Meet Khristianne Uy, aka Chef K, The Kardashians’ personal and go-to chef. From creating those adorable and delicious-looking vegan grilled pink cheese sandwiches that have been a star menu item at the Kardashians’ kids’ birthday parties to becoming a success on TikTok and Instagram. Most importantly, Chef K loves what she does-to bake and cook and witnessing the satisfying results.
As Chef K grows in popularity and recognition, let’s get to know the woman behind the meals.
Chef K was born in the Phillippines in the early 1980s and immigrated to the US (Los Angeles area) when she was eleven. Four years later, she embarked on culinary school, and following graduation, she landed her first job as a pastry chef across Los Angeles restaurants.
She never lost track of her Filipino heritage and tries to incorporate it into her work.
“I was always taught by my parents never to take anything for granted,” Chef K told Vogue Phillippines in November 2022. “Humility is the number one virtue. That’s the one thing you can always hold on to so you’re never lost.”
Before her career exploded with the infamous Kardashian-Jenner family, Chef K already had a list of Hollywood clients. Blockbuster director James Cameron (Titanic and Avatar), Two and a Half Men actor Charlie Sheen, and the pop group, The Jonas Brothers, have already tasted Chef K’s fare. For Charlie Sheen, he favored her liverwurst sandwiches and cheeseburgers.
It was Charlie that gave her the professional name of Chef K, and according to the New York Times article in 2022, Charlie’s ex-wife, Denise Richards (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), got the Chef on a couple of ABC’s reality competition shows, including The Taste. Chef K was the first-season winner.
One of her clients, Ryan Seacrest (who created E!’s Keeping Up with the Kardashians and its spinoffs), introduced her to Kris Jenner. From then on, Chef K was hired as the family’s chef. In fact, the more she learned about the first family on reality TV, the more she learned about their specific dietary needs. She then takes the specifications and creates a unique menu for each member. Fo Kim, no cilantro, and for Kourtney, it’s vegan and gluten-free.
Kris Jenner was introduced to jackfruit, a fruit native to the Phillippines and South Asia, thanks to Chef K. Now, the momager cannot get enough of it.
The honorable chef even made appearances on Keeping Up.
When it comes to the menu at the Kardashian kids’ birthday extravaganzas, Chef K goes all out when it comes to preparing the food. Her signature pink grilled vegan cheese sandwiches are a must at every party. Kourtney and Kim had the heart-shaped delicacies at their daughters’ milestone birthdays. For the SKKN by Kim founder’s youngest daughter, Chicago West, had her sandwiches stamped with Hello Kitty’s face.
The sandwiches were not the only thing to eat. There were plenty of other options too. A ramen buffet, fresh fruit kabobs, waffle desserts, and a Hello Kitty cake were elegantly laid out for the big moment.
Aside from being the official party caterer, Chef K’s recipes have been featured on Kourtney’s lifestyle site, Poosh. Kourtney loves Japanese Matcha, so Chef K made energizing Matcha balls filled with protein for that quick-on-the-go snack with health benefits.
For an autumn supper, Chef K cooked up gluten-free pumpkin Gnocchi that only had two ingredients. The pumpkin-shaped pasta was complemented with a sage vegan butter sauce with hazelnuts.
And what is it like making food for a highly publicized family? Chef K had nothing but kind words when she spoke of Kourtney and her husband, Travis Barker.
“They’re hands down just so wholesome, appreciative, just so grateful every single time. It’s hard to turn them down.”-Chef K for Vogue Phillippines.
Chef K is about sharing how she preps the food of her famous clients. And what better way to share her secrets than social media? At first, Chef K didn’t know what TikTok was and learned about the video-sharing platform through a client. Since then, she has amassed over 160K followers. In one of her pinned videos, a Keeping Up With The Kardashians scene featured Kim playfully complaining about gaining fifteen pounds after eating Chef’s K cookies. While this may appear as “diva-like” behavior, Chef K assures them that there is no bad blood. her and Kim. The latter even apologized for the outburst and explained she had no self-control regarding the treats. In the case of TV drama, the apology scene was cut.
With Chef K being active on social media (she also has beautiful food photos on her Instagram), it has become easier for business exposure and seeing her passions loved by others.
While Chef K has reached the culinary world’s top and enjoys its flavors, it wasn’t an easy quest to achieve. As a member of the LGBTQ community, a woman, and a Filipino, her early start as a chef was quipped by rude customer comments and doubt. As the years went by, it became easier for Chef K to accomplish her career goals. She began her own catering company as a result of being harassed. According to the LGBTQ publisher, The Advocate, Chef K reflected that her company only made her work “harder, stronger, and pushed her to get better.”
Would you like to try some of Chef K’s culinary dishes? What about those pink grilled sandwiches? Let us know in the comments.