Bay Area’s Melissa King captures ‘Top Chef’ crown
A rousing season of “Top Chef All Stars” came to a close Thursday night on Bravo and when the culinary combat ceased, San Francisco’s Melissa King was declared the big winner.
King captured $250,000 — the largest cash prize in “Top Chef” history — along with a feature profile in “Food & Wine” magazine. King was also named the winner of the “Top Chef Fan Favorite” online poll, awarding her $10,000, which she said she will donate to the following charities: Black Visions Collective, Asian Americans for Equality, the Asian Youth Center and The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focusing on suicide prevention in the LGBTQ community.
“I’m a proud Asian American, queer woman,” King said after being named the winner of Season 17. “As a triple minority, winning ‘Top Chef’ means so much more than just winning it for myself. I hope my journey brings inspiration to anyone that’s ever felt challenged due to their sexuality, their gender, or the color of their skin. I hope I made my communities proud.”
King first competed on “Top Chef” during Season 12 in Boston where she finished as a finalist. She returned to the competition for Season 17’s “Top Chef: All Stars L.A.,” taking place nine seasons after the first
“All Stars” competition. “All Stars: L.A.” brought back the fiercest group of competitors the show has seen with 10 finalists and five front-runners who all returned to finish what they started and battle it out for the prestigious title.
The chefs competed at iconic locations in Los Angeles including the Griffith Observatory, The Getty
Center, The Walt Disney Concert Hall and the L.A. Coliseum, before traveling to Italy for the three-part finale.
The season ended in an epic Italian showdown with a final face-off between King, Stephanie Cmar and Bryan Voltaggio as they cooked the most important four-course meal of their lives for the “Top Chef” title and grand prize.
To win, they had to impress not only the judges Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Nilou Motamed, but also culinary superstars Dario Cecchini, Mauro Colagreco, Tony Mantuano, Clare Smyth, Marcus Samuelsson, Janice Wong and Food & Wine editor in chief Hunter Lewis.
In the end, King charmed the judges with her fourcourse meal, featuring traditional Italian dishes with an Asian twist inspired by her heritage.
King established herself as an impressive frontrunner with more wins under her belt than any other competitor in the history of “Top Chef.” During the season, she won three Quickfires and six Elimination Challenges, including the last episode at Michael’s in Santa Monica and swept the competition in Italy leading up to the final meal.
Some of her memorable dishes include the Truffle Congee, Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu, Prosciutto X.O., and her Korean Fried
Chicken Wings coupled with her Kimchi-Peach vinaigrette that she bottled and successfully sold during the product challenge.
King has led the kitchens of several Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco, including Campton Place, Luce, The Ritz-Carlton Dining Room, under acclaimed names such as Dominique Crenn and Ron Siegel. She founded a company with a focus on culinary partnerships and experiences, and has collaborated on an innovative ice cream line with Humphry Slocombe exclusively available at Whole Foods Markets.
King recently launched various virtual culinary experiences on her website chefmelissaking.com, including a recipe membership program, cooking webinars, live streams and classes. She also has an online shop with apparel and a small batch sauce line including the Fish Sauce Caramel that she used this season of “Top Chef.”