Current Residency: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Chef/Culinary Partnerships

Melissa King placed as a finalist on Top Chef Season 12 in Boston and has since been recognized by Thrillist as “one of the best female chefs in San Francisco” and FSR’s “40 under 40: Rising Star.” Her unique Californian cooking style combines hyper-local ingredients with modern techniques and Asian flavors. Born and raised in Los Angeles by her Cantonese mother and Shanghainese father, Melissa took pride in her heritage and learned to cook with a wok by age six. After moonlighting in kitchens while achieving a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, Irvine, she went on to graduate at the top of her class from the Culinary Institute of America. Melissa led the kitchens of several Michelin starred restaurants 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 several notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Al Gore. Melissa founded a company with a focus on culinary partnerships and experiences. She was named the first chef ambassador for Whole Foods Market and has collaborated on an innovative ice cream line with Humphry Slocombe. Internationally she consulted on the opening of Elle Café Aoyama, a fine dining restaurant in the fashion district of Tokyo, in collaboration with Elle Magazine. As an Asian-American, queer, female chef, Melissa has a passion for supporting the community and giving back to others — working with several organizations supporting women’s empowerment, environmental sustainability, food education for youths, and LGBTQ charities such as the Human Rights Campaign, Tegan and Sara Foundation, Brave Trails, and more.