Chef Ryan Roadhouse on winning a James Beard Award on his NINTH nomination. And studying sushi in Japan

2026 James Beard Best Chef Northwest & Pacific Ryan

Roadhouse is celebrated for marrying Japanese techniques and traditions with fresh local ingredients to create extraordinary meals at his Portland

restaurant Nodoguro. What began as a pop-up is now a highly honored destination restaurant. His frequently changing tasting menus are built around themes—everything from the seasons to books, films, memories, and more. And the chef himself remains in the kitchen, not just managing and supervising but cooking and creating. The food is in the tradition of kaiseki, Japan’s finest dining, but less restricted. One writer called it kaiseki without the rules. The musician Questlove even included

Chef Roadhouse in his book Something to Food About.

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