LM Restaurants has announced that chef Katsuji Tanabe, a former contestant on season 12 of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, has joined the LM family as lead for culinary innovation.

In celebration, LM Restaurants-owned Oceanic will host a five-course collaborative dinner with Tanabe and Oceanic executive chef Tim Lyons on Tuesday, May 25.
 
Tanabe will be serving dishes from his competitions on Top Chef, while Lyons will be showcasing his creativity with unique dishes created specifically for the event.
 
Each of the five courses will be served with a wine pairings, and guests will be seated in the second-floor dining room overlooking the ocean. Seating is limited, and tables must be reserved in advance at $125 per person.

Born and raised in the heart of Mexico, Tanabe is the son of a Japanese father and a Mexican mother. He owns MexiKosher Restaurant, the first authentic Kosher Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, and perhaps the first of its kind in the United States.

He opened Barrio in Chicago in 2017, an upscale Mexican restaurant.

In addition to competing on Top Chef Boston, Tanabe also competed on Top Chef Mexico and Top Chef Charleston.

Lyons has been the culinary lead at Oceanic since the restaurant reopened following Hurricane Florence. Over the past two years, he has transformed the restaurant’s menu, introducing innovative dishes and cooking techniques to the culinary team.

Lyons enjoys cooking with the seasons, incorporating local and seasonal products and exploring new flavors and ingredients.

The collaborative dinner event begins at 6:30 p.m. May 25. Reservations can be made by phone at (910) 256-5551.

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