Melissa King (chef)

Melissa King
Melissa King
Born (1983-10-11) October 11, 1983
Whittier, California
Residence San Francisco, California
Education The Culinary Institute of America
University of California, Irvine
Television Top Chef (contestant)
Website chefmelissaking.com

Melissa King (born October 11, 1983) is a Chinese-American chef best known for being a finalist on Top Chef: Season 12, a reality cooking competition series on Bravo. She specializes in modern Californian cuisine.

Early life and education

King grew up in Los Angeles, California and is the younger of two sisters. Both her parents immigrated from Hong Kong to Los Angeles in the late 1960's. Her mother was an aerospace engineer and her father, an electrical engineer. She attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, before transferring to the University of California, Irvine, graduating with a B.A. in cognitive science. She then attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, earning an A.A. in culinary arts.[1][2] She has also received The Court of Master Sommeliers, Level 1.

Career

King took her first kitchen job when she was 17 years old as a pastry assistant at the Getty Museum. She subsequently trained under several Michelin-star and James Beard-recognized chefs including Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel over the next 10 years.[1][2] She has worked at several notable Bay Area restaurants such as Campton Place, Luce, Delfina, and The Dining Room (Ritz-Carlton San Francisco).[3] She earned national recognition placing as a finalist on Bravo's television series, Top Chef. Throughout her career, she has cooked for several notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore. Currently, she is consulting internationally, appearing at national food festivals, and performing speaking engagements. She is a chef ambassador for Whole Foods Market. She was selected as one of the "Best Female Chefs in San Francisco."[4]

Personal life

King is openly gay and lives in San Francisco. She is an advocate for LGBTQ equality as well as women's empowerment, environmental sustainability, and food education for youths. She was awarded Grand Marshall for San Francisco Pride 2016.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 "Alumna vies to be 'Top Chef'". UCI News. 10 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Melissa King". Bravo TV. November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Top Chef competitor Melissa King carves an alternative career". San Francisco Chronicle. 22 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "How A Hawaiian Vacation Changed the Way This 'Top Chef' Cooks". Thrillist. 20 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "San Francisco Pride Historical Grand Marshal and Honoree List" (PDF). SFPride.org. June 2016.
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