Mei Lin (chef) facts for kids
| Born | November 29, 1985 Guangdong, China |
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Mei Lin (born November 29, 1985) is a talented American chef. She was born in China. Mei Lin is famous for winning two big cooking shows. She won the twelfth season of Top Chef in 2014. Later, in 2023, she also won the fourth season of Tournament of Champions.
After her Top Chef win, Mei Lin worked for Oprah Winfrey. She then opened her own restaurants in Los Angeles. Her first restaurant was called Nightshade. She also opened Daybird, which serves a special kind of spicy chicken.
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Early Life and School
Mei Lin was born in Guangdong, China. When she was only three months old, her family moved to Dearborn, Michigan in the United States.
She went to Fordson High School. After high school, she studied at Schoolcraft College.
Her Journey as a Chef
After finishing her studies at Schoolcraft College, Mei Lin started her cooking career. She first worked as a cook for the Detroit Lions football team.
Later, she helped open a restaurant called Roast for chef Michael Symon. She also worked at Wolfgang Puck's famous restaurant, Spago, in Las Vegas. Before becoming a TV star, Mei Lin was a sous chef at ink. in Los Angeles. This restaurant was owned by another Top Chef winner, Michael Voltaggio.
After winning Top Chef, Mei Lin became a personal chef for Oprah Winfrey. She even helped write recipes for Oprah's cookbook.
Opening Her Own Restaurants
In 2019, Mei Lin opened her first restaurant, Nightshade. It was located in the Arts District of Los Angeles. Nightshade quickly became very popular.
However, in 2020, Nightshade had to close. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2021, Mei Lin opened her second restaurant, Daybird. It is also in Los Angeles. Daybird is a "fast-casual" restaurant. It specializes in Sichuan hot chicken. Mei Lin says it was the first restaurant of its kind in the U.S.
Winning Top Chef: Boston
Mei Lin competed on Top Chef in 2014. This was the twelfth season of the show. The final competition took place in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Mei Lin competed against another chef, Gregory Gourdet.
One of her dishes, a strawberry lime dessert, really impressed the judges. Judge Tom Colicchio said it was the best dessert he had ever tasted on Top Chef. He even called it one of the best desserts of his life. Another judge, Hugh Acheson, also loved the dish. He said it was "blow-you-away amazing."
Winning Tournament of Champions
In 2023, Mei Lin competed in the fourth season of Tournament of Champions. She won the entire tournament!
During the competition, she consistently scored very high. In the final round, she beat Season 2 Champion Maneet Chauhan. Mei Lin's dishes earned some of the highest scores in the whole competition.
Awards and Honors
Mei Lin has received many awards for her cooking.
James Beard Foundation Awards
- 2020 James Beard Foundation Award Semifinalist, Best Chef: California
Reality Show Cooking Competition Wins
- Winner, Top Chef: Boston
- Winner, Tournament of Champions IV
Other Awards and Honors
- 2019 Nightshade, Restaurant of the Year, Eater LA
- 2020 Nightshade, 46 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles, Conde Nast Traveler
- 2019 Best Culinary Debut, Robb Report
- 2019 Nightshade, Best New Restaurants, Food & Wine
- 2019 Nightshade, Best New Restaurants in America, GQ
- 2019 Nightshade, Best New Restaurants in America, Eater
- 2019 Nightshade, Prawn Toast, Food & Wine Dish of the Year
See also
