Jeff Chanchaleune is a four-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee for Best Chef Southwest. He is the chef-owner of Ma Der Lao Kitchen and Bar Sen in Oklahoma City. Thanks to his father’s classical training with the American Culinary Federation, growing up in a family-owned diner, and his mother’s homemade Laotian food, Chanchaleune was immersed in a variety of food cultures from a young age. In 2021, Chanchaleune opened Ma Der to explore and share the authentic Laotian fare he grew up eating at home. Since then, Ma Der has garnered national attention, earning its place as one of 《Bon Appétit》 50 Best New Restaurants in 2022 and 《紐約時報》’ Best Restaurants in 2022. Chanchaleune opened Bar Sen, a Laotian noodle bar, soon after in early 2025, and it followed its sibling’s footsteps by earning a spot on The New York Times’ Best Restaurants list in September 2025 and a 2026 James Beard Award nomination.