Ann Ahmed is a nationally recognized chef, restaurateur, and storyteller known for shaping the Laotian-American culinary landscape in the Midwest. She is the chef and owner of four acclaimed Minnesota restaurants: Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine, Lat14 Asian Eatery, Khâluna, and Gai Noi, each reflecting a different facet of her creative and cultural journey—from casual comfort to fine dining elegance.

A self-taught cook and first-generation refugee, Ann arrived in the United States from Laos at the age of four. Her food is rooted in her family’s traditions and shaped by the realities of growing up in Minnesota. In 2005, at just 25 years old, she opened Lemon Grass without a business plan—living in her mother’s basement and walking to the restaurant each day. Her original team was just three people: herself, her cousin, and her mother.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Ann is the founder and operator of Kamma Hospitality, a growing restaurant group named in honor of her grandmother. Under this banner, she leads four distinct concepts and employs a team of nearly 300 people across Minnesota. Her work is grounded in compassion, precision, and a belief that hospitality can be both deeply personal and culturally expansive.

Ann Ahmed is a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Chef, a 2023 finalist for Best Chef: Midwest, and a multi-year semifinalist (2022–2024). Her work has also been recognized by The New York Times, which named her restaurant Gai Noi one of the 50 best restaurants in America in its 2024 “Restaurant List.”

She is also a published writer, having authored a personal essay for Artful Living Magazine on food, identity, and resilience. Her story has been shared across multiple platforms, and she has appeared on regional television and media outlets including The Jason Show (Fox 9) and KARE 11, and as a guest on the Niver Niver Land podcast, hosted by restaurateur Tim Niver.

Ann is an active culinary mentor and teacher. She recently led a Laotian jeow (hot sauce) cooking class with her daughter and continues to mentor students through events like the Jr. Iron Chef Competition. Unlike many cookbook authors, Ann is not a content creator-turned-chef—she is a working restaurateur with over 20 years of industry experience. She leads full-service kitchens, manages large teams, and continues to innovate through thoughtful, story-driven menus. Flavors of Home is her debut cookbook: a heartfelt collection of recipes and reflections on healing, heritage, and home.

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