2026 Worlds of Flavor Presenters

Introducing confirmed chefs and food experts for the 2026 Worlds of Flavor®. This lineup features visionary, influential culinary voices representing and inspired by Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, from a broad range of the industry, including independent restaurants, pop‑ups and bars, to university and fine dining. Get ready for three immersive days of deeply informative ideas and techniques, unforgettable flavors, and unmatched networking opportunities.

Junsoo Bae '12 Chef and CEO, SSAL (San Francisco, CA) — **Junsoo Bae '12**
Chef and CEO, SSAL (San Francisco, CA)

Michiel Bakker President, Culinary Institute of America — **Michiel Bakker**
President, Culinary Institute of America

Lizzy Bartlett Senior Director, Technomic (Chicago, Illinois) — **Lizzy Bartlett**
Senior Director, Technomic (Chicago, Illinois)

Aleishe Baska '05 Associate Professor—Baking and Pastry Arts, Culinary Institute of America, New York — **Aleishe Baska '05**
Associate Professor—Baking and Pastry Arts, Culinary Institute of America, New York

Jaume Biarnes Executive Chef, Yondu Culinary Studio (New York) — **Jaume Biarnes**
Executive Chef, Yondu Culinary Studio (New York)

Gabriel Boyer ‘06 Assistant Professor—Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio — **Gabriel Boyer ‘06**
Assistant Professor—Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio

Jennifer Breckner Director—Programs and Special Projects, The Center for Food and Beverage Leadership, Culinary Institute of America at Copia — **Jennifer Breckner**
Director—Programs and Special Projects, The Center for Food and Beverage Leadership, Culinary Institute of America at Copia

Marley Brown '12 Head Chef of Creative Development and New Projects, SingleThread (Healdsburg, CA) — **Marley Brown '12**
Head Chef of Creative Development and New Projects, SingleThread (Healdsburg, CA)

Esther Choi Chef and Owner, Mŏkbar (New York, NY) — **Esther Choi**
Chef and Owner, Mŏkbar (New York, NY)

Kyle Connaughton Chef and Co-Founder, Single Thread (Healdsburg, California) — **Kyle Connaughton**
Chef and Co-Founder, Single Thread (Healdsburg, California)

Robert Danhi ’91 Chef, Television Host, and Educator (Los Angeles and Melaka, Malaysia) — **Robert Danhi ’91**
Chef, Television Host, and Educator (Los Angeles and Melaka, Malaysia)

Sarah Doyle Wine Reporter, The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa) — **Sarah Doyle**
Wine Reporter, The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa)

Maya Okada Erickson Writer, TV Personality, and Chef, Langbaan (Portland, OR) — **Maya Okada Erickson**
Writer, TV Personality, and Chef, Langbaan (Portland, OR)

Nemo Glassman Founder and CEO, Food Tech Trading, Sakana Blue (Kyoto, Japan) — **Nemo Glassman**
Founder and CEO, Food Tech Trading, Sakana Blue (Kyoto, Japan)

Lih Guah '17 Co-Founder, Chef, Journe (Singapore) — **Lih Guah '17**
Co-Founder, Chef, Journe (Singapore)

Viet Hong Chef-Owner, CieL (Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam) — **Viet Hong**
Chef-Owner, CieL (Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam)

Yoshinori Horii Owner, Sohonke Sarashina Horii (Tokyo, Japan) — **Yoshinori Horii**
Owner, Sohonke Sarashina Horii (Tokyo, Japan)

Andrew Hunter '88 Executive Chef, Kikkoman Sales USA (Los Angeles, CA) — **Andrew Hunter '88**
Executive Chef, Kikkoman Sales USA (Los Angeles, CA)

Kazushi Iwane Kubara Honke Group Co., Ltd. (Fukuoka, Japan) — **Kazushi Iwane**
Kubara Honke Group Co., Ltd. (Fukuoka, Japan)

Khir Johari Food Ethnographer, Author (Singapore) — **Khir Johari**
Food Ethnographer, Author (Singapore)

Robert Jones '20 Vice President—Strategic Partnerships, Industry Leadership, and Impact, Culinary Institute of America, New York — **Robert Jones '20**
Vice President—Strategic Partnerships, Industry Leadership, and Impact, Culinary Institute of America, New York

Cathy Jörin Consultant, Culinary Business Solutions (Santa Rosa, CA) — **Cathy Jörin**
Consultant, Culinary Business Solutions (Santa Rosa, CA)

Do-Seop Kim Leader, Korea Cuisine Research Team, Korean Heritage Agency (Seoul, Korea) — **Do-Seop Kim**
Leader, Korea Cuisine Research Team, Korean Heritage Agency (Seoul, Korea)

James Kim Secretary, YS Kim Foundation (New York, NY) — **James Kim**
Secretary, YS Kim Foundation (New York, NY)

Ji Hye Kim Chef and Owner, Miss Kim and Little Kim (Ann Arbor, MI) — **Ji Hye Kim**
Chef and Owner, Miss Kim and Little Kim (Ann Arbor, MI)

Ian Kittichai Chef, Restaurateur, Author, and TV Personality (Bangkok, Thailand) — **Ian Kittichai**
Chef, Restaurateur, Author, and TV Personality (Bangkok, Thailand)

Ema Koeda ‘05 Food Wine Bridges (Tokyo, Japan) — **Ema Koeda ‘05**
Food Wine Bridges (Tokyo, Japan)

Elaine Koh '13 Associate Professor—Asian Concentration, Culinary Institute of America, Singapore — **Elaine Koh '13**
Associate Professor—Asian Concentration, Culinary Institute of America, Singapore

Ethel Koh ’17 Co-Founder, Chef, Journe (Singapore) — **Ethel Koh ’17**
Co-Founder, Chef, Journe (Singapore)

Jaime Koh, PhD Adjunct Professor, Culinary Institute of America, Singapore — **Jaime Koh, PhD**
Adjunct Professor, Culinary Institute of America, Singapore

Monica Lee Author, Chef and Founder, Beverly Soon Tofu (Los Angeles, CA) — **Monica Lee**
Author, Chef and Founder, Beverly Soon Tofu (Los Angeles, CA)

Emily Lim ‘14 Chef and Founder, Dabao Singapore (San Francisco, CA) — **Emily Lim ‘14**
Chef and Founder, Dabao Singapore (San Francisco, CA)

Gregory Lodato '25 Graduate Student, Culinary Institute of America — **Gregory Lodato '25**
Graduate Student, Culinary Institute of America

Trevor MacKenzie Managing Director and Partner, Excuisine Global (Bangkok, Thailand) — **Trevor MacKenzie**
Managing Director and Partner, Excuisine Global (Bangkok, Thailand)

Gary Matsumoto Private Chef and Food-and-Beverage Consultant (Los Angeles, CA) — **Gary Matsumoto**
Private Chef and Food-and-Beverage Consultant (Los Angeles, CA)

Martin Matysik Associate Professor—Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, New York — **Martin Matysik**
Associate Professor—Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, New York

Arnold Myint Chef and Owner, International Market (Nashville, TN) — **Arnold Myint**
Chef and Owner, International Market (Nashville, TN)

Don Nguyen Chef and Co-owner, Khói (Houston, TX) — **Don Nguyen**
Chef and Co-owner, Khói (Houston, TX)

Nini Nguyen Chef and Cookbook Author (New Orleans, LA) — **Nini Nguyen**
Chef and Cookbook Author (New Orleans, LA)

Kara Nielsen Principal, Kara Nielsen Food Trends (Oakland, CA) — **Kara Nielsen**
Principal, Kara Nielsen Food Trends (Oakland, CA)

Seiji Oda Rapper and Music Producer (Oakland, CA) — **Seiji Oda**
Rapper and Music Producer (Oakland, CA)

Alexander Ong Director of Culinary Excellence, University of Massachusetts Amherst (Amherst, MA) — **Alexander Ong**
Director of Culinary Excellence, University of Massachusetts Amherst (Amherst, MA)

Mya Organisciak '24 Graduate Student, Culinary Institute of America — **Mya Organisciak '24**
Graduate Student, Culinary Institute of America

Mai Pham Author, Chef, and Owner, Lemon Grass Restaurant, Star Ginger (Sacramento, CA) — **Mai Pham**
Author, Chef, and Owner, Lemon Grass Restaurant, Star Ginger (Sacramento, CA)

Dustin Rogge '00 Associate Dean—School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone — **Dustin Rogge '00**
Associate Dean—School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

Yvonne Ruperti '95 Assistant Professor—Baking and Pastry Arts, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone — **Yvonne Ruperti '95**
Assistant Professor—Baking and Pastry Arts, Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

Junko Sakaguchi Owner, Kyoyamato (Kyoto, Japan) — **Junko Sakaguchi**
Owner, Kyoyamato (Kyoto, Japan)

Michael Scott Chef, WaSho United LLC(JETRO)/Independent (Dallas, TX) — **Michael Scott**
Chef, WaSho United LLC(JETRO)/Independent (Dallas, TX)

Hiroko Shimbo Adjunct Chef Instructor, Japanese Concentration Program, Culinary Institute of America, New York — **Hiroko Shimbo**
Adjunct Chef Instructor, Japanese Concentration Program, Culinary Institute of America, New York

Haera Shin Author, Beverage Expert (New Orleans, LA) — **Haera Shin**
Author, Beverage Expert (New Orleans, LA)

Hwayoung Shon Gayageum Performer, Composer (Los Altos, CA) — **Hwayoung Shon**
Gayageum Performer, Composer (Los Altos, CA)

Mutsuko Soma Chef and Owner, Kamonegi (Seattle, WA) — **Mutsuko Soma**
Chef and Owner, Kamonegi (Seattle, WA)

Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava and Dylan Jones Chefs and Co-Founders, Bo.lan (Bangkok, Thailand) — **Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava** and **Dylan Jones**
Chefs and Co-Founders, Bo.lan (Bangkok, Thailand)

Sonoma County Taiko (Santa Rosa, CA) — **Sonoma County Taiko**
(Santa Rosa, CA)

Denis Dello Stritto Executive Chef, Culinary Development, Central Market (Dallas, TX) — **Denis Dello Stritto**
Executive Chef, Culinary Development, Central Market (Dallas, TX)

Bret Thorn Senior Food & Beverage Editor, Nation's Restaurant News (Brooklyn, NY) — **Bret Thorn**
Senior Food & Beverage Editor, Nation's Restaurant News (Brooklyn, NY)

Sam Tran Chef and Owner, Gia (Hanoi, Vietnam) — **Sam Tran**
Chef and Owner, Gia (Hanoi, Vietnam)

Alyse Whitney Content & Social Media Specialist, Culinary Institute of America (Los Angeles, CA) — **Alyse Whitney**
Content & Social Media Specialist, Culinary Institute of America (Los Angeles, CA)

Naoyuki Yanagihara, PhD Executive Chef, Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine (Tokyo, Japan) — **Naoyuki Yanagihara, PhD**
Executive Chef, Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine (Tokyo, Japan)

JongJip Yang ’11 Associate Professor—Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, New York — **JongJip Yang ’11**
Associate Professor—Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, New York

Ryan Yates Senior Executive Chef, University of California (Santa Cruz, CA) — **Ryan Yates**
Senior Executive Chef, University of California (Santa Cruz, CA)

Hajime Yoneda Chef-Owner, Hajime, (Osaka, Japan) — **Hajime Yoneda**
Chef-Owner, Hajime, (Osaka, Japan)

Tony Yoo Executive Chef, POGU, Owner and Chef, DOOREYOO (Union City, CA) — **Tony Yoo**
Executive Chef, POGU, Owner and Chef, DOOREYOO (Union City, CA)

Helene York Adjunct Faculty—Sustainable Food Systems, Culinary Institute of America, New York — **Helene York**
Adjunct Faculty—Sustainable Food Systems, Culinary Institute of America, New York

Hoss Zaré Executive Chef and Consultant (San Francisco, CA) — **Hoss Zaré**
Executive Chef and Consultant (San Francisco, CA)

Save your seat at the table for Worlds of Flavor 2026.

Don’t miss your chance to spend three days with the chefs, educators, and food professionals reimagining East and Southeast Asian cuisine. Spots are filling up fast, reserve yours today.

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2026 Worlds of Flavor Presenters

Save your seat at the table for Worlds of Flavor 2026.

NOVEMBER 4-6, 2026 | NAPA, CA