Five Oklahoma chefs named Beard semifinalists

Chanchaleune hopes the third time is a charm for winning Best Chef Southwest

Chef Jeff Chanchaleune is getting used to the national spotlight.

On Wednesday, the James Beard Foundation announced its semifinalists for Best Chef Southwest, and Chanchaleune was among five Oklahomans on the list. Jeff’s Ma Der Lao Kitchen was listed by two national publications among the Best New Restaurants in the country two years ago, and he’s only built on that momentum. The co-founder and former chef of Goro Ramen is happy to be a  semifinalist again,

“Maybe third time’s a charm!,” he said in response to the news.

Chanchaleune was a finalist last year when Grey Sweater’s Andrew Black took home the award, and a semifinalist back in 2020 when the awards were canceled by the pandemic. Chanchaleune would love to give Oklahoma three Beard Awards in three years, two for best chefs in a row.

“Hope to advance again,” he said Monday morning. “Back-to-back and a first for Ma Der would be nice.”

Florence’s Restaurant was the first in Oklahoma to win a Beard Award. It came in the American Classics division.

Two chefs from Tulsa were nominated. Three Tulsa-area chefs were also listed. Jordan Hawley of Il Seme, Alexandre Figueria of Doctor Kustom, and Jacque Siegfried of Natv in Broken Arrow are nominees.

Finally, Tabb Singleton, the chef turned pitmaster and smokehouse sasquatch of Idabel, Oklahoma, made the list of semifinalists. You may remember reading about a trip to Phat Tabb’s BBQ I took last May or you may have seen him at Chefs Fest 2023. Based on my experiences, this is a well-deserved nomination. If you haven’t been to Idabel for his house-made bologna and beef belly burnt ends, you are missing out.

Congratulations to all the nominees. Finalists will be named on April 3 for the ceremony on June 10 at the Lyric Opera House in Chicago.