Filipino restaurant Kasama in Chicago now a two Michelin star destination
Popular Filipino restaurant Kasama in Chicago has earned its second Michelin Star, becoming one of the newest Two-Star additions to The Michelin Guide Chicago 2025.
Kasama, owned and run by husband-and-wife team Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, serves Filipino food, which is Flores' specialty, and French pastries, Kwon's expertise.
"In a simple space, the two cook with striking originality. Homey traditional preparations are reimagined in elegant, inventive ways, as in an "adobo" of mussels and wild mushrooms that balances tangy, sweet, and savory," wrote The Michelin Guide about Kasama in an article announcing The Michelin Guide Chicago 2025.
Kasama received its first Michelin Star in 2022, making it the world's first Michelin-Starred Filipino restaurant.
Its second Michelin Star comes after several other recognitions for Kasama. In 2023, Flores and Kwon won the Best Chef: Great Lakes award at the James Beard Awards, where they were a finalist for Best New Restaurant the year prior.
At the La Liste 2025 Awards, held in Paris, France, in November 2024, Flores and Kwon were recognized as the "most promising chefs of the year" under the Talent of the Year Category.
Additionally, Kasama landed in Food & Wine magazine's No. 5 spot in its Top 20 Restaurants in the US list in 2024.
Robb Report also recognized the chef tandem in its 2024 report on the 50 Most Powerful People in American Fine Dining, giving Kwon and Flores the 22nd spot.
In October, Flores and Kwon travelled to the Philippines to showcase their food at the inaugural Michelin Gala for Manila, Environs, and Cebu 2026 ceremony. The event launched the first Michelin Guide Philippines, where over 100 Manila and Cebu restaurants made it to the prestigious list.
"What we experienced here goes beyond hospitality. It is a kind of care so deeply woven into the DNA of this culture that it feels as natural as breathing," wrote Kasama restaurant on Instagram.
"Filipino food is not a fad and not a trend. It is the result of an incredibly influential and resilient history, and we are so excited for the future of this cuisine," the restaurant added.
