Timothy Flores

The Path

Restaurant work often starts in positions that are invisible until you understand the pace they demand. Timothy Flores moved through those early stations in order — dishwasher, then busser, then cook — and that sequence shaped the way he approaches the line now. Each role required more speed, more attention, and more stamina, and each one added another layer to his judgment in service. That background still registers in the way he works as chef of Kasama since 2020. The title reflects more than promotion; it marks authority earned through repetition, pressure, and close contact with every part of the operation. By the time Timothy Flores reached that post, he had already absorbed the practical knowledge that service teaches best: how a shift moves, where it breaks, and what it takes to keep a kitchen steady when the pace tightens.

The Work Today

At Kasama, Timothy Flores cooks with a foot in inheritance and another in revision. The food returns to the Filipino food of his childhood, but it does so through study rather than nostalgia alone. Tradition is not treated as fixed material; it is worked closely enough to open into a clearer, more contemporary reading. The restaurant’s format carries that same split. By day, Kasama runs all-day bakery service, direct and accessible in the rhythm of daily trade. By night, it shifts into a more deliberate 13-course tasting menu, with a slower pace and a more concentrated structure. Both modes belong to the same kitchen, but each asks for a different kind of attention from the room.

Signature

Timothy Flores's signature dishes include Lumpia Shanghai: Fried Pork Spring Roll and Sweet Chile Sauce. The dish lands with a clean, immediate clarity: crisp texture, direct seasoning, and a Sweet Chile Sauce that sets the balance. In that combination, the contours of his cooking are easy to read — grounded, specific, and attentive to what makes a familiar dish hold its shape.

In Their Words “We always tried to keep our heads up despite the situation, because we were still doing something that we love.” Taken together, those remarks point to a working ethic shaped by limits rather than grand statements. They show an operator making decisions with the facts at hand, and a kitchen kept moving by discipline, not optimism alone.

Acclaim

Timothy Flores's honors include James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes (2023), La Liste Special Award: New Talents of the Year Award (2025), and Food & Wine Best New Chefs (2022). The recognitions follow the same arc as the work itself: early labor, steady advancement, and wider notice that did not require the kitchen to lose its footing.