Melissa King at First Parish Church

Thursday, October 8, 2026 · 7:00 PM

First Parish Church — 1446 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA

Harvard Book Store welcomes Melissa King —James Beard Award-winning chef, author, television personality, and author of the acclaimed cookbook Cook Like a King: Recipes from My California Chinese Kitchen —for a discussion of her new memoir, The Girl Who Became King . She will be joined in conversation by Karen Akunowicz —celebrity chef, as well as Chef and Owner of Fox & the Knife Enoteca in South Boston, Bar Volpe Ristorante, and Fox Pasta Company. Melissa King is a James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and television personality. She is the author of the cookbook Cook Like a King: Recipes from My California Chinese Kitchen , which won the 2026 James Beard Award. She is the winner and fan favorite of Bravo’s Top Chef: All Stars L.A. and holds the record for the most challenge wins in the show’s history. Known for her modern California Chinese cuisine, she is a leading voice shaping conversations through food, cultural storytelling, and advocacy. A queer Shanghainese Cantonese American, she grew up in Los Angeles’s San Gabriel Valley. Her work has since taken her beyond the kitchen into television, fashion, and culture, including hosting Tasting Wild for National Geographic,…