Dara Yu

Dara Yu is an LA-based Chinese American chef. Her career started in the MasterChef Junior kitchen at age 12 where she placed as runner-up in season one. Following her run on MasterChef Junior, she worked in restaurants, food media, and culinary education. She graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, with a high honors degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. Most recently, she was crowned the youngest champion of season 12 of MasterChef “Back to Win”. She finds inspiration from her early childhood food memories, cooking with her Chinese New Zealander grandmother, international trips to places like Italy and Japan, and her love for California’s diverse food culture.

“I think that the work that the World Taste & Smell Association is doing is important because so many people were affected because of Covid and a once memorable experience may have drastically changed. Bringing awareness to these elements of food and eating will help people think about how they taste and smell and what aspects of food are most important to them.”

We are thrilled to have Dara on board as a #DeliciousForAll judge and member of our Coalition of Culinary Experts!