Chef Henry Lu on His Texas Roots

By: Gabi De la Rosa

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On any given evening at Jūn, servers weave between tightly packed tables carrying green curry, Gulf seafood, and dishes that combine the flavors of Chinese, Mexican, Salvadoran, and Southeast Asian traditions. That commitment to authenticity earned chefs Henry Lu and Evelyn Garcia the 2026 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas.

The morning after the ceremony in Chicago, after an evening of media interviews and celebrations, the adrenaline finally wore off. “I don’t think I’ve ever slept so hard in my life,” Lu says. “I finally let go of the idea of winning and thought, ‘Wow, we won.'”

Henry And Evelyn image by Luke Chang Jia Media — Image courtesy of Luke Chang, Jia Media

Years before the James Beard medal hung around his neck, Lu wasn’t always sure he would stay in the culinary world. Although he grew up in a restaurant family, he earned a degree in art history and imagined a completely different future. Instead, he felt himself pulled back to the kitchen. Even after working at Pearl & Ash and Babu Ji in New York, competing on season 22 of Top Chef, and earning regional acclaim, Lu questioned whether the long hours and relentless pressure were worth it.

“I ask myself every year, ‘Is this what I’m meant to do?'” Lu says.”Then something in the universe reminds me, ‘Yes, absolutely.'” Looking back, he says every difficult service and moment of doubt led to experiences and a career he now can’t imagine leaving.

The James Beard Award has brought extra attention, and reservations have increased, but Lu laughs at the assumption that a table at Jūn is impossible to get. Guests willing to book an earlier seating, check for cancellations, or walk in can still find a spot.

To make things easier on their staff, Lu and Garcia intentionally reduced the number of reservations the restaurant accepted immediately after the award. The duo wanted to make sure the kitchen and dining room could maintain the level of hospitality that earned national recognition.

“We didn’t change the way we cook,” says Lu. “We changed what we could do to help our team, and we definitely focused on maintaining the quality of everything we put out.”

The restaurant’s crew is always at the center of every success Lu and Garcia celebrate. Standing on stage in Chicago, Lu immediately thought of the restaurant staff in the middle of dinner service.

“I remember thinking, ‘Our team is probably losing their minds right now,'” he says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people around me. They put so much heart and soul into what we do, and it has made us work harder for everything we have today.”

Lu also credits Houston for Jūn’s success. The Bayou City welcomed him not only as a chef but as a neighbor, and that feeling of belonging influenced their mission as much as any recipe. In addition to serving inventive food, the restaurant, which doesn’t chase trends or fit neatly into a single category, has become a gathering place for a community that reflects Houston’s diversity.

For all the prestige attached to a James Beard medal, Lu hopes people remember that awards may open doors, but they don’t replace the uncertainty, sacrifice, and resilience required to reach them.

“People think there’s some secret to winning,” he says. “Evelyn and I didn’t play any games or get involved in the politics of it all. We just worked hard, stayed true to who we are, and shared our space with our community. Hard work really, truly pays off.”