We caught up with Thomas Bille, who was recently named Best Chef: Texas at the 2025 James Beard Awards.
SPRING, Texas — Tucked into a quiet strip mall on FM 2920 in Spring, Texas, Belly of the Beast is warm and welcoming.
“We want you to feel like you’re at home, that you’re sitting at our dinner table and I’m in the back cooking for you,” Chef Thomas Bille told KHOU 11.
He and his wife, Liz, created a restaurant that’s as personal as it is flavorful. They first opened in 2020, then closed for two years before making a comeback.
“It’s been a rollercoaster, you know,” Bille said.
He said they got off to a slow start, but word of mouth helped bring in more customers.
In 2024, Belly of the Beast was a James Beard semifinalist, but then Hurricane Beryl hit.
“Lost everything, had to restart from scratch again.”
Then came a Michelin nod, followed by the biggest award of all: the prestigious James Beard Awards named Bille the Best Chef in Texas.
He said his mind was racing, and then he was shocked to hear his name.
“I was like, ‘Wow, wow, wow, wow!'” Bille remembered. “Everything came through — like my career flashed before my eyes, you know, kind of everything we’ve had to struggle with and go through, the journey, the journey is beautiful.”
Nearly a month later, it still hasn’t sunk in.
” I’m still literally processing it, you know, it’s a blessing,” Bille told us. “It’s so humbling, it’s rewarding, it’s validating, it’s so many mixes of emotions.”
His journey started in his family’s kitchen in Los Angeles.
“Very big melting pot of cultures, my street in particular, we had Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Mexican, Filipino, Costa Rican, Argentinian, Ecuadorian.”
Bille was only 8 years old when his dad gave him his first cooking lesson.
“My dad’s a chef, I grew up in the ’80s, and I was a latchkey kid. So my dad literally, this was his words, ‘I’m going to teach you how to make eggs, boy, so you don’t starve!'”
He also loved to watch his mom, who he calls a phenomenal cook, prepping meals in the kitchen.
“They laid that foundation of work ethic,” Bille said.
He said the national recognition doesn’t change his core mission.
“This isn’t the destination, this is just another big benchmark, you know. “Obviously, there’s a lot more expectations and connotations that come with this, but I’m still just cooking from the soul.”
When asked if he’s shaping the future of cuisine with his new American restaurant.
“Umm, I am now,” he laughed. “Yeah, I think we’re leaving our imprint here.”