Melissa King has been very profitable after profitable season 17 of Prime Chef in 2020.
After ending fourth place on the competitors present in season 12, the chef — who's an Asian-American and queer girl — returned six years later to safe the championship. The chef took house the $250,000 grand prize and one other $10,000 for being the Fan Favourite, which she donated to numerous charities, together with Black Visions Collective, The Trevor Undertaking, Asian Individuals for Equality and Asian Youth Middle.
“I really feel very strongly that Prime Chef has given me greater than only a platform for meals,” she defined to Bravo's website in June 2020. “It's giving me a platform to have the ability to talk about issues that I care about and issues that I'm enthusiastic about exterior of that. And issues that would hopefully affect another person's life.”
Following her Prime Chef win, King has constructed her personal firm targeted on culinary partnerships and experiences — together with her well-known line of sauces, King Sauce.
Maintain scrolling to be taught extra about King's life:
Melissa King's Dad and mom Immigrated From Hong Kong to Los Angeles
King was born in October 1983 in Whittier, California, to 2 engineers who each immigrated from Hong Kong to Los Angeles within the late Sixties. (Her father was from Shanghai and her mother was Cantonese.)
A number of King's recipes mix California type dishes with Asian flavors impressed by the instances King spent cooking together with her mother as a toddler.
“A number of my journey within the kitchen at a younger age was simply hanging out with [my mom] and standing on a stool stir-frying greens in a large wok that was greater than my physique,” she recalled on an episode of “Radio Cherry Bombe” in 2020. “I actually felt these have been these treasured moments I acquired to spend time together with her and take up what I might about Chinese language cooking. I solely knew make Chinese language meals on the time.”
Melissa King Labored At A number of Michelin-Star Eating places within the Bay Space
After graduating with a B.A. in cognitive science from College of California, Irvine, and an A.A. in culinary arts from The Culinary Institute, King went on to work in a number of Michelin Star eating places within the Bay Space. She cooked at eating places resembling Campton Place, Luce and the Eating Room.
Melissa King Received ‘Prime Chef' Season 17
King initially appeared on season 12 of Prime Chef, the place she positioned fourth total. Almost six years later, King determined to return to the cooking present for an All-Stars collection.
“I believe the primary time I actually did it for… I felt like I used to be doing it for everybody else,” she defined on an episode of “Radio Cherry Bombe” podcast in 2020. “I had family and friends that have been actually shoving my utility and placing it on my desk in entrance of me. Then I went by means of that journey and I discovered a lot about leaning into your fears, and if one thing scares you, it's best to simply do it and see what occurs. So this time round they requested me to do the present and I bear in mind feeling slightly bit of hysteria like, ‘Oh no, why are they again? Why are they calling me?'”
King famous that the second time it felt like she was doing it for herself.
“100% it was my choice, however this time I made it 100% about me and my very own objectives and wanting to simply attempt my greatest,” she shared.
The chef ended up profitable Prime Chef in season 17 in 2020.
Padma Lakshmi was all smiles with Prime Chef winner Melissa King whereas celebrating the launch of her new e book. A video shared through the DelishYES Instagram account confirmed Lakshmi, 55, having fun with the meals at New York Metropolis's Semma restaurant whereas attending the Tuesday, November 4, occasion. After sharing a message for the eventgoers, Lakshmi was […]
“Since my first Prime Chef, I've be taught[ed] time and time once more that worry is the strongest motivator,” she wrote through Instagram in June 2020. “I leaned into my fears and located my energy. I select sure over no. I selected my coronary heart over my mind. (In fact, that is situational 🤣). I'm without end grateful for what Prime Chef has executed for me — it's allowed me to create past the partitions of a restaurant. It's given me confidence and energy. It's introduced me nearer to my household.”
King continued: “It's give[n] me a contemporary household of clever crackin' but extremely inspiring chef associates. It's given me braveness to proudly signify my LGBTQ/Asian American communities. Thanks to everybody that labored tirelessly and poured their hearts into constructing a present that not solely adjustments stay, however conjures up us all to be higher”
Melissa King Began a Sauce Line and Wrote a Cookbook
After taking house practically half 1,000,000 {dollars}, King began her personal sauce line referred to as King Sauce as a part of her self-titled meals partnerships firm.
“I created a small batch sauce line as a result of I used to be sitting round throughout quarantine and bored, and it took off, and it's out there on my web site,” she shared on an episode of “Radio Cherry Bombe” podcast in 2020.
Except for her sauces, King additionally authored her personal cookbook, Cook dinner Like a King: Recipes From my California Chinese language Kitchen.
“Cook dinner Like a King is a set of Chinese language California dishes — some from my Shanghainese grandma, Cantonese grandma and Proud Mother Alice, some from my on a regular basis house cooking, and some from Prime Chef (you wager my Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu's in there!)” King wrote through Instagram in February 2025. “The e book is designed with all of you in thoughts — house pleasant, taste packed, spectacular dishes for anybody trying to be a greater cook dinner. It's the closest I can get to cooking beside you, educating my tips whereas exploring the Asian pantry collectively and serving up Cali vibes.”
Melissa King Is an Activist for Asian Individuals and LGBTQ+ Causes
King revealed that she donated 100% of the $10,000 Fan Favourite prize cash to charities that she likes to assist the Black, LGBTQ+ and Asian-American communities.
“I acquired on [Top Chef] simply being myself, and going by means of this private journey of attempting to check myself with Prime Chef and [seeing] if I might survive, [when] I got here out on the opposite finish, individuals began emailing me and sending me messages saying, ‘We noticed you on Prime Chef, and also you're Asian-American and I'm an Asian American, and I'm so happy with you for representing our neighborhood,'” she recalled in an interview with Bravo's web site in June 2020.
The Prime Chef judges have eaten their fair proportion of five-star meals on digital camera, however are they in a position to abdomen the less-than-stellar dishes? “I don't assume we have now to be pressured [to eat anything],” Gail Simmons instructed Us Weekly solely earlier than season 22 of the cooking competitors premiered on Thursday, March 13. “I believe seasons […]
King famous that folks instructed her that they “got here out to their dad and mom” due to her.
“[Top Chef is] giving me a platform to have the ability to talk about issues that I care about and issues that I'm enthusiastic about exterior of that,” she shared with the outlet.
