First Nepalese Beard finalist

Chef Suresh Sundas of Tapori in Washington, D.C., is a 2026 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation’s finalists list names Sundas alongside chefs from Virginia and Maryland in the Mid-Atlantic category. WTOP reported he is the first Nepalese-born and first Nepalese American finalist in the awards’ history. (jamesbeard.org) (wtop.com) Sundas told WTOP he grew up in Nepal, moved to the United States in 2017, and worked at a 7-Eleven before building his cooking career in Washington. American Bazaar also identified the finalist milestone as a first for a Nepalese American chef. (wtop.com) (americanbazaaronline.com) Tapori opened in 2024 in Washington’s H Street corridor and serves dishes shaped by Nepalese and Indian street-food traditions. Eater included the restaurant on its list of the best new restaurants in America. (wtop.com) (eater.com) The Beard recognition arrives after Sundas was named a 2026 semifinalist before advancing to finalist status in April. The foundation is scheduled to announce winners at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony in Chicago on June 15, 2026. (jamesbeard.org 1) (jamesbeard.org 2) For Washington restaurants, the nomination adds Tapori to this year’s national awards map. For Nepali cuisine, it places a restaurant centered on chow mein, momos, and other street-food staples into one of the country’s most-watched chef contests. (wtop.com) (americanbazaaronline.com) Sundas told WTOP that the nomination felt bigger than his own restaurant because it gave Nepal visibility on a national stage. The next test is whether that first finalist nod turns into a first James Beard win in June. (wtop.com)