Timon Balloo

The Katherine - Miami

The culinary heart of Chef Timon Balloo’s food draws from a broad range of global flavors: from his Chinese, Indian-Trinidadian heritage to his classic European training, to the diverse kitchens where he built his career. An opportunity to reconnect with Samba Brands Management in 2009 brought Balloo back to the growing restaurant group as Chef Partner of SUGARCANE raw bar grill, which opened in 2010. After the restaurant’s debut, SUGARCANE raw bar grill was named a James Beard Awards semifinalist for “Best New Restaurant” and Balloo for “The People’s Choice Best New Chef” by Food & Wine magazine. The wild success of this Miami midtown eatery has spanned a decade, includes numerous accolades and two additional outposts in Las Vegas 2017 and Brooklyn 2018.

In 2019, Balloo opened his first independent concept, Balloo: Modern Home Cooking in downtown Miami, a tribute to his Trinidadian Indian-Chinese heritage. Balloo has garnered an out pour of national distinctions from being recognized by the New York Times as one of the “16 Most Influential Black Chefs in America” to 2020 James Beard Nomination for “Best Chef South” and becoming the 2020 recipient of the Johnson and Wales Honorary Doctor of Culinary Arts. Balloo launched The Katherine Fort Lauderdale. Already buzzing the numerous accolades (Best New Restaurant, Miami New Times / Best Chef South Semi Finalist James Beard Foundation) Balloo’s culinary story celebrates culture, food and flavor while bringing together what inspires him at the core.