Candice Kumai

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Candice Kumai is an American author and chef based in New York City. She was born in California to a Japanese mother and a Polish-American father and has one sister. As a teen, she worked as a model, then trained as a chef in Southern California, cooking in several restaurants. In 2006 she was the youngest chef on the first season of Top Chef, and she was the fourth contestant eliminated. Her cooking is influenced by her Japanese American heritage. Kumai hosted Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin. She has worked with the 1000 Days nutrition initiative started by Hillary Clinton in 2010. In 2014 she became a Kirin brand ambassador. Her Clean Green book series has made the New York Times bestseller list. She contributes to Shape Magazine and studied interpersonal and organizational communications at California State University, Long Beach.