Hitting the spotlight at only 12 years old as the runner up of MasterChef Junior season 1—Dara Yu has continued to prove herself as a powerful force in the food media industry. Evolving beyond her successful start as “Dara the bow girl,” she has become recognized for her diverse talents and initiatives as Chef Dara Yu.
Starting Out
Where all the best chefs begin, Dara’s roots sprouted in the kitchen with her grandma, a former teacher of traditional Chinese cooking. It didn’t take her long to start pursuing a dream in the industry as she quickly advanced to summer cooking camps. Her efforts led her straight into the very first season of MasterChef Junior, where she earned herself the title of “Dara the Bow Girl” and the first ever runner up of the show. After a two-year YouTube career following the success of MasterChef Junior, she redirected her passion to the possibility of culinary school. As she states in the Culinary Institute of America’s “Major in a Minute Video,” she chose CIA because she “wanted to build a strong foundation of skills and learn from chefs who have a wide range of expertise and experience.” Her time at CIA provided the resources for her to practice specialty skills that she’d always seen and admired. In her last two semesters, she was really able to focus on these skills like making gum paste flowers, wedding cakes, mirror glaze cakes, and take her favorite class: Confectionary Arts, “an edible art class.” Dara spent her time outside of the kitchens and classrooms continuing her passion for food media by participating in Student Government as the PR manager. She also worked as a content specialist and restaurant marketing intern for CIA’s Marketing Department.
Making History after CIA
Now that Dara had built a strong foundation of skills at CIA, it was time for her to turn her aspirations into reality. When answering the question of where she saw herself in the future, Dara expressed her dream of operating her own bakery as well as interests in event planning, food media, and educating young chefs.
Shortly after graduating from CIA in 2021, Dara returned home to Los Angeles, CA where she found herself back in the food media industry as a contestant on MasterChef: Back to Win. This season of the show, former contestants were invited back for a second chance to win $250,000, the trophy, as well as a set of appliances from Viking Range. Ultimately, Dara won the title of youngest champion of MasterChef in 2022.
What’s Next
Since winning the title of youngest champion of MasterChef, Dara has used her experiences and connections to follow her passions. At just 21, she launched her first pop-up, Congee & Crullers, offering innovative takes on traditional Chinese rice porridge and doughnuts. Now, Dara is a part-time cooking instructor at The Gourmandise School in Santa Monica, CA. Dara remains dedicated to food, education, and community, constantly discovering new culinary ventures and spreading her enthusiasm to others.