Moon Rabbit pastry chef Susan Bae took home the award for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker at the annual James Beard Awards in Chicago Monday night, securing D.C.’s only medal of the evening.
Culinary stars from around the country descended on the city’s Lyric Opera House to witness what many call the “Oscars of the food world” — largely considered the industry's top acknowledgements.
Beloved neighborhood bistro Maison Bar à Vins lost the Best New Restaurant award — one of the evening’s top prizes — to New York’s Lei. Tapori’s chef Suresh Sundas, who makes the best Indian street food in town, was outdone in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic by Jesse Ito of Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Philadelphia. And, Brent Kroll of the cozy wine bar Maxwell Park lost in Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service to Lee Campbell from New York.
Bae is a founding partner of D.C.’s Moon Rabbit, a high-end Vietnamese restaurant where she leads an all-female pastry team. She is particularly known for inventive desserts featuring ingredients typically reserved for savory cooking like curry, fish sauce, and seaweed.
I’ve long been a fan of Bae’s unusual but genius creations. Last year, I named her seaweed dessert (rong biển) at Moon Rabbit my favorite dish of the year in our annual City Cast DC roundup. The pandan panna cotta anchors coconut granite and salty seaweed — a refreshing palate cleanser that’s truly original.
Bae was tearful accepting her award. "As a Korean-American chef this recognition means something bigger than myself, it reflects the communities that shaped me,” said Bae. “Representation matters, being invited into the room matters. But what matters even more is knowing you'll be supported once you're there…I hope we continue moving towards a future where underrepresented chefs are not only welcomed and celebrated but supported."
Prior to this year’s victory, Bae was a finalist for the same award in both 2024 and 2025. She was also named North America's Best Pastry Chef by the World's 50 Best last year.
Susan Bae preps Moon Rabbits sâu rieng dessert with durian mousse, passionfruit granita white chocolate streusel, and dill. (The Washington Post/Getty Images)
The James Beard also has a set of media awards, which were announced last Saturday ahead of the main event. Local cookbook author and "Pati's Mexican Table" star Pati Jinich took home two wins in Instructional Visual Media and Broadcast Media Hall of Fame.
Winners are decided by a James Beard committee made up of industry professionals, food writers, and culinary experts. Nominees are chosen in March then narrowed down via a process of visits, discussions, and voting.
This is the second year in a row that D.C. has gotten only one of the coveted James Beard medals. Last year, Chef Carlos Delgado of Shaw's lauded Peruvian joint Causa and Amazonia won Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic.
Find a complete list of 2026 James Beard award winners here.
