Kia Damon facts for kids

Kia Damon (born 1993) is an American chef. She became well-known after she was promoted to head chef of Lalito, a restaurant in Manhattan's Chinatown, when she was 24 years old. Damon later competed on and won an episode of the TV show Chopped in 2020. She is currently the culinary director for the food magazine Cherry Bombe.

Kia Damon's Journey in Cooking

Kia Damon was born and grew up in Orlando, Florida. She started her cooking career there, working in many different places. These included restaurants, fast food chains, and even food trucks.

Moving to New York

Before moving to New York, Damon worked as a sous-chef in Tallahassee. A sous-chef is like the second-in-command in a kitchen, helping the head chef. She then moved to New York to continue her career in the culinary world.

Becoming a Head Chef

In 2018, Kia Damon started working as a sous-chef at Lalito, a restaurant in Chinatown. After only a few months, she was promoted to head chef. This was a big achievement, especially since she was only 24 years old at the time. Damon left Lalito in June 2019.

Winning on Chopped

Kia Damon was invited to be a contestant on the popular cooking show Chopped. She had watched the show since she was young, and her father had encouraged her to try out. She competed and won her episode, which was shown in August 2020.

Working with Cherry Bombe

In 2020, Cherry Bombe magazine named Kia Damon as their first culinary director. In this role, she runs a test kitchen where new recipes are created and tested. She also hosts an Instagram Live show called On the Line. On this show, she highlights the amazing work of other chefs today.

Sharing Experiences Online

Kia Damon uses her Instagram page to share her experiences in the cooking world. She believes that being "authentic" (true to herself) helped her become successful. She also uses her platform to talk about challenges she has faced in her career.

Other Projects and Community Work

Kia Damon is also involved in other important projects outside of the kitchen.

Helping the Community

Damon provided food support during important community events in New York City. She has said that chef and Civil Rights Movement activist Georgia Gilmore has been a big inspiration to her for a long time. Georgia Gilmore was known for using her cooking skills to help her community.

Writing for Books

In 2020, Kia Damon contributed writing to a nonfiction book called Black Futures. This book was put together by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham.

Kia Feeds The People

In August 2020, Damon started a new project called Kia Feeds The People. This is a community effort that aims to provide free groceries to people in need in Bed Stuy, a neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Life in Brooklyn

Kia Damon lives in Brooklyn, New York.