Ming Tsai facts for kids

Ming Hao Tsai (born 1964) is a famous American chef. He is also a restaurant owner and a TV star. Ming Tsai is known for his unique east-west fusion cuisine. This means he mixes cooking styles from Asia and the West. He owned popular restaurants like Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon.

Ming Tsai hosts a cooking show called Simply Ming. This show is on American Public Television. He has also hosted other shows like Ming's Quest and East Meets West. You might have seen him on The Next Iron Chef on the Food Network.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up and Learning to Cook

Ming Tsai was born in 1964 in Newport Beach, California. He grew up in Dayton, Ohio. His mom, Iris, owned a Chinese restaurant called Mandarin Kitchen. Ming helped out in the kitchen as he grew up. His dad, Stephen Tsai, was an engineer.

Ming's grandparents moved to Dayton from Taiwan. They left China during the Cultural Revolution.

College and Culinary School

Ming went to Phillips Academy for high school. Then he studied engineering at Yale University. He also played squash for Yale's team. He graduated in 1986 with a degree in mechanical engineering.

After Yale, he earned a master's degree from Cornell University. This degree was in hotel and hospitality management. During his time at Yale, he also went to a cooking school. He studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. Ming Tsai can speak four languages: English, Mandarin Chinese, French, and Spanish.

Ming Tsai is the grandson of a Chinese composer named Lee Pao-Chen. He is also a very distant descendant of Huang Di, an ancient Chinese emperor.

Chef Ming Tsai's Career

Television Shows

Ming Tsai started his TV career in 1997. He filled in for chef Sara Moulton on her show Cooking Live. From 1998 to 2003, he hosted East Meets West on the Food Network. Now, he hosts Simply Ming on PBS.

In 2005, he was a judge on the PBS show Cooking Under Fire. He also competed against Iron Chef Bobby Flay in 2005. Ming Tsai won that cooking challenge. In 2010, he was a contestant on The Next Iron Chef. He also appeared on an episode of Top Chef in 2014.

Ming Tsai has also been on kids' TV shows. He was on Zoom in 2005. In 2006, he appeared on an episode of Arthur.

Opening Restaurants

In 1998, Ming Tsai and his wife, Polly Talbott, opened their first restaurant. It was called Blue Ginger and was in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Blue Ginger was an Asian Fusion restaurant. It won many awards and was very popular. Esquire Magazine even named Ming "Chef of the Year" when it opened.

In 2010, Ming opened a smaller restaurant inside Blue Ginger. It was called Blue Ginger Noodle Bar. After 19 years, Blue Ginger closed in 2017. Ming wanted to focus on a new type of restaurant. This new restaurant would be a fast-casual stir-fry place called ChowStirs.

In 2013, Ming Tsai opened Blue Dragon in Boston. This restaurant was a tapas-style gastropub. It also mixed East and West flavors. Esquire Magazine called it one of the "Best New Restaurants" in 2013. Blue Dragon closed in March 2020 because of the pandemic.

In 2020, Ming Tsai became a chef and partner at BāBā. This restaurant is located at the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky, Montana.

Cookbook Author

Ming Tsai has written five cookbooks. These books share his recipes and cooking tips. His cookbooks include Blue Ginger, Simply Ming, Ming's Master Recipes, Simply Ming: One-Pot Meals, and Simply Ming in Your Kitchen.

Awards and Recognition

Ming Tsai won a Daytime Emmy award in 1999. He won for being an Outstanding Service Show Host. In 2012, his Blue Ginger Restaurant was added to the Culinary Hall of Fame. People magazine also named Ming one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2000.

Personal Life

Family Life

Ming Tsai and Polly Talbott got married in April 1996. They have two sons named David and Henry. Ming's brothers-in-law are David Talbott, his squash coach at Yale, and Mark Talbott, a famous squash player. The actress Lauren Tsai is his niece.

According to a TV show called Finding Your Roots, Ming Tsai is a very distant descendant of Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of a united China.

Sports and Squash

Ming Tsai was a talented squash player. He played for Yale University's team. He was named an All-Ivy League player in 1986. While studying cooking in France, he even played squash professionally in Europe. He has also played in celebrity and charity squash matches.

Helping Others

One of Ming Tsai's sons has food allergies. Because of this, Ming has become a strong supporter for people with food allergies. He helps raise awareness about food allergens. Since 2005, he has been a national spokesman for the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). In 2012, he received an award for his work. This included helping with a food safety bill in Massachusetts.

Ming Tsai is also the President of the National Advisory Board for Family Reach. This group helps families who are fighting cancer by providing financial support.

Filmography