Lee Anne Wong

Current Residency: Maui, HI
Occupation: Chef/Owner, Koko Head Café, Executive Chef, Hawaiian Airlines, Executive Chef, Papa'aina at the Pioneer Inn

Lee Anne Wong was a contestant on first season of Top Chef in San Francisco and later returned via Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen for Season 15 in Colorado but ended up withdrawing after suffering from altitude sickness while pregnant with her son. A native of Troy, New York, she is the chef and owner of Koko Head Cafe in Honolulu, Hawaii and currently serves as the Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines. Following her Top Chef debut in 2006, Lee Anne was hired as the series' Supervising Culinary Producer for the next six seasons, helping to build the show into what it is today. She graduated from the International Culinary Center (ICC), formerly known as the French Culinary Institute, and began her culinary training at Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit before playing an integral role in the opening of Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Chinese concept, Restaurant 66. In late 2013, she moved from New York City to Honolulu and in 2014, opened Koko Head Cafe, an island-style brunch house in the Kaimuki neighborhood. Opening to popular acclaim, she was recognized on the cover of Honolulu Magazine and has been featured in Bon Appétit, FOOD & WINE, The New York Times, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, and Huffington Post. In August 2014, Lee Anne released her first cookbook, Dumplings All Day Wong. In March 2017, Lee Anne was named Executive Chef for Hawaiian Airlines, creating gourmet menus for the airline worldwide.  Most recently, she moved to Maui with her husband and son to reimagine the restaurant concept for The Pioneer Inn, Maui's first and oldest hotel, located on the waterfront in historic Lahaina.  She is currently also working on a second location for Koko Head Café in Tokyo, scheduled to open in late fall of 2020.