Hi! In this episode we catch up with the Dumpling Mafia—co-host Andy Wang, Chef Shirley Chung, and Caryl Chinn—culinary pros who, in their spare time, have made it a mission to eat all the best Chinese food in Los Angeles and its environs. This autumn, the Dumpling Mafia will launch its first NFT project in collaboration with street artist Narrator and digital currency machine operator CoinCloud.
Shirley Chung was born and raised in Beijing and immigrated to the United States for college. She worked in Silicon Valley before enrolling at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Chung has worked for Thomas Keller, Guy Savoy, and Mario Batali—she opened CarneVino in Los Angeles as Chef de Cuisine for the Batali Group; the restaurant garnered multiple international awards for Best Steak House. She was a finalist on season 11 of Top Chef in New Orleans and was the runner up in season 14. Her newest restaurant concept is Ms Chi Cafe, which is located in Culver City.
Caryl Chinn spent 16 years in New York, where she was the Senior Special Events Director at Bon Appetit magazine. She later worked for brands such as American Express, Godiva Chocolate, and the New York Yankees. She collaborated with festival founder Lee Schrager on the establishment of the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival and produced the first four years of the festival, which, to date, has raised millions of dollars fo charity. In 2010, Chinn founded Caryl Chinn Culinary Consulting. She is on the Advisory Board of C-CAP LA (Careers through Culinary Arts Program), and is on the Culinary Council for the Food Bank for New York City. Chinn graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA in History.
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Stuff we mention:
• Dumpling Mafia NFT
• Westfield Santa Anita mall
• Qing Dao Bread Food
• China Poblano by Jose Andres
• Las Vegas Chinatown Plaza
• Chengdu Taste Las Vegas
• James Beard Foundation Awards
• New York Wine & Food Festival
• Pop Off LA fundraiser
• Moo's Craft Barbecue
• Ricebox
• Anajak Thai
• Spartina LA
• Mariscos Jalisco
• Caboco LA