Kristen Kish

About the Author

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 highlights 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+).