# 2026 Chefs of the Year

> Five chefs win 2026 Eater Awards for innovative dining in cities across the US.
- Title: 2026 Chefs of the Year · Eater | Shortify
- Summary: Five chefs win 2026 Eater Awards for innovative dining in cities across the US. eater awards, chef of the year, mexican cuisine · reported by Eater.
- Keywords: eater awards, chef of the year, mexican cuisine, persian cuisine, south asian cuisine, sonoran desert cuisine, sao restaurant, maru san, roya restaurant, ursa restaurant, laura ozyilmaz, carlos delgado
- Source: Eater — https://eater.com/dining-out/993553/best-chef-eater-awards-2026
- Author: Eater Staff
- Published: 2026-11-10T15:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: eater awards, chef of the year, mexican cuisine, persian cuisine, south asian cuisine, sonoran desert cuisine, sao restaurant, maru san, roya restaurant, ursa restaurant, laura ozyilmaz, carlos delgado
## 2026 Eater Awards
Five chefs win 2026 Eater Awards for innovative dining in cities across the US.
## Laura Ozyilmaz
Laura Ozyilmaz’s Maria Isabel restaurant in San Francisco celebrates Mexican heritage with dishes like ceviche Acapulqueño and duck enmoladas.
## Maria Isabel
Maria Isabel, named after Laura’s sister Maria and mother Isabel, highlights female winemakers and indigenous Mexican ingredients.
## Mexican matriarchy
The restaurant channels Laura’s upbringing in Guerrero and family’s Sinaloan roots through mariscos and maiz, moles and salsa macha.
## Carlos Delgado
Carlos Delgado’s Maru San in Washington, D.C. serves Nikkei-style hand rolls and sashimi with a 25-seat black marble counter.
## Maru San
Maru San opened in February 2026 with a 15-course tasting menu featuring high-end uni and dry-aged fish.
## Amir Hajimaleki
Amir Hajimaleki’s Roya restaurant in Austin celebrates Persian hospitality with a $85 sofreh menu.
## Roya
Roya features shirin polo, ghormeh sabzi, and kebabs with tea service and a take-home box of cookies.
## Phila Lorn
Phila Lorn’s Sao restaurant in Philadelphia combines Cambodian and South Asian flavors with oyster bars.
## Sao
Sao serves tuna carpaccio with crispy shallots and jalapeños, and beef pho on Washington Avenue.
## Aaron Lopez
Aaron Lopez’s Ursa restaurant in Tucson focuses on Sonoran Desert ingredients with Indigenous cooking techniques.
## Ursa
Ursa’s $150 tasting menu includes barrel fruit, quail breast, and goat roasted in agave.
## Key takeaway

Five chefs win 2026 Eater Awards for innovative dining in cities across the US.