Phila Lorn is a Philadelphia native who has been part of the city’s food scene for over 22 years. Aside from a brief corporate role that fell into his lap during the pandemic, he has never cooked more than five miles from where he grew up.

Named after his city, Phila (pronounced pee-la, a broken-English shorthand for Philadelphia) was awarded the James Beard Emerging Chef honor in 2025. He and his wife and business partner, Rachel, own two restaurants in South Philadelphia. Their first, Mawn, has held a spot on The New York Times’ “Top 25 Restaurants” list for two consecutive years. Their second and newest venture, Sao, is a Southeast Asian–inspired oyster bar.

At home, they share life with their son, Otis, whose current favorite foods—at just three years old—are smoked trout roe and lump crab fried rice.