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Katianna Hong Biography – Katianna Hong Wiki
Katianna Hong is the chef and partner of Yangban, a Korean-American Restaurant in the Arts District in Los Angeles. She is set to compete on Season 22 of Bravo’s ‘Top Chef,’ premiering on March 13, 2025.
Born in Korea and raised in upstate New York, Katianna spent much of her childhood training in competitive gymnastics, developing a profound sense of drive and discipline at an early age.
After high school, Katianna uncovered her passion for the culinary arts and went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park and the UNLV School of Hospitality. Following graduation, Katianna furthered her education under the acclaimed chef Josiah Citrin at the Michelin two-starred Melisse in Santa Monica, California.
Amid long kitchen shifts at Melisse, Katianna met her culinary collaborator and future husband, John. The two relocated to Napa Valley in 2011, where Katianna began working as a line cook at chef Christopher Kostow’s lauded The Restaurant at Meadowood.
In 2014, she was named the restaurant’s first-ever chef de cuisine, simultaneously becoming the only female chef de cuisine at a Michelin three star restaurant in the United States.
While working alongside Kostow at Meadowood, San Francisco Magazine named her Rising Star Chef for pushing the boundaries of fine dining with her creativity and nuanced approach. Katianna went on to open Kostow’s second restaurant in the heart of Napa, The Charter Oak.
At Charter Oak, Katianna and team earned a nomination for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, as well as a spot on Bon Appétit’s Top 50 Best New Restaurants List for the celebratory, family-style dining experience featuring seasonal and inventive California fare. In 2018, Katianna was honored as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs.
Yangban
Following the birth of their daughter, Alessia, Katianna and John relocated to Southern California in 2019 to pursue their dream of opening their first solo restaurant project together. In 2019, Katianna and John opened their first solo restaurant together, Yangban, offering a multi-dimensional, autobiographical experience that showcases their respective backgrounds and upbringings while providing a dynamic neighborhood space for locals to gather. Since its opening, the restaurant has garnered critical acclaim appearing on the 2022 best new restaurant lists of Bon Appetit, Esquire, and Condé Nast Traveler and was a 2023 James Beard semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant.
Katianna Hong Age
Katianna Hong was born in South Korea and adopted at 3 months old by a German Jewish father and Korean-Irish-Catholic mother. She was taken to the United States and raised in upstate New York.
Katianna Hong Husband
Top Chef contestant Katianna Hong is married to her husband chef John Hong. Katianna and John are Michelin-starred chefs who own the restaurant Yangban in downtown Los Angeles.
Katianna Hong Family
Chef Katianna Hong and her husband John Hong have a daughter, Alessia, born in 2019.
Katianna Hong Brother
Katianna Hong’s older brother, actor Reid Scott, appeared on the ABC sitcom ‘It’s All Relative’ in 2003 and now stars as a detective on NBC’s “Law & Order.”
In April 2020, Katianna paid tribute to her brother on Instagram. She wrote: “Happy National Siblings Day to the best big brother in the game,” alongside an adorable photo of the two siblings in their childhood.
Katianna Hong Top Chef
Clifton Park native Katianna Hong is one of 15 contestants on Season 22 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” hosted by Kristen Kish, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons.
Katianna will head to Canada and compete with 14 other contestants to be named the next Top Chef champion. Alongside Katianna, the other “cheftestants” will include Kat Turner (Highly Likely), Anya El-Watter (Birch and Rye), César Murillo (North Pond), Shuai Wang (Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ), and Mimi Weissenborn (Sur Lie), among others.
For Top Chef Season 22, the contestants have the chance to win $250,000 provided by Saratoga Spring Water and a $125,000 flight credit to spend on travel with Delta Air Lines. Plus, the winner will get a feature in Food & Wine Magazine and make an appearance at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
The first-place finisher will also headline a dinner at the James Beard house in New York City and have the chance to present at The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago, Illinois. Also, cash prizes totaling $150,000 will be offered during each Quickfire Challenge, and at several Elimination Challenges.
Katianna Hong Ethnicity
Chef Katianna Hong is of Korean ethnicity.
Katianna Hong Religion
Katianna Hong is Jewish. She was raised by a Irish Catholic mother.
Katianna Hong’s Instagram handle is @katiannahong.
