Congatulations to Chef Katsuji Tanabe, chef-partner at Mexikosher restaurant, the 2014 Kosherfest Competition Winner! This year’s competition was a heated battle as three chefs had thirty minutes to create three portions of a dish from a basket of mystery ingredients including lamb and cous cous.

All three chefs made delicious dishes but Chef Katsuji came out on top and was awarded the trophy and $1000 prize.

Chef Katsuji Tanabe is chef-partner at Mexikosher restaurant, the first authentic Kosher Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles.

Chef Katsuji is a contestant on the current seasonof Bravo’s “Top Chef Boston”- He recently appeared on Travel Channel’s show Chow Masters and the Food Network’s show Chopped, which he won.

He grew up in Mexico (his father’s Japanese, and his mother’s Mexican), graduated culinary school Le Cordon Bleu, worked in Japan and Mexico, then inside LA’s most acclaimed kitchens such as Bastide and Mastro’s Steakhouse and later at Shiloh’s Kosher Steakhouse. His creative kosher cooking led him to open Mexikosher in 2011.

Chef Katsuji specializes in elegant Kosher catering from a variety of menu’s of international food styles including Mexican, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, Cuban, Spanish, Thai and South American foods. ?

He serves as a personal mentor and celebrity representative for Jewish Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Los Angeles, where he happily offers his time and expertise in teaching healthy eating and cooking alternatives.

2014 Competing Chefs:

Chef Itta Werdiger-Roth, Mason & Mug
Chef Katsuji Tanabe, Mexikosher
Chef David Blum, Hartman’s Fine Kosher Foods
2014 Competition Judges:
Chef Philippe Kaemmerle, The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts
Jack Silberstein, Jack’s Gourmet
Naomi Nachman, Host “Table for Two”, Nachum Segal Network