Padma Lakshmi has been open about her bond with Top Chef winner Melissa King.
“Melissa is somebody whose cooking I always loved,” Lakshmi, 55, told People on Tuesday, October 28. “She’s fun and we enjoy each other’s company. She tends to be my plus one sometimes so people will see us on the red carpet together.”
Lakshmi noted that she is also close to former contestants Gregory Gourdet, Kwame Onwuachi and Kristen Kish.
“So there’s quite a few of them, but these guys seem to be in New York the most,” she said.
Days later, Lakshmi and King wore joint The Addams Family costumes, with King dressing up as Gomez Addams and Lakshmi appearing as Morticia Addams. Their other two friends joined them as Wednesday Addams and Lurch.
“I would die for her. I would kill for her. 🥀🖤-Gomez Paddams,” King wrote alongside a video of the four friends via Instagram on Saturday, November 1
Courtesy of Melissa King/Instagram
In another post, King posed alongside Lakshmi with the caption, “Cara Mia! 🥀,” which is the Italian phrase for “my dear.”
King, who initially starred on season 12 of Top Chef, won the cooking competition show in season 17 in 2020, which was hosted by Lakshmi.
“It’s so hard even to capture it all! I remember breaking down crying,” King told Parade in June 2020 while recalling how she felt when Lakshmi told King she won. “Everyone was bum-rushing me. So many things were going on. It felt very validating at that moment, knowing the vision of the menu I wanted to present to them was validated.”
Crisscrossing the country for the cuisine — and the culture! Padma Lakshmi is back for season 2 of Taste the Nation, and Us Weekly has the exclusive first look at the latest installment. In the trailer for the new season, the Top Chef host, 52, makes her way throughout America, sharing meals, laughter and cultural […]
King noted that the judges “felt the passion and love that [she] put into it.”
“I started thinking of the entire season, and everything started flashing before me,” she explained. “Back to day one, when I looked at everyone and thought about how I would place to being called the winner. It’s all the feels!”
Following King’s win, Lakshmi shared a sweet message on her social media.
“Melissa King, you really came into your own this season on Top Chef. It’s been such a pleasure to watch you blossom into a confident, on point and innovative chef,” she shared on Facebook in June 2020. “You showed us how Chinese food can be elevated and Chinese flavors enhance all food. Your finale dishes were stunning. You make me so proud! Brava!!”
Over five years later, King is now based in San Francisco where she runs a company focused on culinary partnerships and experiences — and released her new cookbook, Cook Like a King, in September.
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“I’m officially an author! 😭🫠🔪👑,” King wrote via Instagram in February. “My first cookbook is finally here and I’m gonna cry! No one talks about just how long it takes to write a cookbook, this has been 3+ years in the making! Getting ideas out of my head and translating intuition to paper — it’s pure INSANITY. I’ve dreamt of having a cookbook since I was a kid. I’m so grateful for my publishers @tenspeedpress @k.a.snoweden @jauneclaire, cowriter JJ Goode, agent @sabrinataitz and everyone involved in making this dream come to life!”
King went on to say that her cookbook is “a collection of Chinese California dishes” inspired by her Shanghainese grandma, Cantonese grandma, her mom Alice, and some from Top Chef.
“The book is designed with all of you in mind — home friendly, flavor packed, impressive dishes for anyone looking to be a better cook,” she gushed. “It’s the closest I can get to cooking beside you, teaching you my tricks while exploring the Asian pantry together and serving up Cali vibes. 😎.”
