Chris’s journey started in Tulsa, elbow-deep in the sink of a small sushi restaurant, and eventually led him to the Art Institute of Houston. During that time, Chris fell in love with his city’s rich immigrant cultures, and he wanted the world to see the real face of Houston through the food of its Vietnamese, Korean, Indian, Thai, and Chinese citizens.

So, after nearly a decade working in the city’s high-end culinary scene, he launched Underbelly, a restaurant concept designed to celebrate Houston’s uncelebrated cultures. He published his first cookbook Cook Like a Local in 2019, opening people’s eyes to a new way of seeing their city, its foods, and the people behind both of them. Then, Chris launched the Southern Smoke Foundation, a non-profit organization built to provide resources like crisis relief grants and access to no cost mental health counseling for the food and beverage industry. He’s joined Food & Wine magazine as Editor in Chef, where he mentors each class of Best New Chefs, participates in demos and discussions at their F&W Classic events around the country, and even writes an article from time to time.

Through his work, Chris has been honored with a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, a James Beard nomination for his cookbook, two Lone Star Emmys for Eat Like a Local, his show on KPRC-TV, and several “Best Of” appearances including GQ, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Esquire.