2019 Philadelphia Rising Stars: Why They Shine

• Yam Samun Phrai: Herb Salad with Basil and Culantro, Minced Pork, Shrimp Paste, Red and Yellow Onion, Cashews, Carrots, Fried Shallots  and Coconut Milk Vinaigrette
• Khao Tod Neua: Beef Salad with Red Curry Jasmine Rice Cakes, Cilantro, and Mint

Dishes that clinched it:

• Crispy Pig Ears, Barbecue Spice, Celery Root Purée, Cranberry Beans, Shiitake Mushrooms, Shaved Celery Root
• Red Wine-braised Short Rib, Mole, Fermented Aji Dulce Chiles, Beef fat-confited and Roasted Carrots, and Mustard Greens

It’s wild to think that Philadelphia, Morimoto’s U.S. launching pad, didn’t have a traditional omakase experience until 2016. But that’s when Jesse Ito opened Royal Sushi & Izakaya, a chef’s dream of a restaurant with a rollicking bar out front and an intimate, fully booked sushi counter in back. From that counter, five nights a week, Ito serves 20 to 30 diners an impeccable 18-piece omakase. And with the experience, Ito has brought Tokyo traditions (and fish) to a city that didn’t quite know what it was missing until it ate caviar-topped toro nigiri with its hands. Ito’s hallmarks are craftsmanship, restraint, and a slight mischievous wink, and he’s creating a market in Philadelphia for one of the world’s most revered cuisines.
 
Dishes that clinched it:

• Kumamoto Oyster Nigiri with Sudachi, Soy Sauce, and Chives
• Toro Nigiri with Caviar and Chives

Much of what we know of Italian culture and cuisine on the East Coast is really Southern Italian and often Sicilian. But there are few chefs quite like Michael Vincent Ferreri on this eggplant parm-soaked seaboard. Ferreri is revisiting and enlivening Sicilian cuisine at Res Ipsa Cafe, where the food is bold in its simplicity. A wide strand of fazzoletti coated in preserved citrus, olive oil, oregano, chiles, and bottarga is a revelation. His caponata is an all-white celebration of the agrodolce life made of celery root, olive caramel, fennel, onion, and sesame. At its outset, Res Ipsa Cafe was supposed to be a simple all-day coffee shop, but Ferreri’s drive and heart-filled cooking destined, willed it to be so much more.
 
Dishes that clinched it:

• Monkfish Cavatelli, Orange, Saffron, Breadcrumbs, and Parsley
• Fazzoletti, Preserved Citrus, Oregano, Chiles, and Bottarga

Alexander Yoon is cooking beyond his years at Little Fish. He bought the seafood-focused BYOB when he was just 24 years old. Still a few years shy of 30, his food is confident and subtle. Crispy fluke with broccoli rice, almonds, and brown butter is a big hug. Branzino with maitakes and frissée gets a flash of intrigue from charred scallion vinaigrette spiked with gochujang and tamari. But nothing quite steals the show from the pristine, expertly prepared fish that he gets in four to five days a week from up and down the East Coast. It’s the stuff of a regular’s dreams. And while Yoon has worked in sleek million dollar kitchens—notably Mirazur and Benu—he’s keeping the digs humble with a tight pass and 24 seats, as he establishes the rock solid foundation of one of Philadelphia’s formidable (future) restaurant groups.
 
Dishes that clinched it:

• Fluke, Broccoli Rice, Shishitos, Almonds, and Brown Butter
• Grilled Lobster, Charred Jalapeño-Kewpie Mayonnaise, Radishes, and Brik

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Smoked Celery Root Purée, Preserved Citrus Chawanmushi, Sunchoke Chimichurri, and Mushroom-Sherry Broth
• Roasted Sweet Potato, Sorghum-Miso Vinaigrette, Toasted Coconut-Coffee Oil, Caramelized Onion Sauce, Popped Sorghum, and Parsley

Judy Ni and Andy Tessier have vision, and they’re living it. They believe chefs should be thinking about, talking about, and manifesting sustainability in their restaurants in a dynamic and comprehensive way—not just from an ingredient sourcing perspective. They believe chefs need to work harder to help guests understand the costs of providing a well sourced, well produced, high-quality meal. They believe in paying hospitality workers a wage befitting an esteemed profession. They have seen firsthand the costs of restaurants absorbed by those in positions that are already undervalued. They realize cheap food is a weight on the backs of farmers, purveyors, and restaurant folks. They’re for transparency and sustainable ecosystems for all stakeholders. bāo • logy is the change they want to see in the world. The welcome side effect: introducing Philadelphia to the nuances of Taiwanese cuisine.
 
Dishes that clinched it:

• Gwa Bao: Roasted Heritage Pork Belly, Taiwanese Fried Chicken, Slow-cooked Grass-fed Beef, King Oyster Mushrooms, Tempura Fish
• Haianese Chicken Dinner with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Bok Choi, and Forbidden Rice

Zahav is a juggernaut of a restaurant, serving upwards of 300 diners a night, 80 percent of whom order the soulful, gleefully abundant tasting menu. As pastry chef, Camille Cogswell’s course comes dead last, and it has to be so damn good that diners are compelled to scrape their bowls clean after having consumed salatim, hummus, mezze, and some grilled deliciousness. Cogswell is up to the challenge—any challenge, really. Since arriving at Zahav, she has dived into Israeli cuisine, researching and learning so her desserts are authentic to Zahav’s riotous, joyful dining experience. In the coming months, Cogswell will open CookNSolo’s K’Far, an all-day restaurant and bakery, where her cooking won’t follow anyone’s else’s—just lead the way for outstanding pastry in Philadelphia.
 
Dishes that clinched it:

• Pear Sorbet, Celery Granita, Aniseed Meringue, and Lemon
• Chocolate Konafi, Charred Sweet Potato Ice Cream, and Candied Sweet Potatoes

Sam Kincaid is a farmer first, by birth and by trade—from the Mid- and Pacific Northwest to the Pyrenees and Mallorca—and through relationships formed with small producers. Following suit, Kincaid’s pastry is grounded. It has roots. And from there erupts flavor. By harmonizing unusual combinations and creating playful textures, she simultaneously comforts and intrigues. Just as she experienced new flavors as a child pulling vegetables fresh from the dirt, she’s pushing Philadelphians to try something new with every dessert. Where diners see an inviting dish and dig into a cake with the glorious texture of an undercooked brownie, Kincaid sees the farmers, artisans, and purveyors whose hard work made it all possible. Her work is a thoughtful, delicious tribute to them, and example for progressive pastry chefs everywhere.           
 
Dishes that clinched it:

• Kakigori, Dried and Fresh apple, Brown Rice Grits, Vinegar, Sake Lees, and Hazelnuts
• Frozen Nougat, Rye Porridge, Cranberry, and Miso-Beet Cake

Continuing a storied tradition, Tova du Plessis is sharing Jewish pastry and baked goods with Philadelphia. She’s also continuing a family tradition learned from her mother at celebratory meals every Friday night and Saturday … because every day is Shabbat at Essen Bakery. And although eating her chunky, halva-laden, salt-sprinkled chocolate babka may be a spiritual experience, du Plessis has technical precision and training from Meadowood, Zahav, Michael Mina, and Benu backing up her layers of heart and soul. Her yeasted rugelach? Almost as impressive as her business acumen. Du Plessis has plans for epic Essen expansion, including another shop, a commissary, and more retail and wholesale—a model for pastry chefs-turned-bakery owners everywhere. She’s enriching not just doughs but all of Philadelphia, where knish may soon be king (not pretzels) and du Plessis wears babka like a crown.         
 
Dishes that clinched it: 

• Chocolate Babka
• Poppy Seed Danish
   

Alex Bois purchased 40,000 pounds of Mid-Atlantic grains last year. That’s a far cry from his early days at High Street on Market when there were few sources, if any, for local flour. Bois has since established a supply chain, refined technique, and created a demand for high-quality bread. He launched Lost Bread Co. in 2017, and he’s pushing the category with innovative products and thinking. In addition to outstanding breads—all made from freshly milled flour—Bois has invested in a pastry program that develops kouign-amann and croissants from whole grains. He’s started a grain share that educates consumers on one grain variety per month via bread, pastry, pantry items, and a ’zine. Bois opens wide the possibilities for grains, farmers, and baking in Philadelphia and beyond.
 
Breads that clinched it:

• Beet Rye Bread
• Barley Baguette
   

• La Palma y El Tucan Neighbor and Crops
• Espresso Sour: La Palma y El Tucan Natural Gesha, Lemon, Egg White, Simple Syrup, and Strawberry Essence

• Bohemian Curry, Striped Bass, Pineapple-Habanero Shellfish Sauce, Spinach, and Plantains paired with Grüner Veltliner, Galen Glen, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, 2017
• Veal Breast Fazzoletti, Rosemary Pasta, Overnight Tomatoes, Parmesan, and Veal Jus paired with Cabernet Franc, Night Heron, Onabay, North Fork, Long Island, New York, 2015

• Kampachi, Oro Blanco Grapefruit, Aguachile, Fresh Herbs, and Tomatillo paired with Dürnsteiner Riesling, Weingut Alzinger, Federspiel, Wachau, Austria, 2015
• Comté Soufflé, Mustard, Black Truffle, Fondue, Orange, and Truffle paired with Savagnin Ouillé, Domaine de Pelican, Arbois, Jura, France, 2015

Paul MacDonald has built a destination bar program at Chad and Hanna Williams’ Friday Saturday Sunday, drawing regulars and industry peers with hospitality and a constantly evolving roster of drinks. MacDonald thinks in terms of body-ody-ody and texture, and marries disparate flavors so they unfold on the palate in meandering succession. Take his Assassin’s Handbook with aged rum, Cognac, Averna, mulled wine shrub, and habanero tincture. It first punches high acid, then bitter and bold, and at the last moment, your throat lights up with a chile tingle. It’s a thrill. Aged Ovaltine milk punch smells like a Tootsie Roll and unfurls as a full-bodied, bone-dry dessert cocktail. With imagination overflowing, MacDonald is defining good drinking in Philadelphia.
 
Drinks that clinched it:

• Assassin’s Handbook: Appleton Jamaican Rum, Cognac, Amaro Averna, Mulled Wine Shrub, and Habanero Tincture
• Clarified Ovaltine Milk Punch: Bols Genever, Lemon Juice, Red Wine, Raw Sugar, and Ovaltine
   

• Herschel Waker: Corned Beef, Scrambled Eggs, Cooper Sharp American Cheese, and Rye Bread
• Phoagie: Roasted Eggplant, Hoisin, Sambal, Avocado, Cilantro, Yellow Onion, Crispy Fried Onion, Pho Sauce, and Sesame Hoagie

• Halabi Kebab, Hummus, Charred Onions, Tomatoes, and Shishitos
• Warm Chickpeas, Fried Pita, Tahini Yogurt, Fried Japanese Eggplant, Brown Butter, Cashews, Almonds, Green Onion, Aleppo Pepper, and Mint Powder

• Crispy HipCity Ranch: Battered Chick’n, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickle, and Peppercorn Ranch
• Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Aïoli and Cilantro Black Bean Dip