Melissa Chou is an award-winning pastry chef who appeared in the documentary television show The Migrant Kitchen. Named Pastry Chef of the Year in 2010 by San Francisco Magazine and nominated twice for Outstanding Pastry Chef by the James Beard Foundation, Chou created mouth-watering pastries at the prestigious Michelin-starred Aziza restaurant in San Francisco for over five years before leaving to open Chinese restaurant Mister Jiu’s with top chef Brandon Jew.

A one-time art history student at Vassar College, Chou left her first chosen career in art to indulge her talent and interest in cooking and enrolled in Tante Marie’s Cooking School part-time pastry program. Shortly after her training she landed her first cooking role at Quince before becoming pastry sous chef under mentor Phil Ogiela.

At Aziza, Chou became renowned for her subtle desserts full of big flavours, and in 2009 she was named a San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star, the same year the Aziza was awarded a coveted Michelin star. In 2016 she left the Aziza for high-end Chinese eatery Mister Jiu’s. Chou can be seen cooking up a storm on PBS show The Migrant Kitchen, which followed Brandon Jew as he walked the line between his American upbringing and his Chinese heritage at his restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown. In 2020 Chou launched Grand Opening, a hugely popular pastry pop-up inside Mister Jui’s .