Chef Ryne moved to Orlando in 2015, graduating from the esteemed Valencia Culinary Program. They refined their skills at NORMAN’S, contributed to the James Beard-nominated team, and played a key role at Wave Hotel, where BACAN earned Michelin Guide recognition in six months. Chef Ryne later led BACAN to win the prestigious AA 4 Diamond award.
Roy Yamaguchi is a celebrity chef/founder of a collection of restaurants, including Eating House 1849, Humble Market Kitchin, GOEN Dining + Bar, and Roy’s Worldwide. He is known as the innovator of Internationally Influenced, Hawaii Inspired cuisine – an eclectic blend of California-French-Japanese cooking traditions created with fresh ingredients from the Islands.
Grace Young is a three-time James Beard Award winner, six-time IACP Award winner, and recipient of the Julia Child and Humanitarian of the Year awards. Her cookbooks and videos preserve Chinese culinary traditions. A leading voice for Chinatown and AAPI businesses, her work has been widely recognized in national media and by major culinary institutions.
Adam Young, award-winning pastry chef and entrepreneur, founded A.T.Y. Hospitality. Raised in Brandon, VT, he studied at New England Culinary Institute and trained along the East Coast. Executive Pastry Chef at Ocean House in RI, he later launched Sift Bake Shop in CT, expanding statewide. Named Food Network’s Best Baker in America, he published Sift Cookbook in 2021.
Basil Yu, chef and owner of Yagi Noodles in Newport, Rhode Island, crafts ramen with handmade noodles from locally milled wheat. Drawing from his Chinese-American roots and culinary influences from Japan and China, he offers a uniquely American menu. Basil’s accolades include StarChefs Rising Star (2023) and a James Beard nomination (2024).
Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and passionate global citizen. He is the creator, executive producer and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, What’s Eating America, Emmy-nominated Family Dinner and the Emmy-winning The Zimmern List.