Ming Tsai

Also Known As: Ming Hao Tsai • Born: 1964

Ming Hao Tsai is a well-known chef, restaurant owner, and TV personality who has made a big impact in the culinary world. Born in 1964 in Newport Beach, California, Ming grew up in Dayton, Ohio. He developed a love for cooking while helping in his family’s restaurant, Mandarin Kitchen, which sparked his interest in East-West fusion cuisine. Ming’s educational background is impressive. He studied mechanical engineering at Yale University and was a top varsity squash player. He later attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to pursue his passion for cooking and earned a master’s degree in hotel administration from Cornell University. In 1998, Ming opened Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Massachusetts, quickly gaining critical acclaim and recognition from Zagat and the James Beard Foundation. Esquire Magazine named him “Chef of the Year.” In 2013, he opened Blue Dragon, a tapas-style gastropub in Boston, also named one of Esquire’s “Best New Restaurants.” His entrepreneurial spirit continued with the opening of BāBā at the Yellowstone Club in Montana. Ming is also a popular TV personality. He gained fame with his show Simply Ming on American Public Television, which has run for over seventeen seasons.

Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for Tyler Robinson Foundation