Who is Christine Ha?
Christine Ha, the first-ever blind contestant and winner of season 3 of “MasterChef,” is renowned for her extraordinary palate and disciplined execution in the kitchen. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Houston and has authored the New York Times best-seller “Recipes from My Home Kitchen.” Beyond cooking, Ha is a disability advocate, international speaker, and successful restaurateur, with accolades from the James Beard Foundation and involvement in various cultural diplomacy programs.
Christine Ha, first blind cook to win MasterChef
Almost every aspiring chef on this planet dreams about winning at MasterChef. Every year, over 30,000 chefs audition for the popular cooking show.
Christine Ha was one of them. While other contestants were slowly eliminated, Christine Ha remained standing. She continuously impressed the judges with her Vietnamese- American recipes and won incredibly tough challenges.
At the end of this culinary competition show, she took home the MasterChef title along with a cookbook deal and a cash prize. As if winning the prestigious competition wasn’t already difficult enough, Christine did it while being the first blind contestant to do so.
Ha currently owns two restaurants, advocates for people with disabilities, and runs her successful social media channels. Today, she will share her words of wisdom with you.
What inspired you to pursue a culinary career, and how did you get started?
Christine Ha: I enjoyed cooking for a while, but I must confess that I fell into the industry by chance. It was mainly because I auditioned for MasterChef and then ended up winning season 3.
I only auditioned because my family and friends encouraged me to, saying America needs to learn that a visually impaired person can still cook.
I always saw cooking as just a hobby that I enjoyed, and MasterChef propelled the opportunities in the culinary field for me.
How did participating in and winning MasterChef influence your career?
Christine Ha: I could talk about all the doors it opened for me and the opportunities it brought me, but there is one thing that is more important than other things.
Participating in MasterChef, and later winning the show gave me confidence!
I am grateful for the opportunities, but if I had to pick one thing, it would be the confidence boost.
What was the best part about being on MasterChef?
Christine Ha: I already mentioned the opportunities and the confidence boost that I am grateful for. The best part however was something else. It was meeting others who are different from me but who also love food. I was also making a lot of new friends. I learned about not only cooking, but also about myself, and how capable I am as a human being.
Could you share some insights on the business side of running a restaurant?
Christine Ha: This might be an unpopular opinion for many aspiring and young chefs, but it needs to be mentioned.
Being a great and talented chef doesn’t always equate to leading a successful restaurant. A restaurant is still a business, so it needs to be operated and minded as such.
This means sometimes adapting to your customers, understanding guests’ wants and needs, constantly innovating and strategizing.
Good food is just one factor in the equation.
In addition to understanding financials, branding, marketing, and operations, you need to learn people management.
What are you looking for when hiring team members?
Christine Ha: First and foremost, when hiring, I look for a genuinely kind person who is willing to learn.
While skills and experience are important, they can also be taught. Innate personality and attitude are much harder to change.
I am also looking for people who would uphold our company culture or evolve the culture in a positive way.
What skills should aspiring chefs develop if they want to succeed in the culinary world?
Christine Ha: Besides basic kitchen skills, young people who want to be successful in this industry must learn how to get along with others. The most important skill you have to master is having a positive attitude even if you don’t always agree with other team members. If you want real success you need to be willing to learn.
Did you have any significant mentors and how can someone become a mentee to you?
Christine Ha: Besides the judges while I was on MasterChef, I didn’t really have a single mentor. I was a part of the James Beard Foundation Women’s Entrepreneurship Leadership program, and I found many of the women in my cohort and instructors in the program aspiring. I feel I’m still green to the industry, but hopefully, in the future, I can be a mentor to other young culinary professionals, especially women of color.
You are a restaurant owner, a chef, book author and a disability advocate. How do you balance all of it?
Christine Ha: If you want to have a good work-life balance, you need to learn to prioritize.
I look at my tasks on a regular basis and think, “What can I delegate, delay, or delete/decline?” Otherwise, I need to DO it.
Also, it’s vital to take time away from “work” and invest in self-care and time for myself, my friends, and my family. It’s important to find other hobbies as they fuel your creativity and allow you to see your vocation or job in a new, fresh light.
What can the culinary community do to become more inclusive for people with disabilities?
Christine Ha: There’s been very little progress. I think it’s about educating people, as well as getting legislation and policies passed that show the government backs the idea of vocational rehabilitation and disability rights. Subsidies should be used to incentivize and reward businesses to adapt and hire employees with disabilities. Being inclusive is a long path forward, and it starts with having these conversations, asking these types of questions, and allowing a safe space for discussion.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting a culinary career?
Christine Ha: This career path is very challenging, and it is not for everyone.
If you decide to opt out and do something else, that doesn’t mean you’re a failure.
Cooking can still just be a hobby – oftentimes, it’s more enjoyable that way. Life is too short to spend it doing something you don’t enjoy.
From MasterChef winner to successful restaurateur, the story of Christine Ha
Christine Ha’s journey from an autoimmune disease that impacted her vision to MasterChef winner and successful restaurateur is nothing short of inspirational. Her story teaches us that with passion, resilience and willingness to take chances, we can overcome even the most daunting obstacles.
Christine’s advice for aspiring chefs, and indeed for anyone pursuing their dreams, is simple and profound: confidence is key, kindness matters, and learning never stops. Christine’s words remind us that true success isn’t just about accolades and accomplishments but also about personal growth, continuous learning, and contributing positively to the world around us.
If you are looking for your MasterChef moment, check out these open Cook and Sous Chef positions. If you are not ready to immerse yourself in the culinary career just yet, check out what a does a Chef do daily. If you want to know how to become a mentee to one of the Celebrity Chefs we interviewed, check out their advice.
