About Chef Monmon

It all started when…

being a Taiwanese meant that I was always around delicious food. Ever since I was a child, the kitchen was an oasis that spurred creativity, connection, and love. I started cooking at the age of six, shocking most adults when I held a knife bigger than my arm. Growing up with a knack for arts, I studied interior design at Parsons the New School in New York City. All through college, I continued to explore my love for culinary arts and joined Umi, a home cooking delivery service co-founded by Hallie Meyer, daughter of Danny Meyer, Union Square Hospitality Group. Known as Chef Monmon on Umi, my dishes received recognitions by Manhattan Digest. Soon after, I enrolled in an intensive culinary program at the International Culinary center, previously known as the French Culinary Institute in New York, which included 400 hours of hands-on practical training in classical French techniques. Upon obtaining my Grand Diploma in professional culinary arts, it was clear to me that my passion lies in teaching the art of cooking so that other young adults like myself can enter the world of delicious art, taking better care of their health, and enrich their lives with the knowledge of cooking. Working at a Michelin restaurant, Tien Xiang Lou, I complemented my French foundation with crucial techniques and knowledge on Chinese fine dining. Teaching at Garden 91, a nonprofit education foundation focused on sustainability, I designed a workshop series that taught many young adults who have never cooked for themselves to make Thai curry paste from scratch and bake their own chocolate coffee pudding. Having moved to San Francisco during the pandemic, I have apprenticed at restaurants including Angler, Saison, Cotogna, and Nightbird to further my culinary journey. Today, I am committed to being a personal chef and bringing delicious bold authentic flavors and joy to my guests so that they can have an unforgettable meal to cherish and remember. As a chef instructor, I am passionate about contributing to my community by inspiring and teaching young adults through virtual and live cooking classes so that they too, can reconnect with their community, nurture their health, and enjoy the wondrous flavors the world has to offer.