Katianna Hong is the chef and partner of Yangban, a Korean-American Restaurant in Los Angeles’ Arts District.

Born in Korea and raised in upstate New York, Katianna spent much of her childhood training in competitive gymnastics, developing a profound sense of drive and discipline at an early age. After high school, Katianna uncovered her passion for the culinary arts and went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park and the UNLV School of Hospitality. Following graduation, Katianna furthered her education under the acclaimed chef Josiah Citrin at the Michelin two-starred Melisse in Santa Monica, California. Amid long kitchen shifts at Melisse, Katianna met her culinary collaborator and future husband, John. The two relocated to Napa Valley in 2011, where Katianna began working as a line cook at chef Christopher Kostow’s lauded The Restaurant at Meadowood. In 2014, she was named the restaurant’s first-ever chef de cuisine, simultaneously becoming the only female chef de cuisine at a Michelin three star restaurant in the United States.

While working alongside Kostow at Meadowood, San Francisco Magazine named her Rising Star Chef for pushing the boundaries of fine dining with her creativity and nuanced approach. Katianna went on to open Kostow’s second restaurant in the heart of Napa, The Charter Oak. At Charter Oak, Katianna and
team earned a nomination for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, as well as a spot on Bon Appétit’s Top 50 Best New Restaurants List for the celebratory, family-style dining experience featuring seasonal and inventive California fare. In 2018, Katianna was honored as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs.

Following the birth of their daughter, Alessia, Katianna and John relocated to Southern California in 2019 to pursue their dream of opening their first solo restaurant project together. At Yangban, Katianna & John offer a multi-dimensional, autobiographical experience that showcases their respective backgrounds and upbringings, while providing a dynamic neighborhood space for locals to gather.

Christine Lau was raised in Oakland, CA by parents who emigrated from Hong Kong. Her Chinese American cuisine is strongly influenced by her upbringing in the Bay Area, her years working in New York City, and the cultural diversity that define both.

Christine has been recognized for her culinary efforts over the years in major publications including @eater_ny 15 Best Dishes of 2020, @foodandwine Best Bites of 2021, and in 2022 Christine’s restaurant, Kimika was named a semifinalist for the @beardfoundation Best New Restaurant award, and lauded by Pete Wells of the @nytimes.

Most recently, Christine created the menu at @chinograndenyc in Brooklyn, NY where her food pays homage to New York City’s Chinese Latin American restaurants from the 1960’s and 70’s. Christine can also be found popping up in cities across the US on her quest to connect cultures through food.

Heena Patel is the chef and co-owner of Besharam, a regional Gujarati restaurant in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district. Roughly translated to mean “shameless,” Besharam features Heena’s bold interpretation of the flavors and dishes that were prevalent throughout her childhood in India, playfully reimagined within a California context. Since the restaurant’s opening, Heena has received local and national attention for her fearless style including recognition as a James Beard Foundation Awards Best Chef California semifinalist in 2022, and accolades from Eater San Francisco as the Restaurant of the Year in 2019. At Besharam, Heena offers an experience that is unmistakably hers, while paying homage to her heritage and every chapter that has informed the journey to this moment.

Brandon Jew is the executive chef and owner of Mister Jiu’s, a contemporary Chinese American restaurant in the heart of San Francisco Chinatown. Mister Jiu’s combines the local, seasonal and organic bounty of the Bay Area together with classic Chinese techniques and flavors. The restaurant celebrates its place in the historic neighborhood working to evolve and define Chinese American cuisine in the Bay Area.

Brandon’s training spans from Bologna, Italy to Shanghai, China and many restaurants within the Bay Area. He considers Judy Rodgers (Zuni Café), Michael Tusk (Quince) and his grandma, Ying Ying, to be his most influential mentors.

Brandon has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Mind of a Chef, Ugly Delicious, Taste the Nation and Vice Munchies. His honors at Mister Jiu’s include one Michelin star, Bon Appetit #3 Restaurant on Hot 10 2017, SF Magazine Chef of the Year and James Beard nomination for Best Chef West 2018, 2020, 2021 and winner for the honor in 2022.

Brandon is the co-author of the book Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown, a 2022 winner of a James Beard Award in the Restaurant and Professional category.

Chef Carlo Lamagna is a Philippine-born, Detroit-raised, CIA- and Chicago-trained chef. Lamagna is the chef-owner of award winning modern Filipino restaurant, Magna Kusina, located in Portland, Oregon.

Carlo has received many awards and accolades for his work in the culinary field and has been named one of Food and Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs of 2021 and as a finalist for the Best Chef: Pacific and Northwest category of the James Beard Foundation Awards of 2022.

In the city of Lamagna’s early childhood, Detroit, he grew up amongst Midwestern sensibility and genteel, gained a strong sense of family and an understanding that food was from farms, not grocery stores.
His mother Gloria sent young Lamagna and his elder siblings to the Philippines to live with their father, Wilfredo. Gloria and Willie wanted their children to be in touch with their culture. From his father, cooking and eating in the way that he himself grew up was a key point in Carlo’s understanding and appreciation of Filipino food and culture.
Lamagna began a pop-up dining series, Twisted Filipino, in 2013 in Chicago and continued them in Portland with great success.

While Lamagna cites respected chefs influential in his career, philosophy, and leadership style, the chefs he most reveres are his late father, Willie, and his mother, Gloria, who both serve as major influences of his modern Filipino restaurant, Magna Kusina, his newest restaurant Magna Kubo, and his upcoming Denver, Colorado project, Magna Kainan.

Born in Mumbai, Chintan became interested in the culinary world at a young age. When of age,
he enrolled in one of the most prestigious culinary schools in India, the Oberoi Centre of Learning
& Development where he trained under the finest chefs from Oberoi Hotels. During this time,
Chintan traveled throughout the sub-continent to develop a deeper connection with the way
locals ate and became well versed in the bold spices and dishes he came across.

Eventually Chintan left India for bigger opportunities. His culinary career took him to an
extremely diverse set of locales including Singapore, Cleveland, Atlanta, and finally New York. He
met restaurateur Roni Mazumdar in 2017 and became the chef at the modern and upscale Rahi,
followed by Adda Indian Canteen for which Chintan was the winner of the 2019 StarChefs New
York Rising Star, and Adda was named one of the best restaurants of the year by Food & Wine,
Eater, and Bon Appetit. In 2021 the duo opened Dhamaka, for which Chintan won The James
Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef New York State. The first win in this category for an Indian
chef. Serving food from “the forgotten India” it gave Chintan the opportunity to showcase the
foods he came across when traveling throughout the villages of India. Dhamaka was also named
the #1 restaurant of the year by The New York Times, Esquire Magazine, and one of the top 50
restaurants in the country by The New York Times.

In 2022, he and partner Mazumdar opened the quick service eatery Rowdy Rooster serving
Indian spiced fried chicken for which Food & Wine Magazine named them as one of 16 people
and companies changing the way we eat and drink in 2022.

Chef Pandya’s mission is to push the boundaries of what Indian food means in America. He
continues to break new ground on an under-appreciated but phenomenal cuisine.

Esther Choi is an influential Chef driven by her Korean roots. She is the chef and owner of Mŏkbar, with locations in Chelsea Market, Midtown, and soon both New Jersey and Las Vegas. as well as chef and partner of Ms. Yoo. Inspired by the age-old technique of her Korean grandmother’s cooking, Chef Esther believes that food is the ultimate expression of a country’s culture. With a personal passion for introducing New Yorkers to the flavors of Korean culture, Chef Esther’s cooking combines traditional and modern influences with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Esther began her professional education at the early age of 14. Her formal training as a chef began at New York City’s Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), followed by various positions at New York City’s renowned Ilili and La Esquina, as well as that of the Food Network. In 2020 Esther launched with the Cook Unity meal delivery service platform in New York City and now has other outposts in Los Angeles, Austin, Chicago & Seattle.

Currently, Esther is the host of “Heat Eaters” by First We Feast, which is the follow up show to the hit YouTube series Hot Ones. She was a challenger chef in the newest “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend” which was released on Netflix in 2022, where she made it to the final. Esther appears in numerous Food Network shows, including “Beat Bobby Flay” and “Bobby’s Triple Threat,” where she took down both Bobby and the titans. Esther is also a guest judge on “Chopped,” “Throwdown with Michael Symon,” and appeared on HBO’s “Selena + Chef” alongside Selena Gomez.

Her newest restaurant Gahm by Mŏkbar opened in Brooklyn in the Fall of 2023.

From battling the legendary Masaharu Morimoto on Iron Chef America, opening Encore Hotel in Las Vegas and guiding Anthony Bourdain through many markets and restaurants, Chef Jet Tila is internationally celebrated for his culinary expertise. This two-time Emmy, James Beard nominee and best-selling author grew up in the first family of Thai food and then later attending both French and Japanese culinary schools, Jet is a born educator and storyteller. Jet was appointed as the inaugural Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine by the Royal Thai Consulate, the first-ever chef to represent his country’s culture and cuisine.

Chef Jet’s culinary operations includes VP Culinary of Pei Wei Group 160 restaurants & Managing Partner Dragon Tiger Noodle Co in Las Vegas. He has partnerships with Compass Group, Schwan’s CJ food, HSN, Mr. Bings & NBC Universal/DreamWorks. His food reaches millions of people a year.

He appears as a host, co-host, judge, and competitor on many Food Network shows as Tournament of Champions, Iron Chef America, Cutthroat Kitchen, Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay and Guy’s Grocery Games. As well as an array of shows ranging from the Today show, MasterChef, Rachel Ray and holds six culinary Guinness World Records.

Chef Junghyun ‘JP’ Park is a Seoul-born, New York City-based chef, most recently recognized as ‘Best Chef: NY State (2023)’ by James Beard Foundation. He is globally acclaimed for his NYC restaurants Atomix (2 Michelin Stars, No. 8 World 50 Best 2023) and Atoboy in NoMad, NARO in Rockefeller Center, and Seoul Salon in Koreatown.

With an academic background in Food Sciences bolstered by years of experience in creating restaurants pioneering the ‘New Korean’ movement, Chef Junghyun Park continues to hone his dedication to evolving Hansik through research, development on a global scale.

“Yan Can Cook, So Can You!” has always been the motto of Martin Yan, chef extraordinaire, popular television host of more than 3,500 culinary and travel TV shows and author of 30 cookbooks. He is one of the most recognizable Chinese American icons in the culinary world, from Shanghai to San Francisco, with a career spanning over four decades. Promoting Chinese and Asian cuisines, making it easy for the cook and tasty for the guests has been his life-long mission. His award-winning public television series, Yan Can Cook, airing since 1978, has introduced generations of audiences to Chinese and Asian cuisines. Chef Yan has received numerous awards and recognitions including the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 and the lifetime achievement award from the International Association of Cooking Professionals. He was recently honored with the 2023 Culinary Excellence Award at the Sonoma International Film Festival. Never one to rest on his laurels, Chef Yan has remained an active international food and cultural ambassador. He roams the world working with home chefs and top chefs to entertain and educate the public, sharing his unique humor and strong passion for cooking.

Mei Lin is a renowned culinarian, TV judge, and celebrity chef who has made a name for herself with her innovative and dynamic cuisine, which combines her Chinese heritage with modern culinary techniques. Her culinary career began in high-end restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Las Vegas and Michael Voltaggio’s Ink.

After winning the 12th season of “Top Chef,” Mei rose to national prominence and has since become one of the most exciting and influential chefs in the country. In 2019, she opened her first restaurant, Nightshade, in the downtown Arts District of Los Angeles. Nightshade quickly gained critical acclaim and was named “Best New Restaurant” by Los Angeles Magazine and “Restaurant of the Year” by Eater LA. Since the closing of Nightshade, Mei has continued to innovate and create, launching a line of sauces under her Umamei brand that are frequently sold out. She also opened a first-of-its-kind fast-casual Szechuan Hot Chicken restaurant, Daybird, located in Silver Lake Plaza in Los Angeles, CA.

In addition to her success on “Top Chef,” Mei has been featured on numerous TV shows, including “Iron Chef,” and “Knife Fight.” She has received many awards and accolades for her cooking, including being named a “Young Gun” by Eater, 30 Under 30 by Zagat and 2020 “Best New Restaurant” finalist by the James Beard Foundation.

Mei is known for her versatility and creativity in crafting unforgettable dishes for celebrity events and award shows. Her expertise has earned her numerous high-profile collaborations, including creating custom menus for the Academy Awards Governors Ball and serving as a judge on popular TV shows like Food Network’s “Chopped,” “Supermarket Stakeout,” “Beachside Brawl,” and “Guy’s Ranch Kitchen.” She’s also served as a judge on Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Most recently, Mei won Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions” Season 4, a high-stakes culinary competition that brought together some of the biggest names in the industry. Her success in this competition only further cemented her status as a leading figure in the culinary world.

Chef Shota Nakajima began his culinary journey at the age of 16, working for a highly acclaimed sushi restaurant in his hometown of Seattle, WA. At the age of 18, Chef Shota moved to Osaka, Japan to learn about the art of Japanese cuisine. There, Chef Shota had the opportunity to work for Michelin Star rated Chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto, an experience that greatly changed Chef Shota’s perspective on cooking and his approach to food.

Since returning to Seattle, Chef Shota’s dream of applying Chef Sakamoto’s approach to hospitality and Japanese cuisine in the United States, combined with Chef Shota’s own perspective and imaginative applications, was realized through his Capitol Hill restaurant Adana. At Adana, Chef Shota parlayed his meticulous detail, high-quality and approachable Japanese comfort food, blending his Japanese heritage and his American influences. Chef Shota went on to open Taku in Seattle in early 2020 featuring karaage, Japanese fried chicken, and opened Kobo Pizza in 2022 serving rectangular Detroit-style pizzas with Japanese influence.

Since opening his first restaurant in Seattle in 2015, Chef Shota has competed on the Food Network’s Iron Chef Gauntlet and Beat Bobby Flay where he was victorious preparing tempura. He has been a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020, received an Eater ‘Young Guns’ award and Zagat’s ’30 Under 30’ chef designation. Adana was the recipient of ‘Best New Restaurant’ in The Seattle Times and a ‘Top 10 Restaurant’ in Seattle Magazine. He was awarded Star Chefs ‘2020 Seattle Rising Star Chef,’ and named one of ‘The Most Influential People of 2021’ in Seattle Met Magazine, among other accolades.

Chef Shota competed on Season 18 of Bravo’s Top Chef in 2021 placing as a top three finalist. He was awarded Top Chef Season 18 Fan Favorite as voted on by the public. In 2023 he was competitor on the Food Network’s Tournament of Champions Season 4 where he placed in the top eight. He’s been a featured guest on CBS’s The Talk and ABC’s Good Morning America. 

Chef Shota seizes every opportunity to get outside and forage or fish, taking advantage of the abundance of wild goods in Washington’s mountains and waters, with his border collie Dodger by his side.

Stephanie Wu is the editor-in-chief of Eater, an award-winning digital media brand dedicated to all things food and dining. She has held editorial roles at publications including Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Town & Country, and is the co-founder of MochiMag.com, the longest-running digital publication for Asian American women. She grew up in Taipei, Taiwan, and now lives in New York City with her family.