Orlando Style attended the: JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION® 10th ANNUAL TASTE AMERICA CULINARY SERIES, PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE at Kabooki Restaurant Orlando.

Kabooki Sushi’s newly expanded original location was closed to the public Tuesday night as its chef/owner, two-time James Beard Award semifinalist Henry Moso hosted the organization’s second-ever Taste America series dinner in Orlando — and one of the fastest to sell-out in the 10-year history of the event.

Ninety-five guests gathered for a two-plus hour meal featuring decadent raw-bar setups beneath branded ice sculptures, setting the stage for a multicourse meal with effort split between Moso, whose kaiseki first course ate more like three (highlights included a citrusy mizudako balanced with deeply oceanic Hokkaido uni and a two-bite toro tartare oshizuki piled with Kaluga caviar) and guest chef Taylor Thornhill of Bateau, a modern American steakhouse in Seattle, Washington.

About the foundation:

From June 2022 through March 2023, this year’s lineup features a national kick-off event in Houston, 15 pop-up dinners, and four walk-around tastings with food stations curated by the James Beard Foundation. Guests attending pop-up dinners will enjoy a one-of-a-kind multi-course menu with wine pairings and cocktails, resulting from a TasteTwenty host and visiting chef collaboration; while guests at walk- around tastings will experience a stellar lineup of local chefs preparing signature tastes from their celebrated restaurants, alongside two national TasteTwenty chefs. Menus at all events promise a delicious evening benefiting the Foundation’s industry-focused mission and programs. 

Over the course of the year, the series will showcase the breadth of culinary creativity across the country, while highlighting the positive impact chefs have in their communities and the industry at-large. Attending a Taste America event is a special opportunity to become part of the Foundation’s vibrant and growing national culinary community, comprising food lovers and industry professionals alike.

The James Beard Foundation is proud to announce the following inaugural TasteTwenty chefs: 

Tasting Chefs: 

–  Shenarri Freeman, Cadence, New York City 

–  Natalia Pereira, Woodspoon, Los Angeles 

–  Chutatip ‘Nok’ Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia 

–  Taylor Thornhill, Bateau, Seattle 

–  Michelle Wallace, Gatlin’s BBQ, Houston 

Dinner Chefs: 

–  Angel Barreto, Anju, Washington, D.C. 

–  Ana Castro, Lengua Madre, New Orleans 

–  Varanya Geyoonsawat, Kann, Portland, OR 

–  Luciana Giangrandi and Alex Meyer, Boia 

   De, Miami 

–  Elizabeth Johnson, Pharm Table, San 

   Antonio, TX 

–  Ravi Kapur, Liholiho Yacht Club and Good 

    Good Culture Club, San Francisco 

–  Jeremy Kean and Philip Kruta, Brassica 

    Kitchen + Café, Jamaica Plain, MA 

–  Andrew Le, The Pig & The Lady, Honolulu 

–  Lamar Moore, Chicago 

–  Henry Moso, Kabooki, Orlando 

–  Cassie Shortino, Phoenix 

–  Eric Skokan, Black Cat Farm Bistro and 

    Bramble & Hare, Boulder, CO 

–  Forough Vakili, Le Bon Nosh, Atlanta 

–  Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, PR 

–  Yia Vang, Union Hmong Kitchen and 

   Vinai, Minneapolis 

Cities hosting Taste America dinners include: 

–  Atlanta 

–  Boston 

–  Chicago 

–  Denver 

–  Honolulu 

–  Miami 

–  Minneapolis 

–  New Orleans 

–  Orlando, FL 

–  Phoenix 

–  Portland, OR 

–  San Antonio, TX 

–  San Francisco 

–  San Juan, PR 

–  Washington, D.C.