Oxheart's Justin Yu Wins James Beard Award For Best Chef Southwest

Chef Justin Yu has long been attracting attention for his delicate treatment of local ingredients at Oxheart. Everyone, ranging from the New York Times to Texas Monthly to Eater’s own roving critic, has raved about Yu’s cuisine, culminating in this year’s win for the 2016 James Beard Award for the best chef in the Southwest.

Last night, Yu accepted the honor at the James Beard Awards ceremony in Chicago, IL. As he walked to the stage to accept his award to some strange entrance music.

Jennifer Cole, a Birmingham-based writer live-tweeting the awards noticed that each winning chef was introduced with a television theme song (in keeping with this year’s theme for the awards).

Scope out what they played when Yu took the stage below:

TV theme songs as chefs approach stage. Justin Yu (@OxheartHouston) of HOUSTON wins; they play "Dallas". Really? #jbfa #Texas

— Jennifer V. Cole (@jennifervcole) May 3, 2016

How rude.

Despite that minor flub, Yu’s win brings even more attention to Houston’s ever-growing (and improving) dining scene, one that has been the focus of more and more attention from critics and diners outside the state. More than that, it brings attention to a chef who has done a great deal to change the perception that Texas cuisine is all about Tex-Mex and steak.

Well done, Chef.