All About Mei Lin

She's a chef, restaurateur, Food Network competitor and winner of Tournament of Champions IV.

Mei Lin's Bio

Raised outside of Detroit, Michigan, Chinese American chef Mei Lin is a fierce competitor famous for cuisine that combines her heritage with sharp fine-dining techniques. After graduating from Schoolcraft College, Mei went on to cook for the home team, the Detroit Lions, and then began her run working with bold-name chefs. Mei helped fellow Midwesterner Michael Symon open up Roast in Downtown Detroit, then continued on to Marcus Samuelsson’s Chicago restaurant C-House, Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Las Vegas and Top Chef Season 6 winner Michael Voltaggio’s ink. in Los Angeles.

Mei ultimately left LA to compete on, and win, the 12th season of the Bravo cooking competition series. Following her Top Chef win, Mei went on to be a personal chef for Oprah Winfrey. Just two years later, she opened her first restaurant, Nightshade, in the LA Arts District. It was named a Best New Restaurant semifinalist in 2020 by the James Beard Foundation, with Mei herself garnering a nom for Best Chef: California. Nightshade closed the same year, but she opened her second eatery, fast-casual Daybird, in LA in 2021. Its continued success led her to return to fine dining with Beverly Hills’ 88 Club in 2025.

Mei Lin competed in and won Tournament of Champions IV, besting chef Maneet Chauhan in the final round. She's also competed in Guy’s Grocery Games: All-Star Invitational, Wildcard Kitchen, Alex vs. America, Bobby’s Triple Threat and Chef Grudge Match, among many others. She’s also been known to swap out her apron for a judging cap, lending her expert taste to Guy's Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions.

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