Philadelphia’s restaurant scene didn’t just show up at this year’s James Beard Awards.
It walked away with two of the night’s biggest prizes, writes Melissa McCart for Eater Philly.
At the recent ceremony, Kalaya, the Thai restaurant from chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, took home Outstanding Restaurant, beating out four other finalists from across the country for one of the evening’s most coveted honors.
It’s a striking milestone for a restaurant and a cuisine that’s rarely commanded this level of national attention.
Suntaranon opened Kalaya as a 32-seat BYOB in South Philadelphia back in 2019, building a following on the flavors of her native Southern Thailand.
After relocating to a larger space on the border of Fishtown and Kensington in 2022, the restaurant kept climbing.
Monday’s win marks Suntaranon’s second James Beard honor, following an earlier Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic title.
“Thank you for loving me,” Suntaranon told the crowd. “Thank you for embracing Kalaya.”
She then turned the moment over to her mother, framing the award as a chance “to celebrate the food of our country, of our hometown.”
Philadelphia’s second win of the night went to Jesse Ito of Royal Sushi & Izakaya, who claimed Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic on his ninth nomination.
The Queen Village restaurant remains one of the city’s hardest reservations to land.
Ito’s win came in a stacked field that included Amanda Shulman of Her Place Supper Club, holder of one of Philadelphia’s first Michelin stars, and Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate of Honeysuckle, whose Michelin-recommended restaurant grew out of a North Philadelphia cafe and market.
Ito dedicated the win to the city itself, calling Philadelphia “one of the best food cities in the country.”
Philadelphia sent seven finalists across five categories to this year’s awards.
The two wins are proof that Philly’s food scene is no longer just punching above its weight. It’s actually becoming a fixture on the country’s biggest culinary stage.
For more on Philadelphia’s 2026 James Beard winners, read the full article at Eater Philly.
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