Kaya, the Filipino casual fine-dining restaurant, falls short of winning a James Beard Award

In back to-back-years, Orlando represented at the James Beard Awards and, in back-to-back years, the city fell shy of briging home the hardware.

Kaya, the Filipino casual fine-dining concept from Kadence alums Lordfer Lalicon and Jamilyn Bailey, was one of 10 finalists for the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award, an honor that ultimately went to Dakar NOLA, a progressive Senegalese restaurant in New Orleans.

Lalicon and Bailey, along with Kaya backers (and James Beard Award nominees) Johnny and Jimmy Tung, attended the awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago Monday night. But 39 friends and family members also joined them on the trip to Chicago to show their support for the community minded hot spot.

“Kaya represents so much more than just a restaurant,” Johnny Tung wrote in an Instagram post. “Kaya is also a movement for change, awareness, and appreciation for where our food comes from.”

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Jamilyn Bailey

Lordfer Lalicon and Jamilyn Bailey attend the James Beard Awards in Chicago

Indeed, Kaya opened in late 2022 and earned my nod as the Top Table of the year for its unfeigned hospitality, memento-steeped interior, innovative seafood- and veg-forward tasting menu and staunch focus on sustainability and local sourcing.

In 2023, Henry Moso of Kabooki Sushi became Orlando’s very first James Beard Award finalist after making the shortlist for Best Chef: South. Natalia Vallejo, of Cocina al Fondo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, ultimately won the award, denying the four-time nominee a chance at culinary glory.

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Johnny Tung

A group of Kaya’s supporters made the trip to Chicago for the James Beard Awards

Despite not winning the Best New Restaurant award, Kaya’s presence as a finalist in a national category not only ensconces Orlando as a bona fide food destination, but showcases our culinary diversity, which, without a doubt, is our strength.

The full list of James Beard Award winners can be found here.

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