2026 Worlds of Flavor Presenters

Introducing confirmed chefs and food experts for the 2026 Worlds of Flavor®. This lineup features visionary, influential culinary voices inspired by Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and representing a broad range of the industry, from 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.

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

Venerable Beopsong Korean Buddhist Nun, Yeongseonsa Temple (Daejeon, Korea) — **Venerable Beopsong**
Korean Buddhist Nun, Yeongseonsa Temple (Daejeon, Korea)

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

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

Kyle Connaughton Chef, Culinary Educator, and Cookbook Author (Healdsburg, CA) — **Kyle Connaughton**
Chef, Culinary Educator, and Cookbook Author (Healdsburg, CA)

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)

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

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

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

Eric J. Sauber ‘07 Assistant Professor—Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, New York — **Eric J. Sauber ‘07**
Assistant Professor—Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute of America, New York

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

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)

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon Chef, Restaurateur, and Author, Kalaya (Philadelphia, PA) — **Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon**
Chef, Restaurateur, and Author, Kalaya (Philadelphia, PA)

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

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

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

2026 Worlds of Flavor Presenters

NOVEMBER 4-6, 2026 | NAPA, CA