Henry Moso, chef and owner of Kabooki Sushi in Orlando, has accomplished what no other chef in Central Florida has been able to do: He is a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef – South Award.
There have been many local chefs who have been named to the semifinalists list over the 32 years of the awards’ history but no one – in any category – has advanced to the finals.
Moso’s co-nominees for the South region, which includes Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Puerto Rico, are: Ana Castro, Lengua Madre, New Orleans; Timothy Hontzas, Johnny’s Restaurant, Homewood, Ala.; Alex Perry and Kumi Omori, Vestige, Ocean Springs, Miss.; and Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, PR.
Jimmy and Johnny Tung, the owners of the Bento Group, were semifinalists for Outstanding Restaurateur, a national award, but did not make the finals. Moso was previously a semifinalist in 2020.
Kabooki Sushi opened in 2013 in an odd venue near the corner of Colonial Drive and Maguire Avenue. A second location opened in the Restaurant Row District in 2019.
The chef awards will be presented at a gala in Chicago on Monday, June 5. Tickets for those who would like to attend and cheer Moso on will go on sale Mar. 31 at 5 p.m. and can be purchased here. The awards will be livestreamed on Eater.
To see the full list of finalists, visit jamesbeard.org.