Escoffier Chef-in-Residence and Emmy-nominated Top Chef host Kristen Kish returns for a special in-person conversation in Toronto, Canada!

From her early days on the line to becoming a Top Chef winner, Kristen reflects on the moments that shaped her, from navigating self-doubt to learning to trust her instincts and redefining success on her own terms. She also shares how embracing her identity has influenced the way she shows up both in the kitchen and beyond.

Recorded at Propeller Coffee Co. on April 9, 2026, this conversation dives into handling pressure, leading with authenticity, and building confidence over time, offering honest, relatable takeaways for anyone carving out their own path in the culinary world.

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Alana Kysar, cookbook author, recipe developer, photographer, and the voice behind Aloha Kitchen and Aloha Veggies.

Alana shares how returning home to Hawai‘i reshaped the way she sees food, culture, and her role as a storyteller. She reflects on building her career through blogging, the lessons that come with wearing many creative hats, and why good things take time. We talk about the layered nature of Hawaiian cuisine, the responsibility of telling cultural stories with care, and how her work blends tradition with a fresh, vegetable-forward approach. She also opens up about identity, creativity, and what it means to create food that feels both personal and representative of a place.

Join us as Alana challenges what people think they know about Hawaiian food and reveals why every dish is really a story about home, culture, and connection.

In today’s episode, we welcome Melissa King, Top Chef All-Stars champion, record-breaking competitor, cookbook author, and host of National Geographic’s Tasting Wild.

Melissa shares what changed between her first season of Top Chef and her return to win it all. She opens up about growing up shy, fighting for her dream of culinary school, and the moment she stopped replicating other chefs and started cooking from her own identity. We talk about mentorship, discipline, sacrifice, and why competing on Top Chef is ultimately about competing against yourself. She also discusses her cookbook Cook Like a King, her blend of California sensibility and Chinese heritage, and how using her platform for advocacy has become central to her work.

Join us as Melissa explains how owning her voice—not just her technique—became the key to winning in the kitchen and beyond.