Saibeen Acord of Saibeen’s Kitchen is a semifinalists for the 2022 James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards.

The awards “honor members of the American food, beverage, and hospitality industries who demonstrate excellence in their respective fields. Winners show exceptional talent and creativity in their craft and commendable leadership among their colleagues and peers. The James Beard Foundation is dedicated to promoting a strong, safe, inclusive, ethical food community, and these Awards reflect those values,” according to the foundation.

Winners will celebrated during a June 13 ceremony in Chicago.

The James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards were established in 1990 and is one of five separate recognition programs of the awards.

Acord is one of 20 semifinalists in the best chef category from the mountain region, which includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. She’s one of four semifinalists from Montana in her category.

Acord said she didn’t know about the awards or that she’d been nominated until The Electric asked her about her about being a semifinalist last week.

“It’s nice, I’m honored,” Acord said. “I’m pleasantly surprised, nice somebody thought to do that.

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Acord started cooking Indian lunches at Pizazz a few years ago, but moved into her own space in 2017.

She’s changed locations a few times and is now in the Columbus Center at 1601 2nd Ave. N.

She said she has limited hours but has been staying open in the evenings on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Acord said she’d like to be open later, but is limited by the main doors to the building locking at 7 p.m.

“It still surprises me how many new faces we see,” she said. 

Acord said that military members tell incoming airmen to go to Saibeen’s Kitchen and that there are people from out of town who heard about her food and seek her out.

“It’s nice that they come all this way to try it,” she said.

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Her hope is that food diversity will expand in Great Falls since she feels like it’s lacking here in terms of ethnic foods, though it’s been improving.

Acord said that she isn’t sure if it’s local tastes that are limiting the number of ethnic restaurants.

“When people hear spice, they automatically assume it’s hot, but it’s not, spicy and hot can be totally different things,” she said of her Indian food. 

“I have some traditional dishes that are hot, but when I say spicy it’s layers of flavor that I add,” Acord said.

As for opening a restaurant in Great Falls, she said she was skeptical at first if people would accept her style of cooking. 

“I am pleasantly surprised at how much people have accepted it and come in to support the restaurant,” Acord said.

She said that COVID has shifted people’s eating habits and she’s noticed that people dine in her restaurant for lunch but mostly get takeout for dinner.

Looking ahead, Acord said she’s looking to expand the catering side of her business, hopefully add some cooking classes and perhaps some new menu items.