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Jet Tila

Jet Tila
Tila in 2018
Born
Jet Tilakamonkul

(1975-02-06) February 6, 1975 (age 49)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
SpouseAli Tila[3]
Culinary career
Current restaurant(s)
    • Pakpao Thai, Los Angeles (2014–2024)[1]
Previous restaurant(s)
    • The Charleston, Los Angeles (2014–2021)[2]
Websitechefjet.com

Jet Tilakamonkul, known professionally as Jet Tila (Thai: เจ็ท ติลกมลกุล; RTGSChet Tilakamonkun), is an American celebrity chef, author,[4] restaurateur, and restaurant developer.[5]

Early life

Tila was born in Los Angeles to Thai Chinese parents who immigrated to the United States separately in 1966.[6][7] His family traces their ancestry to the southern Chinese island province of Hainan.[8][9]

Restaurant and culinary career

Jet Tila is the chef of the restaurants The Charleston and Pakpao Thai, located in Los Angeles, California,[10] and Dallas, Texas,[11] respectively. Tila is the restaurant developer of Dragon Tiger Noodle Co. with three locations in Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada.[12][13] Tila has acted as a restaurant developer and minor partner for the chain restaurant Pei Wei Asian Kitchen (also known as Pei Wei Asian Diner, LLC).[5]

Tila was given a ceremonial title of a "culinary ambassador" for Thailand, appointed by the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles.[14][15]

Tila has also been part of several novelty food-based records, including world's largest stir fry, world's largest seafood stew, world's largest fruit salad and world's largest California roll.[16]

Television and other media

He has appeared on television series including Beat Bobby Flay, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen, Tournament of Champions, and Guy's Grocery Games.[17][18][19] Tila is a regular on the Food Network television channel.[20] He was a contestant on Iron Chef America but lost to The Iron Chef.[21] In 2018, he returned to Iron Chef America as the floor reporter.[22] Tila appeared on Gods of Food, a satirical food mockumentary by CollegeHumor.[23] Tila won $20,000 as the victorious competitor in Guy's Grocery Games "Delivery: All-Star Noodles" (2021).[24] Tila is one of the co-hosts of the new Food Network show, Halloween Cookie Challenge.[25]

Personal life

Tila is married. He and his wife Allison have two children: a daughter, Amaya,[26] and a son, Ren.[27]

Publications

References

  1. ^ "Dallas restaurant offers tongue-in-cheek 'Thai me up' dinner this Valentine's Day". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  2. ^ Harris, Jenn. "First look: Stir Market, Jet Tila's new food hall and restaurant to open Tuesday". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  3. ^ "Chef Jet on Thai Town, Bangkok Market, and LA's Best Pancakes". NBC News. June 23, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  4. ^ "Chef Jet Tila shares recipes from new book '101 Thai Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die'". KTLA. January 26, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Cobe, Patricia (February 4, 2022). "With Chef Jet Tila in the driver's seat, menu evolution accelerates at Pei Wei". Restaurant Business. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Pierson, David (November 18, 2018). "How I Made It: Jet Tila parlayed his Thai immigrant family roots to food TV fame". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  7. ^ CHEFJET
  8. ^ The Next Generation: Jet Tila, The Charleston LA
  9. ^ Wandering Chef: Jet Tila in Hainan, China
  10. ^ Harris, Jenn (November 7, 2014). "First look: Stir Market, Jet Tila's new food hall and restaurant to open Tuesday". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Filloon, Whitney (May 8, 2014). "Pakpao Thai Brings Jet Tila On Board as Chef/Partner". Eater Dallas. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  12. ^ Martin, Bradley (April 14, 2021). "Chef Jet Tila Plans to Personally Launch His Dragon Tiger Noodle Co. in Henderson". Eater Vegas. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  13. ^ Martin, Bradley (September 17, 2019). "Make That Three Dragon Tiger Noodle Co. Locations from Jet Tila". Eater Vegas. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  14. ^ Gray Painter, Alysia (September 4, 2013). "Chef Jet Tila, World Records, and the 15,291-Pound Fruit Salad". nbclosangeles.com. KNBC. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  15. ^ Chiao, Christine (April 9, 2013). "Jet Tila Appointed Thai Cuisine Ambassador". LA Weekly. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  16. ^ "CHEFJET - CHEFJET.COM 3.0". chefjet.com. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  17. ^ Cass, Alexandra (September 29, 2021). "Jet Tila Tells Us Why He Keeps Losing On Guy's Grocery Games - Exclusive". Mashed.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  18. ^ "Snack On These 35 Mouthwatering Secrets About Guy's Grocery Games". E! Online. January 22, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  19. ^ "There Is No Pandemic In 'Flavortown'". WBUR.org. May 21, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  20. ^ Ranganath, Shreya (May 4, 2022). "Chef Jet Tila shares more than just food at the L.A. Times Festival of Books". USCAnnenbergMedia.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  21. ^ Blaskovich, Sarah (May 8, 2014). "UPDATED: Expect to see celebu-chef Jet Tila in the kitchen at Dallas Thai restaurant Pakpao". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on February 22, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
  22. ^ "Iron Chef America". IMDb.com.
  23. ^ "Gods of Food (TV Series 2019– )", IMDb.com, retrieved August 14, 2022
  24. ^ "Halloween Cookie Challenge". foodnetwork.com. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  25. ^ "Guy's Grocery Games" Delivery: All-Star Noodles". IMDb.com.
  26. ^ Okumura, Jordan. "Chef Jet Tila: The Culinary Anthropologist". TheSnack.net.
  27. ^ Rasmus, Grace (April 1, 2019). "School of Wok: The kitchen is a place for teaching, tasting, and sharing love in the Tila household". Rachael Ray Magazine.