A Los Angeles chef, who calls his Michelin-starred "Angeleno restaurant" a tribute to locally sourced products, recently brought home the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California.

The prestigious culinary award is often referred to as "the Oscars of Food," and Chef Jonathan Yao was the only L.A. winner at the June 2025 ceremony.

Yao co-owns Kato in the downtown Los Angeles Arts District. "Chef Jonathan Yao is on a mission, deftly drawing on his Taiwanese background to deliver inspired, bold dishes," the Michelin Guide wrote about Kato.

While Kato offers a "Tasting Menu" and "Bar Tasting Menu," the Michelin Guide notes inspiration comes from Chef Yao's Taiwanese background and is "not shy about seasoning."

Kato co-owner Ryan Bailey said the main dining room offers 13 courses, while the bar serves about six courses.  

"I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, so it's kind of like a confluence of local product and our interests in things that I grew up with," Yao said.

While visiting the KCAL News studio, the pair presented a spring bloom -- halibut filleted in the shape of a flower, California quail, and Asian-style milk bread.

"When it's fish, it's like up and down this side of the Pacific Coast, and we try to source as many things locally as we can. We're in touch with the people that make and grow things, so it's a very personal experience for us," Yao said.

The Michelin Guide describes Kato's menu with Dungeness crab, custard and caviar with a crab-shell infused red vinegar and spice-crusted duck breast.

"The building we are in is called The ROW, but it's Alameda Square, and it was the second largest produce market in the world for 80 years," Bailey said.  "So it was a huge, huge produce market so we take a lot of care in the sourcing of our produce."

This is Chef Yao's first James Beard win. Kato first opened in 2016 in West LA. and then moved in 2022 to Row DTLA.