Melissa King

Melissa King cemented her status as a culinary powerhouse by winning Season 17: Top Chef: All-Stars L.A. in 2020, securing the US$250,000 grand prize. She earned the ‘fan favorite’ title, donating her US$10,000 prize to non-profits including Black Visions Collective, Asian Americans for Equality, and The Trevor Project. King holds the record for most single-season individual challenge wins in Top Chef history, building on her finalist placement on Season 12: Top Chef: Boston in 2014.

Her foundational culinary training includes an A.A. in culinary arts from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and a B.A. in cognitive science from the University of California, Irvine. She honed her skills as a pastry assistant at the Getty Museum and under Michelin-star and James Beard-recognized chefs Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel at prestigious Bay Area restaurants like The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.

Her influence extends to high-profile events, having curated the menu for the 2022 Met Gala alongside Anna Wintour. She was recognized on Out magazine’s Out100 list in 2020 for her significant impact on the LGBTQ+ community. Currently, she hosts Tasting Wild on National Geographic via Hulu. As a devoted advocate, King is openly queer and a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ equality, women’s empowerment, environmental sustainability, and youth food education.

Through her virtual cooking experiences, she has successfully raised over $40,000 for various charities supporting marginalized communities.