Anita Lo facts for kids
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Quick facts for kids
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Anita Lo is a famous American chef and restaurant owner. In 2001, Food & Wine magazine named her one of the top ten "Best New Chefs in America."
Contents
About Anita Lo
Early Life and Education
Anita Lo grew up in Birmingham, Michigan. Her family came from Malaysia.
She went to Concord Academy and then to Columbia University. There, she studied French literature. Later, she went to a cooking school in Paris called L’Ecole Ritz-Escoffier. While studying, she worked with famous French chefs like Guy Savoy and Michel Rostang.
Her Career as a Chef
After finishing culinary school in Paris, Anita Lo came back to New York City. She worked at several restaurants, including Chanterelle and Maxim's. She also worked at Mirezi restaurant, where she received great reviews from food critics, including Ruth Reichl from The New York Times.
In 2000, Anita Lo and her business partner Jennifer Scism opened their own restaurant called Annisa. It was located in Greenwich Village in New York. Annisa quickly became popular. The New York Times gave it a two-star review. Food & Wine magazine named Anita Lo one of the "Best New Chefs in America." The Village Voice also called her the “Best New Restaurant Chef.” In 2006, Annisa earned a Michelin star. A Michelin star is a special award given to restaurants that serve excellent food.
In 2005, Anita Lo also helped start Rickshaw, a dumpling restaurant with several locations in New York City. She left Rickshaw in 2010 to focus more on Annisa. In 2008, she opened another restaurant called Bar Q. It served a mix of barbecue and Asian food. Bar Q got good reviews for its food but closed after ten months.
On July 4, 2009, Annisa was damaged by a fire. But Anita Lo worked hard to reopen it in April 2010 in the same spot. When it reopened, The New York Times reviewed it again and gave it two stars. In 2011, Annisa received a Village Award for its excellence. By 2014, Annisa had earned three stars from The New York Times.
In 2015, Anita Lo made history. She was the first female guest chef to cook for a State dinner at the White House. She prepared a four-course meal for the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and his wife. In May 2017, after 17 years, Anita Lo closed Annisa. She said it was because of rising costs like real estate taxes and minimum wages.
Television Appearances
Anita Lo has appeared on several cooking shows:
- In 2005, she was on the first season of Iron Chef America. She competed against Iron Chef Mario Batali in a "Battle Mushrooms" challenge. Anita Lo won the battle, making her the first challenger to win on the show.
- In 2009, she was a contestant on the first season of Top Chef Masters. She finished in fourth place and won $20,000 for her chosen charity, SHARE.
- In 2011, she competed on Chopped: All-Stars Tournament.
- In 2018, she was featured in a documentary film called The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution.
Books by Anita Lo
- Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One, Knopf, 2018 ISBN: 978-0451493606
See also
