Jon Yao is the self-taught chef behind Kato in Los Angeles and one of the most decorated young chefs in America. Yao won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: California in 2025, and in 2026 Kato won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program. That same year, the MICHELIN Guide promoted Kato to Two MICHELIN Stars.
Restaurant Ventures:
Kato – Kato’s tasting menus draw on Taiwanese, Chinese, and Southern Californian influences, many rooted in memories of Yao’s mother’s home cooking. The restaurant’s beverage program, recognized nationally in 2026, pairs wine, rare selections, and creative non-alcoholic options with the same care as the food.
Endorsements and Brand Partnerships:
Yao is an outstanding fit for brands seeking an Asian American culinary voice, premium beverage and wine partners, and companies that value a self-made entrepreneurial story.
Speaking Engagements and Food Festivals:
His path from self-taught cook to two-star chef makes him a compelling speaker on entrepreneurship and creativity. He is well suited to corporate dinners, product launches, and food and wine festivals.
Conclusion:
With back-to-back James Beard honors and a new second MICHELIN Star, Jon Yao is one of the defining chefs of modern Los Angeles dining.
Cooking demonstrations, endorsements, personal appearances, PR campaigns, speaking engagements: to book or hire Jon Yao, Celebrity Chef Network is the corporate consulting agency for your program. Our booking agents help companies, agencies and universities find fees, availability and interest for celebrity chefs like Jon Yao for any type of event, appearance, speaking engagement, endorsement, corporate event, or PR campaign, subject to availability. booking@celebritychefnetwork.com. Our booking agents are here to help you hire your celebrity chef now.
