Less than a year after opening, Chef Barry Honan’s Lotus Noodle Bar has received accolades that are bestowed on the nation’s finest restaurants.
Honan and his team were invited to create a meal at the prestigious Beard House, an invitation extended by The James Beard Foundation to only the finest chefs in the country. His team “performed” for Foundation members and the public, presenting an exquisitely crafted dinner, with every detail and ingredient coordinated to perfection. Located at 56 Grove St. in the nation’s oldest city, St. Augustine, Lotus Noodle Bar’s reputation has gone beyond local favorite to a Southern stand-out.
“I’ve always had these goals and dreams for Lotus,” says Honan, who is both chef and owner. “Seeing them come to fruition is incredibly satisfying. This is a milestone moment in my culinary journey, one that fills me with a profound sense of honor and reverence. To be invited to these hallowed halls is a distinction that I wear with the deepest respect and appreciation. Culinary legends have graced the Beard House with their genius. To follow in their footsteps is both humbling and inspiring. It is my sincere hope that through my cuisine, I can pay homage to the rich legacy of the James Beard House while also offering a glimpse into my own culinary vision and the unique perspective that Lotus brings.”
The James Beard Foundation house director invites chefs based on specific criteria, including reputation, use of high-quality ingredients and demonstrated excellence in a particular discipline. The director makes the final selection based on the proposed menu and wine list, schedule and their judgment.
Honan and his crew served 74 guests on June 25 at the Beard House, a bespoke multi-level townhouse in Greenwich Village in New York. The home belonged to the late James Beard, a famous food critic, author and educator. Beard, who died in 1985, was known as a champion for regional and seasonally influenced American cuisine during a time when the nation was fascinated by mass-produced convenience foods.
This passion for fresh, seasonal cuisine is in line with Honan’s culinary ethos. The Lotus team prepared two dishes for the diners at the Beard House. The first was a Japanese Congee or Okayu, a Japanese rice porridge featuring Kurobata bacon, Japanese mushrooms, truffle confit, Katsuobushi Furikake, Negi and French Burgundy truffles. Their second dish was an Izakaya smoked potato salad with blue crab, yuzu koshō, Sunomono cucumber, fried garlic, Japanese ikura and toasted togarashi.
