Overview
Tim Flores grew up just outside of Chicago with his parents, who immigrated from the Philippines in 1975. His first experience in professional kitchens was polishing dishes at GT Fish & Oyster between college semesters in Iowa. Flores returned to Chicago and transitioned to GT’s kitchen, where he met his future partner, Genie Kwon. In 2016 they helped open Oriole, a fine dining restaurant in the West Loop. In July of 2020, Flores and Kwon opened Kasama, a bakery and restaurant that serves modern Filipino food inspired by the dishes Flores grew up eating. Meaning “together” in Tagalog, Kasama is a reflection of both Kwon’s and Flores’ culinary backgrounds. In 2022, Kasama earned the first ever Michelin star for a Filipino restaurant. Also in 2022, Flores and Kwon were listed among Food & Wine Best New Chefs.
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