Chef Melissa King hosts Lunar New Year celebration for queer AAPI community

SAN FRANCISCO - Celebrity chef Melissa King hosted a one-of-a-kind Lunar New Year celebration in San Francisco, spotlighting the queer AAPI community. 

"Where are my gaysians at? This is for you!" King told the crowd at The Chan National Queer Arts Center on Valencia Street. 

King, a Top Chef All Stars winner and fan favorite, reimagined the Lunar New Year. Her event featured traditional lion dancers, vibrant drag performances and a massive grazing table to celebrate both her Chinese American heritage and the queer community.

"For me, food is about bringing people to the table, and that's exactly what we're doing here tonight. We are bringing people together through food, performance, art, and just being really gay about it," King said. 

The San Francisco resident curated some of her favorite dishes, including dim sum and nostalgic Asian snacks she used to eat as a kid.

"There's almond cookies and egg rolls, dim sum, barbecue pork buns, we have crispy roast pig, just things that you'd see at my grandma's house," King added. 

Celebrating culture and identity

What they're saying:

On this night, guests danced their hearts out at the LGBTQ center, a space dedicated to celebrating diverse cultures and identities.

"I think what we want San Francisco to know is that there's a place here in the Mission that celebrates not just the queer community, but any community that identifies as other, whether you're BIPOC, whether you're AAPI, whether you're trans, this is a place of celebration," said CEO of the SF Gay Men's Chorus and The Chan National Queer Arts Center Chris Verdugo.