menu and space so therefore it attracts a Korean' clientele, she suggests. It also serves a variety of liquors including champagne, white wine, Korean liquors and wines such as porto and madeira. 'Everything we selected makes a great pairing with our dessert menu,' Lee points out. Asked about its future, she's expecting to introduce a dessert tasting course, consisting of an appetizer and a dessert. So stay tuned.
