Latest news with #Mawn
Eater
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Philly Chef Phila Lorn Wins a James Beard Award
is the deputy editor of Eater's Northeast region, covering Boston, Philly, D.C. and New York. Based in Boston, she has spent years covering the local restaurant industry. Chef Phila Lorn of Cambodian hot spot Mawn took home the James Beard Award for Emerging Chef on Monday, June 16, at the foundation's annual gala in Chicago. In his acceptance speech, Lorn dedicated the award to 'having confidence in owning what you do as a craft' and also the many assumptions that Mawn had to fight through in its opening days, including 'that the food wasn't gonna be good enough, or authentic enough, [or] I wasn't popular enough.' 'When I found out I was nominated for this award, the assumption was that I was gonna win it,' Lorn said to cheers from the crowd. The chef was up against four other nominees in the category, including Nikhil Naiker of Nimki in Providence, Rhode Island, and Jane Sacro Chatham of Vicia in St. Louis, Missouri. Mawn has quickly become one of Philly's hardest-to-snag reservations since it opened two years ago in Philly's Bella Vista neighborhood. The self-proclaimed 'noodle house with 'no rules'' serves dishes like a rich beef noodle katiew (a Cambodian noodle soup) with sliced wagyu and braised oxtail, and a crowd-favorite all star seafood rice packed with crab, bay scallops, shrimp, crab fat butter, and trout roe. There's also the 'Puck & See' family-style tasting menu, a fun option for groups where Lorn and his crew pick a variety of dishes to send out for $65 per person. Looking forward, the team is hardly slowing down: Phila and Rachel Lorn, his wife and business partner, are about to open a second restaurant, a Southeast Asian oyster bar called Sao, in East Passyunk. Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. Eater Philly All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
CBS News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Phila Lorn, mastermind behind one of Philadelphia's hottest restaurants, brings family story into spotlight
He's the mastermind behind one of Philadelphia's hottest restaurants. Now, Phila Lorn, the owner of Mawn in South Philadelphia, is being recognized with one of the highest honors in the culinary world: the James Beard Emerging Chef Award. In the heart of the historic Italian Market, Mawn stands out not just for its bold Southeast Asian flavors but for its fearless approach. "When we say no rule, we really mean we make whatever we want," Lorn said. "There's Cambodian food, Vietnamese food, some things from Burma, Thailand." For Lorn, it's deeply personal. The South Philly native, named after his hometown, says his cooking reflects both his upbringing and the sacrifices of his parents, refugees from Cambodia who arrived in the U.S. after surviving war and genocide. "Philly is my city. I was named after the city. I love Philadelphia, the flaws and all," Lorn said. "My parents worked a lot, but the block raised me. Growing up in South Philly. The government funded us with some food, and the food was never good. I realized at an early age that I could make things better from bad things." After two decades in the restaurant industry, Lorn and his wife Rachel opened Mawn, infusing every dish with heritage, heart and hustle. This month, the James Beard Foundation recognized his work, naming him Emerging Chef at a ceremony in Chicago. It's a moment, Lorn says, that goes beyond personal success. "It represents growth and progression of my people, of the community," he said. "And I hope that it can show other people that we can do anything." But more than awards, Lorn says his mission is simple: make people feel something when they eat. "To know that you're being taken care of. To know that you're full and you're happy," he said. "I feel like that's in my blood." From a house on 7th and Jackson streets to one of the country's most celebrated chefs, Lorn is not just feeding Philly. He's honoring it.
New York Times
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Where to Eat: When you're in Philly
Destination Dining A weekly guide to dining in a different U.S. city, just in time for the summer travel season. Regan here — food writer and Philly native. There are a few more days until the solstice makes it officially summer, but the season is already in full swing across the City of Brotherly Love: Locals are gathering in Rittenhouse Square and Clark Park, John's Water Ice is slinging overfilled cups, and diners are lingering over meals a little longer. Join them, armed with The Times's updated list of the 25 best restaurants in Philadelphia, right now. You'll see familiar spots, including Royal Sushi & Izakaya — look out for the chef Jesse Ito's new izakaya, Dance Robot, later this summer — and Mawn, a B.Y.O.B. destination for punchy Cambodian fare and the sister restaurant to the hotly anticipated Sao, a new crudo and oyster bar. We've also added a handful of newcomers to the list; here's a preview. I suggest planning your Philly eating schedule around multiple visits to the Italian all-day cafe Fiore. First thing in the morning, order a shakerato and buttery cornetti, which the co-owner and pastry chef Justine MacNeil, a Del Posto alum, makes in a three-day process using a sourdough starter and a dash of vanilla and rum. Prefer a savory start? Ask for a breakfast sandwich like the Saltie, an ode to the now-shuttered Brooklyn sandwich shop of the same name, made with scrambled eggs and whipped ricotta layered on house-baked focaccia. For lunch or dinner, try housemade pasta dishes such as fettuccine with green asparagus ragù, or rosy pink mezzaluna with beets. If you can't squeeze in a second visit, though, you don't have to miss out — at Fiore, pasta, including cacio e pepe, is for breakfast, too. 2413 Frankford Avenue (East Hagert Street), East Kensington Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Phila Lorn, chef at Mawn in Philadelphia, wins James Beard Award
Accused Minnesota gunman captured, gas prices concerns and more headlines | Digital Brief Accused Minnesota gunman captured, gas prices concerns and more headlines | Digital Brief Accused Minnesota gunman captured, gas prices concerns and more headlines | Digital Brief A Philadelphia chef won a prestigious James Beard Award Monday night. Phila Lorn, the chef at Mawn in Philadelphia, won the Emerging Chef Award at the ceremony in Chicago. Mawn is a noodle house with "no rules," according to its website. Lorn and his wife, Rachel, have about 20 years of experience in Philadelphia's restaurant scene. Phila Lorn, winner of the Emerging Chef award, speaks on stage during the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago. Jeff Schear/Getty images Jesse Ito, of Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Queen Village, and Amanda Shulman, of Her Place Supper Club in Center City, were both nominated for the Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic region but did not win. The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday in Center City was nominated for the Outstanding Bar award but did not win. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Craig LaBan won the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award from the James Beard Foundation last week. Eater has the full list of winners and a video of the ceremony.
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Why Cambodian-American chefs want to share their cuisine and stop talking about the past
Chef Phila Lorn was not necessarily aiming for authentic Cambodian food when he opened Mawn in Philadelphia, the US city where he was born, two years ago. So when he approached some Cambodian teen patrons he braced himself for questioning. Advertisement 'Someone's going to say something like, 'That's not how my mom makes her oxtail soup',' Lorn says. 'So I walk up to the table. I'm like, 'How is everything?' And the kid looks up at me and he goes, 'It doesn't even matter, dude. So glad you're here'.' It was at that moment that Lorn realised Mawn – the phonetic spelling of the Khmer word for 'chicken' – was more than a noodle shop. It meant representation. In June, he will be representing his dual cultures – Cambodian and Philly – at his first James Beard Awards as a nominee for best emerging chef. In the food world, it is akin to getting nominated for the Academy Awards. Phila Lorn and Rachel Lorn opened Mawn restaurant in Philadelphia two years ago. Photo: AP Cambodian restaurants are not as common in the United States as Chinese takeaways or sushi spots. Cambodian food is often lazily lumped in with its Southeast Asian neighbours, despite distinct differences. But in recent years, enterprising Cambodian American chefs have come into their own, introducing traditional dishes or putting their own twist on them. Advertisement Many of them were raised in families who fled the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror, which began 50 years ago and killed about 1.7 million people. Since then, the Cambodian community in the US has grown and put down roots.
