Ming Tsai is that man who satisfies your appetite only to leave you with a greater appetite. He is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and television personality who created shows such as Simply Ming which he also hosts, and Ming’s Quest. The restaurateur is highly popular for his mix of Eastern and Western cuisine. Here is all to know about him.
Ming Tsai Bio
It was on March 29, 1964, in Newport Beach, California that Ming Tsai was born and raised by a mother who was also into the food business and a father who was an engineer.
Raised in a family that loved cooking, Ming always joined his parents in cooking at the family’s Mandarin Kitchen as well as the Dayton’s prize Chinese restaurant, but he didn’t actually plan to make a life out of it. What he had wanted to do was take to the footsteps of his father and become an engineer in the same way his father took the step of his own father, Ming’s grandfather. His father worked for the U.S government as a rocket scientist.
Of Chinese descent, Ming Tsai is multilingual, speaking English, Mandarin, Spanish and French. He has a brother with whom he grew.
For his education, he moved to Massachusetts to attend the Phillips Academy in Andover from where he graduated. His next move was to Yale University where he studied engineering. He would later move to Cornell University to obtain a master’s in Hotel Administration and Hospitality Marketing.
While he was in both high school and college, Ming played squash. In fact, he became an all-American squash player when he was in college.
As soon as he was through with Yale, Ming left for France having resolved to become a chef to train under Pastry Chef Pierre Herme. Next, he was off to train again under Sushi Master Kobayashi. It was after this that he went for his masters.
His Career
Even after going to Yale to study Engineering, his parents didn’t have a problem when he told them he was going to become a chef. While his mother gave him her full support, his father said he wasn’t going to become a good engineer so he could as well go on to cook.
The first time that Ming was to cook was when he was only 10. Years later, he would start his career in 1998 when he began the Blue Ginger. By 2005, the restaurant would not only be named the Best New Restaurant by the Boston Magazine, but Ming would also win a good number of accolades from Esquire Magazine, The James Beard Foundation, and the Zagat Restaurant Guide.
He would go on to build the restaurant to one of the best in the United States, winning a lot more awards and accolades in the process. Nonetheless, in 2017, he decided to shut down Blue Ginger which had by then ran for 19 years. After it shut down, he continued with his Asian-Gastro pub, Blue Dragon which is located in Boston.
His popularity was triggered by his appearance on various shows such as East Meets West which he created and hosted from 1998 to 2003. The next show that he would again produce and direct was Simply Ming which has been airing since 2003.
Apart from his own shows, he has appeared on Cooking Under Fire as a judge and on The Next Iron Chef as a contestant in 2005 and 2010 respectively.
Ming is actually more than just a chef and a TV show host, he is also a writer who has published a number of works such as Blue Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai (1999), Ming’s Master Recipes (2004), and Simply Ming In Your Kitchen (2012).
His career has been highlighted by many awards including the Emmy Award which he landed in 1999 for Outstanding Service Show Host as well as an IFMA’s Silver Plate Award in 2009.
Ming Tsai Wife (Polly), Family, and Children
If you are wondering about the family life of the celebrity chef, he is a married man. He has been married since 1996 to Polly Talbott (Now Polly Tsai) who was born in September 1977.
Polly has come to be known for her support and contribution to the business of her husband. The two share two children, David and Henry.
Net Worth – How Rich Is He?
For a man who has been in the food business for over 20 years, Ming Tsai has rightly paid his dues. He now has a net worth that has been estimated at $10 million. The food show host has made his fortune from his restaurant, TV shows, as well as other investments he has come to have.
