Louisa Chu

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One-Line Bio

I'm a chef and food writer based in Paris and Chicago.

Biography

I can currently be seen in Gourmet's "Diary of a Foodie" on PBS ("Chic Eats" on National Geographic internationally). I'm also a producer on the show.

And I'm Gourmet's Chicago correspondent and CHOW's Gear columnist.

You can also catch me in the Paris episode of "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" on the Travel Channel (yes, that's me taking Tony on the meat market tour at Rungis). I was the fixer (aka field coordinator) on the show.

I''m honored to have been a correspondent for Evan Kleiman's "Good Food" on NPR station KCRW since 2002.

I was born in Hong Kong, but raised in Chicago, My father was originally from Nanjing, but grew up in Shanghai. My mother is from a small village near Guangzhou and attended boarding school in the region.

I learned to cook in my family's small, neighborhood, Chinese-American restaurant, where during high school I vowed never to work in the restaurant business again.

After earning a B.A. in Communications/Journalism, I worked in radio, television, and film production in LA.

In 2001, I interviewed Julia Child.

Julia inspired me to launch a small catering company, through which I served modern food with wine and tea pairings.

I received a James Beard Foundation Scholarship to study at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, graduating with Le Grand Diplôme, the school's highest honour, for concurrently training in both Cuisine and Pâtisserie.

I've cooked at El Bulli in Spain and Alain Ducasse in Paris. I've also staged at Alinea and moto, both in Chicago.

In 2005 I cooked at the Michelin-starred restaurant Les Ambassadeurs under the notorious chef Jean-François Piège in the legendary Hôtel de Crillon on the historic Place de la Concorde in Paris.

When not itinerant, I split my time between homes in Chicago and Paris, shared with my sister Annie, a luxury paper goods designer. Our brother William is an rare wristwatch dealer.

Our dog Karli was found at the West L.A. Shelter and has since dined in some of the finest restaurants in the world. She loved l'Arpège, Pierre Gagnaire, l'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (Paris), Le Violin d'Ingres, Ladurée, Delicabar, and Berthillon. While not allowed in the dining room at Alain Ducasse at the Plaza Athénéé, she was served selections from the cheese cart, with an assortment of artisanal breads, in the hotel's lounge. A baked goods lover, during my Cordon Bleu days, she once chose my brioche over pavé de bœuf.

VIDEO CLIPS
PBS-Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie (2006/2007)

Travel Channel-Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (25 July 2005) "Why the French Don't Suck"

AUDIO CLIPS
NPR-KCRW-Good Food (02 December 2006) "Absinthe"

NPR-KCRW-Good Food (02 July 2005) "Gastro Bistros"

NPR-KCRW-Good Food (22 January 2005) "Food Blogs"

NPR-KCRW-Good Food (30 October 2004) "Inside El Bulli"

NPR-KCRW-Good Food (26 June 2004) "France's Best"

NPR-KCRW-Good Food (31 May 2004) "Life and Food in Paris"

NPR-KCRW-Good Food (08 March 2003) "All Roads Lead to...Paris"

NPR-WHYY-A Chef's Table (08 February 2003) "A Romantic Valentine's Date in Paris"

NPR-KCRW-Good Food (25 January 2003) "Inspired Eating"

NPR-KCRW-Good Food (14 December 2002) "Winter in Paris"