Nyesha Arrington discusses her culinary career and her passion for her art, the environment and making the food industry a more equitable place for everyone to exist and succeed.
Chef Nyesha Arrington is best known for her accomplishments as a chef and TV personality. She was introduced to diverse culinary experiences at an early age, which has continually shaped her palate development and perspective of culture-informed cooking. A graduate of the Culinary School at the Art Institute of California in Los Angeles, Arrington forged her culinary career at Michelin-starred restaurants under direction from revered chefs including Joël Robuchon and Josiah Citrin. Following her stints in kitchens such as L'Atelier, The Mansion, Spice Mill, Melisse and The Wilshire, Arrington went on to open two proprietary concepts with Venice's beachside haven Leona in 2015 and Santa Monica's Native in 2017, both placed on the late Jonathan Gold’s iconic 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles list.
Arrington has appeared as a contestant, simultaneously, on reality cooking shows Top Chef on Bravo and Chef Hunter on Food Network, winning both competitions. In 2013, she prevailed on Esquire Network's cooking competition show Knife Fight then later returned as a guest chef judge. Current projects include KZread series Plateworthy on Eater, for which Arrington hosts. Chef Nyesha was featured as a recurring judge on Chopped Next Gen with Discovery+, and will be a judge alongside Chef Gordon Ramsay on the forthcoming new show Next Level Chef on FOX.
Over the past year, Arrington helped found a nonprofit mentorship program for young Black girls, and is launching a Korean-inspired sauce line and a food podcast at the same time. Nyesha is an advocate for farm fresh, local, responsibly-sourced ingredients in her cooking and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Food & Wine, GQ, Cooking Channel, Essence Magazine, Life and Thyme, and Eater LA for her accomplishments in the culinary industry.
For more information on Nyesha, please visit www.nyeshaarrington.com/.
Moderated by Bijou Gervais.