Winner and Host of Top Chef; Author of Kristen Kish Cooking
Kristen Kish: Biography at a Glance
- Kristen Kish is the host of Top Chef and competed on Season 10 of the show where she won the coveted title, becoming the second female chef to win the prestigious competition.
- From there, she went on to co-host 36 Hours, a Travel Channel show that partnered with The New York Times to bring the hit newspaper column of the same name to television.
- Kish worked in many high-profile restaurants, including Michelin-star Chef Guy Martin’s Sensing and Barbara Lynch’s Stir as Chef de Cuisine.
- Kish launched her first cookbook, Kristen Kish Cooking, to widespread acclaim and partnered with LINE Hotels to launch her first restaurant, Arlo Grey in Austin, TX.
- Her restaurant reflects Kristen’s playful yet refined cuisine, pulling inspiration from a French and Italian cooking background paired with nostalgic dishes from her upbringing.
- Kish is a sought-after speaker and host known for discussing cooking, creativity, entrepreneurship, and issues facing the AAPI community.
Biography
Kristen Kish was born in South Korea and adopted into a family in Kentwood, MI. At a young age she showed an affinity for cooking and, prompted by her mother, attended Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago.
After culinary school, Kristen spent the next ten years in Boston honing her skills in several high-profile restaurants, ultimately becoming the Chef de Cuisine at a Relais & Chateaux property.
From 2012 – 2013, Kristen competed on Bravo’s Top Chef season 10 where she ultimately won the coveted title. From there, she went on to co-host 36 Hours, a Travel Channel show that partnered with The New York Times to bring the hit newspaper column of the same name to television.
In October 2017, Kristen released her first cookbook, Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques and in 2018 she partnered with LINE Hotels to launch her first restaurant, Arlo Grey in Austin, TX. The restaurant reflects Kristen’s playful yet refined cuisine, pulling inspiration from her classical training as well as nostalgic dishes that highlight her upbringing and love of travel.
In 2023, Kristen became the new host of Bravo’s Top Chef for its 21st season. A true full-circle moment, rejoining the Top Chef family on air a full 10 years later.
Kristen is the co-star of Fast Foodies (truTV/Food Network), a co-host of Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend (Netflix), and the host and producer of Restaurants at the End of the World (National Geographic/Disney+).
