Chef Jet Tila

Jet Tila, born Jet Tilakamonkul on February 6, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, is an American celebrity chef, author, restaurateur, and restaurant developer. His parents, who are Thai Chinese, immigrated to the United States in 1966. Tila’s family established early Thai markets and restaurants in the U.S., which provided him with a foundational understanding of Asian culinary traditions. He furthered his culinary education at Le Cordon Bleu and completed an intensive study program at the California Sushi Academy, combining classical French techniques with his extensive knowledge of Asian cooking. This background has allowed him to develop a distinctive culinary style that reflects his upbringing in Los Angeles.

Throughout his career, Tila has held various significant roles within the culinary industry. He is the chef of The Charleston and Pakpao Thai restaurants in Los Angeles and Dallas, respectively. He also developed Dragon Tiger Noodle Co., with three locations in Nevada. Tila has served as a restaurant developer and minor partner for Pei Wei Asian Kitchen. In recognition of his contributions to Thai cuisine, he was appointed a ceremonial “culinary ambassador” for Thailand by the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles. His notable achievements also include setting several novelty food-based world records, such as the world’s largest stir-fry, seafood stew, fruit salad, and California roll.

Tila is a prominent figure in food television, with appearances on numerous Food Network series. These include “Beat Bobby Flay,” “The Best Thing I Ever Ate,” “Chopped,” “Cutthroat Kitchen,” “Tournament of Champions,” and “Guy’s Grocery Games.” He was a contestant on “Iron Chef America” and later returned as the floor reporter in 2018. Tila also co-hosts “Halloween Cookie Challenge” and is the author of cookbooks such as “101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die” (2017) and “101 Epic Dishes” (2019), co-authored with his wife, Ali Tila.