Chung was born in
Beijing, China and immigrated to the United States with her family when she was 17 years old.[2] She was introduced to international cuisine as a child by her grandmother Liang Si Yi, who worked as a director for the Red Cross.[3] Chung worked for several years in Silicon Valley, after graduating with a degree in business administration.[4] She eventually left the tech industry to attend culinary school.[5]
Career
Trained in classic French and Italian cuisine, Chung has since worked and opened restaurants for chefs including
José Andrés,
Thomas Keller and
Guy Savoy.[6][3] In 2014 she opened Twenty Eight with Stacie Tran, acting as partner chef at the Irvine, California restaurant.[6]
Chung opened her first restaurant, Ms. Chi Cafe, in Culver City in 2018.[7] She spoke openly about her experiences with
anti-Asian racism following the onset of the
COVID-19 in order to draw attention to the impact of hate-motivated behavior on
Asian Pacific American owned businesses.[2]
In addition to working in restaurants, Chung has appeared on numerous cooking-related television shows. She first appeared as a contestant on
Top ChefSeason 11, where she finished in third place.[8] She returned to the show during
Season 14, competing against winner
Brooke Williamson in the finals.[9] The pair previously competed against each other as part of Top Chef Duels, where Chung bested Williamson.[10] In 2022, she began participating on Food Network's Tournament of Champions hosted by Guy Fieri.[3]
Publications
Chung, Shirley (2018). Chinese Heritage Cooking From My American Kitchen: Discover Authentic Flavors with Vibrant, Modern Recipes. Salem, MA: Page Street Publishing (published Oct 23, 2018).
ISBN9781624146770.