James Syhabout

James Syhabout is an American chef of Thai and Laotian descent whose cooking bridges classical European fine-dining technique with the bold, rustic flavors of Isan Thai and Lao cuisine. He is the chef-owner of Commis in Oakland, California, which earned distinction as the first Michelin-starred restaurant in that city, as well as Hawker Fare, a more casual concept rooted in his Southeast Asian heritage. His 2018 cookbook, *Hawker Fare: Stories & Recipes from a Refugee Chef's Isan Thai & Lao Roots*, co-written with John Birdsall, documents the food traditions of his family's homeland alongside the personal history that shaped his culinary perspective. Through both his restaurants and his writing, Syhabout has contributed a distinctive voice to American cooking that draws equally on immigrant family memory and rigorous professional training.