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In a huge boon for Los Angeles, Food & Wine recently released its annual picks for best new chefs 2017, with the City of Angles nabbing two of the ten coveted spots. This year’s winners are none other than Jordan Kahn, Sara Kramer, and Sarah Hymanson, the latter two who earned the coveted nod for their new restaurant Kismet.
Described as the “anti-Sqirl,” Jordan Kahn’s Destroyer did a fine job putting the former Red Medicine chef’s talents on full display. Credit his cerebral menu that is far from your every day grain bowl and avocado toast, all offered at an incredibly reasonable price tag. The accolade couldn’t come at a better time for Kahn, whose highly anticipated Destroyer follow-up, Vespertine, is slated to open in a few months.
Kismet’s Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson are recent LA transplants, first opening Madcapra in Grand Central Market after decamping from New York’s Glasserie. The Food & Wine award makes it clear that the chefs have settled nicely on the West Coast. The Sara(h)s have not only managed to capitalize on the trend of Middle Eastern flavors, but have filtered those flavors through a California lens, which, according to the publication, makes it all feel very now.
Overall, Los Angeles comes out looking stronger than ever in the post. Last year, Night + Market’s Kris Yenbamroong was the only winner from our great city, with Ori Menashe and Orange County’s Carlos Salgado holding it down in 2015. And given that former winners have included Nancy Silverton, Tom Colicchio, David Chang, Wylie Dufresne, April Bloomfield, and Daniel Boulud, it certainly seems that the talented newcomers have a bright future ahead.
