Melissa King

Chef Melissa King is best known as the winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All Stars: Los Angeles Season 17 and is also the winner of All Star’s Fan Favorite. She holds the most challenge wins than any other competitor in the history of Top Chef. She also placed as a finalist on Top Chef: Boston Season 12. She has a unique cooking style that combines modern Californian cooking with Asian flavors.

King has been recognized as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco” and “40 under 40: Rising Star”. She’s the co-host of James Beard nominated holiday special “Taste Buds: Chefsgiving”.

King started cooking at the age of six. After completing a B.A. in Cognitive Science at the UC Irvine, King attended the Culinary Institute of America graduating at the top of her class. She is also a certified level 1 sommelier.

With over 15 years in the industry, Chef King has helmed several Michelin starred kitchens in San Francisco (Campton Place, Luce, The Ritz Carlton Dining Room) under acclaimed names such as Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel. She has cooked for notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore.

With a passion for partnerships, King is the creator of exclusive ice creams sold exclusively at Whole Foods Market with Humphry Slocombe — Hong Kong Milk Tea, Golden Milk & Gingerbread, Yuzu Cream, Coconut Shoyu Caramel, Mango Mojito, and plant-based Almond Chocolate Crunch. She’s the face of IBM Research’s 5 in 5 Series. She’s internationally consulted for Elle Café Aoyama, Elle Magazine’s fine dining restaurant in the fashion district of Tokyo.

As a proud Asian-American, queer woman, King has a passion for supporting the community — working with non-profit organizations and LGBTQI charities such as The Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, Black Visions Collective, Asian Americans For Equality, and more. She was honored as a Celebrity Grand Marshal for San Francisco Pride and has modeled for Levi’s Strauss Co. in a global campaign advocating for the LGBTQ community.

Along with being a chef, television personality, and brand partner, King actively participates in speaking panels supporting women’s empowerment, sustainability, food education, and entrepreneurship. She performs at food & music festivals nationwide from Coachella, Outsidelands, BottleRock, Clusterfest, Pebble Beach F&W Festival, & the Napa Valley Film Festival.

Chef King currently owns a company focused on partnerships and culinary experiences. She is the creator of King Sauce, a small batched sauce line available in her online shop.