The owner of Yuan Wonton was named the best chef in the mountain U.S. by the James Beard Awards on Monday night, earning the nod after being nominated three years in a row.
Penelope Wong, a Denver native, opened Yuan Wonton in 2019 with her husband Rob Jenks and sous chef Ngoc Nguyen. The dumpling shop was still a food truck when James Beard first considered her for the prestigious regional culinary award as a semifinalist in 2023.
On Monday night during the live awards ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Wong fought back tears as she walked up to the stage to accept the award with her Yuan Wonton team.
From the podium and using expletives, she recognized her fellow nominee, chef Johnny Curiel of Alma Fonda Fina. “I beat Johnny Curiel!” she said.
“To be honest, this was never the dream,” Wong said during her acceptance speech. “But to be up here, to be given this platform, to be recognized for wanting to achieve some rather simple goals in the grand scheme of things … this is most definitely a dream come true.”
Also nominated for this year’s James Beard Awards were Josh Niernberg of Bin 707 Foodbar in Grand Junction for outstanding chef; Ryan Fletter of Barolo Grill in Denver for outstanding professional in beverage service; and McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright of Yacht Club in Denver for outstanding professionals in cocktail service. The ceremony emphasized the contributions of immigrants to the food industry, with several winners emphasizing their nationalities and ethnic heritage.
Yuan Wonton was one of 32 finalists to appear in the Denver Post’s bracket of the best dumplings in the city. The restaurant is open Tuesdays through Fridays at 2878 Fairfax St., Denver.
