Jet Tila is a James Beard Award- and Emmy-nominated chef, restaurateur and Food Network star. He’s known for his mastery of Thai and Chinese flavors and elevated takes on classic Asian dishes. The Los Angeles native was born into the “first family of Thai food” and has continued his family’s culinary legacy through his work on and off screen. Jet has appeared on Food Network as a judge, competitor and host on many series, including Ready Jet Cook, Halloween Cookie Challenge, Tournament of Champions, Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, Cutthroat Kitchen, Wildcard Kitchen and more.

History and Background

Jet Tila, short for Tilakamonkul, was born and raised in the City of Angels. Food was an integral part of his life from the very beginning, as he was born into the “first family of Thai food” of Los Angeles. Both of his parents are of Thai-Chinese descent, and they immigrated to the United States from Thailand in the 1960s. The Tilakamonkuls established the first Thai food market in the country, Bangkok Market, in 1972. There, they imported authentic Thai ingredients that provided the surrounding Southeast Asian community with a much-appreciated taste of home. Following Bangkok Market’s success, Jet’s parents went on to open the first Thai restaurant in West Los Angeles, Royal Thai Cuisine, a decade later.

Jet picked up his culinary skills from a young age. He cooked alongside his Cantonese grandmother, stocked shelves at the family market and cooked at his family’s restaurant. Even so, he did not anticipate a future working as a professional chef. He struggled to find his footing in a traditional school setting and, eventually, decided to drop out of high school. His parents were not happy with this decision, but he more than made up for it. In his 20s, Jet decided to hone his culinary instincts by enrolling in not one but two culinary institutes.

Jet attended the iconic Le Cordon Bleu for classical French culinary training and completed an intensive Japanese training program at the California Sushi Academy. With his mastery of formal French and Japanese techniques and extensive knowledge of Thai and Chinese ingredients, flavors and methodology, Jet became a force in the kitchen with a unique signature style that quickly gained attention.

He taught backyard cooking classes each month, and the Los Angeles Times took notice. In 1999, Jet was featured in the Los Angeles Times and, shortly after, went on to write for the publication and contribute to various other media outlets.

Jet went on to open the first Thai cafe in the Google Headquarters with Compass Group and secured the executive chef position at The Charleston of Santa Monica and Encore Wynn Las Vegas.

Most recently, Jet opened Dragon Tiger Noodle Co. — a fast-casual noodle restaurant that invites patrons to make their own noodle dishes from start to finish. Since opening the first location in Las Vegas in 2021, he has expanded the innovative concept to four additional locations.

Along with a host of accolades and achievements, Jet’s television career is vast and includes appearances on Ready Jet Cook, Halloween Cookie Challenge, Tournament of Champions, Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, Cutthroat Kitchen, Wildcard Kitchen and more.

Family Life

Jet lives in Calabasas, California, with his wife of 15 years, Ali, and their two children, Amaya and Ren. And it’s safe to say the Tila children are never short on top-tier meals. Not only is their father a premier chef and culinary expert, but their mother is a professional pastry chef and cookbook author with a few Food Network judge appearances under her apron belt, too.

Jet's Food Network Shows

Jet is a Food Network regular. The multitalented chef and cookbook author has appeared as judge, host and competitor on several Food Network shows, including Ready Jet Cook, Halloween Cookie Challenge, Tournament of Champions, Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, Cutthroat Kitchen, Wildcard Kitchen and more.

Ready Jet Cook

Caution: Watching Ready Jet Cook will result in a hunger so strong, it leaves you with no choice but to beeline it to your closest market to re-create Jet’s signature flavors at home. In this Food Network series, Jet offers viewers an intimate look at his culinary process. Each episode, he walks through his family’s grocery store to source fresh ingredients, then returns home to prepare his go-to recipes, like Sesame Chicken, Cantonese Potstickers and Street-Style Basil Chicken. Fun fact: Jet earned multiple Daytime Emmy nominations for his hosting role on Ready Jet Cook.

Halloween Cookie Challenge

Chef Jet joined forces with baker, author and YouTuber Rosanna Pansino to host four of the top cookie makers in the United States as they competed in two rounds of baking, decorating and sculpting. Competitors were tasked with creating three-dimensional cookies inspired by the haunted holiday for a chance to take home the shriek-worthy $10,000 prize.

Cutthroat Kitchen

Jet joined host Alton Brown as a recurring judge on Cutthroat Kitchen throughout several seasons, including the season finale of Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out last year. He also appeared on the iconic Season 12 episode “Getting Judgey With It,” where he competed against fellow Cutthroat judges Richard Blais, Antonia Lofaso and Simon Majumdar.

Guy's Grocery Games

If there’s one place Jet feels at home, it’s at a grocery store. Jet spent his formative years in the back of his parents’ Thai market, and now he brings his unique POV to Guy’s Grocery Games as a competitor and judge. Better still? Jet shares his knowledge with others as a culinary professor on GGG: Flavortown Academy. The self-titled Mayor of Thai Town even brought home the $20,000 prize on the “Delivery: All-Star Noodles” in 2021.

24 in 24: Last Chef Standing

Jet has used his culinary expertise and discerning palate as a judge on 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing twice. His first appearance in the high-pressure kitchen was as a judge on 24 in 24 Season 2, Shift 3: "Resourcefulness." He was chosen to judge dishes prepared using limited ingredients. His most recent appearance was on the Season 3 premiere, where he joined hosts Michael Symon and Esther Choi as a guest judge, assessing competing chefs on their strategy skills. Tune in every Sunday at 8|7c to watch the season unfold, and mark your calendar for the finale now: Sunday, May 31 at 8|7c.

Wildcard Kitchen

Host Eric Adjepong has invited Jet to join his late-night fun as a competitor and judge. Jet pulled up a chair and bet on himself against the Voltaggio brothers on the Season 2 premiere. He returned for another round of high-stakes kitchen poker on Season 3, Episode 2, “Asian Night Market,” where he played against fellow Asian cuisine experts Dale Talde and Nini Nguyen.

Tournament of Champions

Jet has competed in every season of Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions to date. He out-cooked his peers and earned his spot on the final four on Season 6. Chef Kevin Lee bested him last season, but he’s not giving up. Jet’s back in the kitchen for a chance to bring home the $150,000 on TOC Season 7. Tune in every Sunday at 8|7 c on Food Network, or watch it streaming every Monday on HBO Max and discovery+.

Beat Bobby Flay

Does Jet have what it takes to bring down Bobby Flay? Yes, yes, he does. Jet has appeared on Beat Bobby Flay multiple times, including Season 30, Episode 4, titled “It’s Tila Time.” He joined forces with his wife, Ali, and the couple brought the heat, defeating Bobby with their five-spice habanero duck soup with rice noodles and habanero chili crisp.

Jet's Restaurants

After working in various California- and Vegas-based establishments, Jet opened his first restaurant, Dragon Tiger Noodle Co., in 2021. The Sin City eatery features a fast-casual menu that allows you to build-your-own noodle dishes.

Dragon Tiger Noodle Co.

The foundation of every Dragon Tiger order is your pick of housemade noodles, including ramen, udon, rice or protein options. From there, you choose your broth (tonkotsu pork, hokkaido beef, Chinese chicken or Thai yum) and select your protein. Protein options include, but are not limited to, wagyu, rib eye, braised pork belly, poached chicken, thin-sliced rare beef and shrimp. Next up? Toppings! Layer your noodles with drool-worthy touches, including garlic oil, fried garlic chips, baby bok choy, hot peppers, Thai basil, kimchi, fish cake, nori and bamboo shoots. And, finally, each Dragon Tiger Noodle dish is finished with your choice of optional premium toppings, like black garlic oil, truffle oil and whole ramen eggs.

After opening the original Dragon Tiger Noodle Co. in Las Vegas, Jet opened a second Las Vegas restaurant and expanded to three additional cities. Head in to create the noodle dish of your dreams in Henderson or West Wendover, Nevada, and Central City, Colorado.

Jet's Books

Jet is an award-winning author with three cookbooks under his name. His first, 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die, was published in 2017. The top-rated book features authentic Asian dishes inspired by Jet’s childhood and family roots. Two years later, Jet joined forces with his wife, Ali, and released a cookbook, 101 Epic Dishes: Recipes That Teach You How to Make the Classics Even More Delicious. His latest cookbook, published in 2022, is 101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die. This book proved to be just as popular as his first, offering dishes that dive deeper into his Thai roots.

Fun Facts

• His birthday is February 6, making him a forward-thinking and innovative Aquarius.
• He was born during the Year of the Wood Rabbit and has the generous spirit and creativity to prove it.
• Jet holds several culinary Guinness World Records for the world’s largest stir fry, largest seafood stew, longest California roll and largest fruit salad. His winning salad weighed in heavier than an adult male elephant at 15,291 pounds.
• Vanilla is his go-to ice cream flavor.
• His favorite burger toppings? Bacon, cheddar, onion rings and BBQ sauce.
• Jet was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for his work on Ready Jet Cook.

Jet's Philanthropic Work

Giving back is a priority for Jet and he is an active supporter of several charitable organizations. He’s passionate about supporting United States military families and has donated to Spike’s K9 Fund, an organization that aims to protect working dogs with top-tier protective gear and critical medical treatment. He is also active with MaxLove Project, which is an organization that seeks to improve the quality of life of families facing childhood cancers, pediatric rare diseases and chronic hospitalizations.

Jet's Recipes