Mawn’s Phila Lorn is a James Beard finalist. He says the spotlight also belongs to his wife Rachel

Philly s food scene just keeps growing stronger and stronger This year four local establishments and chefs received nods as finalists for the James Beard Awards also known as the Oscars of the culinary world One of them is chef Phila Lorn pronounced Pee-la of Mawn the standout Cambodian noodle house with no rules The -year-old local earned a nomination for Emerging Chef He first heard the news while at home taking care of his -year-old son He s potty training so I was wiping him and I got a text message he explained A friend of mine was like Congrats on the James Beard man I was like what Surprised was the initial feeling he explained And then you know disbelief imposter syndrome It s all the stuff that my therapist is like you gotta work on Lorn has a goofy laid-back vibe He grew up in South Philly and his parents are Cambodian immigrants who named him after the city Steamed Clams Somlaw Macchu Tamarind Lemongrass Broth Thai Chile Basil Oil Courtesy of Phila Lorn Though he s an emerging chef this distinction doesn t mean that Lorn s new to the industry The restaurateur has two decades of experience under his belt serving under several celebrated Philly chefs Although Phila received the James Beard award nod he opened Mawn as a shared vision with his wife Rachel The restaurant he disclosed is a true mom-and-pop operation The two have been together for years and married for eight They met working at Zama And while Phila s food may be the star of the show the restaurant is nothing without its supporting cast Rachel is in charge of the front of the house and runs the whole enchilada or in this occurrence noodle bowl That role is often forgotten about Rachel noted There s another part of the whole restaurant that s a very essential part in building the heritage It really can make or break a restaurant to have facility be failed or people to be rude and so I think that it s major to also kind of recognize the full operation of a restaurant Rachel sets the tone and vibe of the dining experience at Mawn According to Phila she is a ninja and Mawn would not be the same without her Head-on Soft Shell Shrimp Fish Sauce Caramel Bird s Eye Chile Thai Basil Courtesy of Phila Lorn I got nominated for emerging chef but it s a man s world type of thing that I get to go to the James Beard awards he commented She s my business partner I don t think I could work without her We are like a dynamic duo he added She runs the floor with so much integrity Mawn has been open for two years but just try to get a reservation online Odds are that it s altogether booked The spot has received praise for its celebration of Cambodian flavors and warm vibe Different dishes also have American Jewish and Thai influences The restaurant gets its name from the Cambodian word for chicken The menu takes key inspiration from Phila s background and family history His parents came to the United States because they were fleeing civil war This is not a Cambodian story This is my Cambodian story he declared My mother did run through the jungles in a Cambodian genocide If you saw somebody eating chicken it means the gunfire has stopped because the chickens are chilling now You can indeed catch it and eat it So Mawn represents peace time in that way and also peace time in our careers This backstory is inseparable from the heart of the restaurant an example of an American dream come true Because Phila s story is so powerful sometimes it s easy to overlook Rachel s hand in shaping the restaurant s DNA and her job to make sure every single customer walks away with a good experience Rachel is your best friend your enemy your aunt your sister and your mom all at the same time all in the same outfit Phila noted Ribeye and Prohok Courtesy of Phila Lorn It s her role to communicate with the kitchen to make sure that the food is timed right She s constantly scanning and listening to diners necessities to curate their perfect menu creating a medley of courses Mawn offers a Puck and See option for in which she orders for you It s like organized chaos in my brain Rachel explained I can look at a room and be like OK they need something It s basically being the eyes over the entire floor and then knowing exactly what s going on Rachel also grew up in Philadelphia and certain elements on the menu are inspired by her own background The Mawn Noodle Soup is based on the stock of my grandma s Jewish-style chicken soup she explained And then we also have the chicken skin which was more from my side of the family My dad who s passed away his passion was cooking And so we keep his picture up on the wall in the restaurant In the dining room he watches over everything that s going on Chef Phila Lorn and Rachel Lorn Courtesy of Phila Lorn Rachel has been in the restaurant industry just as long as Phila The two are driven and have put their all into making their family business a success Before working at Mawn she was the director of banquets at the Logan Hotel winning an award for her managerial skills there However when they started Mawn she initially did not quit that job Instead she worked two full-time gigs giving both I ran a whole department there she revealed I worked there pretty much to And would run here and get here by and jump right into function So I was here I was still here every night we were open For Rachel this nomination has been unbelievable but also a long time coming I m not surprised she commented I knew Phila s talents I know how good he is and the food but it still is pretty amazing that our little restaurant we put together has now gotten that kind of recognition To have that numerous people see his food and see what we do is pretty cool she added We were never chasing this kind of thing It was more like we just want to make really good food We want to make money and be able to live our life and do it for ourselves Phila declared that if he wins the first thing he ll do is go over and kiss Rachel Then whisper in her ear that he reported her so He knew that their restaurant would be a success There s not a lot of Cambodian representation he revealed You know it s amazing to look at the list of nominations and there s a Cambodian name And for specific young kid various young bull to look and see a face that kind of reminds him of himself it means the world to us The post Mawn s Phila Lorn is a James Beard finalist He says the spotlight also belongs to his wife Rachel appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY