Melissa King (chef)

Melissa King (born October 11, 1983) is a Chinese-American chef best known for being the winner of Top Chef: Season 17, a reality cooking competition series on Bravo. She specializes in modern Californian cuisine.

Melissa King
Born (1983-10-11) October 11, 1983
Whittier, California
EducationThe Culinary Institute of America
University of California, Irvine
TelevisionTop Chef (contestant) Winner of Top Chef: Season 17
Websitechefmelissaking.com

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 is also a certified level 1 Sommelier from The Court of Master Sommeliers.

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). 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."[3]

King earned national recognition after placing fourth as a semi-finalist on Season 12 of Bravo's television series, Top Chef.[4] King was invited back for Season 17 of Top Chef, the show's second all-stars season, where she was announced the winner and received the US$250,000 grand prize.[5][6] She was subsequently voted as the "fan favorite" of Season 17, earning her another US$10,000, which she donated to several non-profit organizations, including the Black Visions Collective, Asian Americans for Equality, Asian Youth Center, and Trevor Project.[7]

Personal life

King lives in San Francisco. She is gay and 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.[8][9] King is gender-fluid and uses she or they pronouns.[10]

References
  1. "Alumna vies to be 'Top Chef'". UCI News. 10 October 2014.
  2. "Melissa King". Bravo TV. November 2014.
  3. "How A Hawaiian Vacation Changed the Way This 'Top Chef' Cooks". Thrillist. 20 September 2017.
  4. "Top Chef competitor Melissa King carves an alternative career". San Francisco Chronicle. 22 May 2015.
  5. Huff, Lauren (12 December 2019). "Unpack your knives: 'Top Chef' announces all-star lineup for season 17". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  6. Bitker, Janelle (13 December 2019). "San Francisco chef Melissa King returns for next 'Top Chef' season". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  7. Calderone, Ana (23 June 2020). "Top Chef's Melissa King Says She Had 'No Clue' She Won At First Because of Padma Lakshmi's Delivery". People. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  8. Heck, Mary-Francis (25 June 2020). "'Top Chef' Winner Melissa King Finds Creative Ways to Support the Queer Community". Food and Wine. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  9. "San Francisco Pride Historical Grand Marshal and Honoree List" (PDF). SFPride.org. June 2016.
  10. Hogan, Heather (24 June 2020). "Pop Culture Fix: Kristen Stewart Made a Movie for Netflix About Her Life in COVID Isolation". Autostraddle. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
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