Melissa King (chef)


Melissa King is a Chinese-American chef and television personality, best known for her appearances on the reality competition series Top Chef. She first appeared on the show's twelfth season, ', placing fourth; she then returned for the seventeenth season, ', which she won. 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. 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. She has worked at several notable Bay Area restaurants such as Campton Place, Luce, Delfina, and The Dining Room. 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."
King earned national recognition after placing fourth as a finalist on of Bravo's television series, Top Chef. King was invited back for of Top Chef, the show's second all-stars season, where she was announced the winner and received the grand prize. She was subsequently voted as the "fan favorite" of Season 17, earning her another, which she donated to several non-profit organizations, including the Black Visions Collective, Asian Americans for Equality, Asian Youth Center, and The Trevor Project.

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. King is gender-fluid and uses she or they pronouns.