Thank you to the organizers for this prestigious recognition. I am grateful for my partner of 10 years, Tiffany Yam, to help Salt achieve all that we have done.

After being involved in over 30 restaurants - from reimagining fast food in the worst food desert to Michelin 3-star, I have been driven by bringing doses of happiness to people and using food to create community and conversation. Chinese restaurants are often the first place where Americans meet their first person of Asian descent and taste their first bite of Asian food. We have been an important culture bridge for over 100 years. Yet, we are never recognized and always taken for granted. We are expected to serve large portions, at cheap prices. We are not valued. I am determined to change this narrative.  

It was heartwarming to meet and see the Chinese restaurateur community gather together at this ceremony to celebrate our successes. It was important for city and state officials to pay their respects.  I am glad that The Restaurateur, with Menusifu's support, is able to organize this important event.

杰出餐饮家奖获得者之一，Salt Partners Group创始人李宗志在获奖后表示：“感谢主办方给予我这个殊荣。我非常感激我十年来的合作伙伴Tiffany Yam，感谢她帮助Salt取得了我们今天的成就。”他说，“在参与了30多家餐厅的工作之后 —— 从在最糟糕的食物沙漠中重新构想快餐到米其林三星级餐厅，我一直致力于通过美食带给人们快乐，并用食物创造社区和对话。中餐馆往往是美国人第一次见到亚洲人并品尝亚洲食物的地方。我们在过去的一百多年里一直是重要的文化桥梁。然而，我们从未得到应有的认可，常常被视为理所当然。人们期望我们提供大份量且便宜的食物，而没有真正重视我们的价值。我决心改变这种看法。”餐饮家金像奖令李宗志产生了共鸣。他说，“在这次颁奖典礼上见到华人餐饮界的同行们聚在一起，庆祝我们的成就，令人感到温暖。市府和州府官员的出席和致敬也很重要。我很高兴《餐饮家》杂志能够组织这样一个重要的活动。”