

After years of amplifying menus in the Orlando circuit, the critically acclaimed chef debuts an enticing combination of flavor and atmosphere at Kabooki. Our experienced itamae Henry Moso continues his applauded career here. But premiering the best from all points in the culinary color wheel is no easy task.

Oh, speaking of, Florida chefs were shut out of that category, with four of the five finalists coming from New Orleans and the other from Puerto Rico. At Kabooki, diligent detail meets creative freedom. In previous years, local chefs had only been nominated in the “Best Chef: South” category. Last year’s crop of local semifinalists were nominated in national categories for the very first time, as well – Rabii Saber for Outstanding Pastry Chef, James and Julie Petrakis for Outstanding Restaurateur, Norman’s for Outstanding Restaurant and Victoria & Albert’s for Outstanding Service. Moso was the only Orlando-area chef to receive a James Beard Foundation Award nomination this year, but it marks the first time a local chef has been nominated in the Rising Star Chef of the Year category. I want customers to know how creative our dishes are, and how much art we incorporate into our food, says chef Henry Moso, whose youthful looks belie his seriousness and strong focus. Whether or not a formal awards ceremony will actually take place is still in the air, but winners will be announced in one form or another on Sept. These Are the 2020 James Beard Award Restaurant and Chef Semifinalists. Faiyaz Kara (Orlando Weekly) Here Are the 2020 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists. Moso will open a second Kabooki Sushi this. The finalist announcement was scheduled for March 25, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the James Beard Foundation to reschedule it to May 4, the date originally intended for the 30th anniversary awards ceremony and gala at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago. Henry Moso of Orlando's Kabooki Sushi earns James Beard Award nomination for Rising Star Chef of the Year. Henry Moso Henry Moso, arguably the city's most creative sushi chef, will soon bring his high-end sushi game to the high-end streets of Dr. In previous years, the Rising Star Chef of the Year Award has gone to such industry luminaries as Marcus Samuelsson (1999), Grant Achatz (2003), Corey Lee (2006), David Chang (2007), Christina Tosi (2012) and Kwame Onwuachi (2019). Instead, Will Aghajanian and Liz Johnson (Catbird Seat, Nashville), Irene Li (Mei Mei, Boston), Gaby Maeda (State Bird Provisions, San Francisco), Ashleigh Shanti (Benne on Eagle, Asheville), Paola Velez (Kith/Kin, Washington, D.C.) and Jon Yao (Kato, Los Angeles) will vie for the award. The 29-year-old who earned a nomination for Rising Star Chef of the Year wasn’t among the James Beard Foundation Award finalists announced on Twitter today. Kabooki Sushi’s Henry Moso will have to wait another year to earn a James Beard Foundation Award nod.
