Jet Tila Bio

Judge Jet Tila poses during the taping of Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 1.

Judge Jet Tila poses during the taping of Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 1.

Photo by: Anders Krusberg ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Anders Krusberg, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Judge Jet Tila poses during the taping of Food Network's Guy's Grocery Games, Season 1.

Jet Tila is a chef, culinary anthropologist, entrepreneur, and Food Network star. Jet has roots deeply embedded in the industry and ones that significantly establish him firmly in the artform he is most passionate about: storytelling through food.

Born from the first Thai food family of Los Angeles, California, a family which established the first Thai markets and restaurants in the U.S.—Jet brings innovation and artistry into the traditional Thai food fold to create a signature style that is at heart, his own.

As the inaugural Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine, a title and role entrusted to him by the Royal Thai Consul-General, Jet’s repertoire stretches far and wide. Along with a host of accolades and achievements, Jet’s television career is vast and includes being the new floor reporter on Iron Chef America, Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain, Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, and the Today Show. He is also the host of Ready Jet Cook on FoodNetwork.com. Jet is a Dream of Los Angeles Award recipient, a distinction given out annually by the Mayor of Los Angeles.

Jet has also partnered with the Wynn Resorts to open Wazuzu, a groundbreaking take on Pan-Asian dining, at the Encore Casino and Resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Jet has also inspired and cultivated multiple concepts in partnership with the largest foodservice company in the world Compass Group

In order to build a foundation for his rich passionate foundation, Jet attended and completed his culinary education at Le Cordon Bleu, establishing a framework of classical French technique to elevate his extensive knowledge of Asian cooking, and allowing him to more fluidly articulate his artistic capabilities and vision.

Along with his education at Le Cordon Bleu, Jet also completed an intensive study program at the California Sushi Academy. Predominantly cooking within Thai and Chinese cuisines, Jet’s cooking overall represents the neighborhood he grew up in LA.

Jet published the award winning 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die: Discover a New World of Flavors in Authentic Recipes. From a kid growing up in L.A. in a Thai and Chinese family to a prominent chef and restaurant owner, this book is both a chronology of culinary tradition and also its rediscovery.

Jet and his wife Ali released their co-written cookbook this past Spring: 101 Epic Dishes: Recipes That Teach You How to Make the Classics Even More Delicious.

Check out Alton's After-Show to get Jet's insider take on Cutthroat Kitchen sabotages.

Next Up

Simon Majumdar Bio

No stranger to Food Network, Simon is a regular judge on Cutthroat Kitchen, Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef. Find out more on Food Network.

Antonia Lofaso Bio

A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, Antonia Lofaso is a frequent judge on Cutthroat Kitchen. Find out more about her on Food Network.

Richard Blais Bio

Most recognizable as the winner of Bravo's Top Chef All-Stars, Richard Blais has played an influential role in hospitality for the last 15 years. He began his career, as so many young aspiring chefs do, as the "poissonnier" at McDonald's. It was here that he first dabbled in deconstruction in cuisine, serving Filet-O-Fish sandwiches sans top bun. His developing passion for food and the service industry led Richard to The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. As an ambitious student, he spent time between semesters studying at the French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., under renowned Chef Thomas Keller and alongside then-rising stars Grant Achatz and Eric Ziebold. Upon graduating from the CIA in 1998, Richard ventured to New York for the opportunity to work with Chef Daniel Boulud at his famous flagship, Restaurant Daniel. Richard then followed his professional compass to Roses, Spain, where he completed a brief stage at El Bulli with culinary wizard Ferran Adrià. In 2000 Richard relocated to Atlanta to oversee a local seafood concept. His wildly creative approach to cooking and cuisine led to the establishment of Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary company that has consulted on, designed and operated some of Atlanta's most-popular eateries, including multiple outposts of Flip Burger Boutique and HD-1. He recently launched The Spence, a restaurant concept in midtown Atlanta, and opened Juniper & Ivy, in San Diego, where he offers a refined approach to American cuisine and showcases the seasonal and local ingredients of California. In Richard's debut cookbook, Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate, he reveals a simplified approach to adventurous cooking by sharing new flavor combinations and textures to reinvent home cooks' classic dishes. Each of the 125 recipes is straightforward enough to make at home, but for those who want to try using liquid nitrogen or a sous-vide machine, Richard offers fun variations on his recipes that add another level of excitement in the kitchen. Try This at Home was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in 2014 in the Cookbook: General Cooking category. In December 2013 Richard appeared as the host of a brand-new television program entitled Cook Your Ass Off. The show, which aired on the HLN network, is a transformational culinary contest that focuses on the health struggles of everyday people. Talented chef contestants are pitted against each other in a three-round competition to transform daily indulgences into healthy and delicious meals. Richard has also appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Live! with Kelly and Michael, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, as well as in numerous publications, including The New York Times, InStyle and Food & Wine magazine.

More from:

Cutthroat Kitchen

Latest Stories