Chef Shirley Chung was a finalist on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 11. She is the chef partner of the newly opened TWENTY EIGHT Restaurant and Lounge in Irvine, California featuring a menu of American Cuisine with a Chinese Soul. Chef Shirley will share her journey from Mainland China to the computer world of Silicon Valley to pivoting to get into cooking, then giving up working for the some of the best chefs in the world: Guy Savoy, Thomas Keller, Mario Batali and José Andrés to strike out on your own.

Born and raised in Beijing China, Shirley was exposed to international cuisine at an early age by her grandmother, Liang Si Yi, former Director of The Red Cross in China. Shirley immigrated to America at age 17 for college education. She worked in Silicon Valley for a few years after graduating college with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. Shirley decided to follow her passion for food so she left her career in High Tech behind and enrolled in culinary school. She is trained in classic French and Italian cuisine, worked and opened restaurants for Thomas Keller, Guy Savoy, Mario Batali and Jose Andres. Chef Shirley was on Top Chef season 11 New Orleans and Top Chef Duel finalist. Before Top Chef, she was the Executive Chef for China Poblano by Jose Andres. Shortly after she opened China Poblano, it was nominated for the Best New Restaurant Award by James Beard in 2011. "I like my cuisine to tell a story, it is reflective of my childhood years in Beijing, my past experiences, and my travels, all of which have inspired me to push the envelope" says Chef Shirley. Now she has the opportunity to cook without boundaries. Chef Shirley has developed an inspirational and innovative menu of fun and shareable plates, matching the fun side of her personality to TWENTY EIGHT. While this marks her seventh restaurant opening, TWENTY EIGHT is the first time the menu and space reflect her values and background while allowing her to incorporate her childhood favorites with the lessons she has learned in the kitchens of Las Vegas.