{"689953":{"#nid":"689953","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Graduate Brings Culinary Flair to \u2018MasterChef\u2019 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDaniel Meng, BA 2025, was 8 years old when he started cooking. His fried rice recipe was simple \u2014 rice and eggs \u2014 but it was enough to fill him up while his parents were at work, and it lit a fire in him that would eventually lead him to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/masterchefonfox\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMasterChef\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E kitchen to compete among the best home cooks in the country. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat began as a necessity for the Johns Creek, Georgia, native became a passion that he wanted to share with others. As he honed his skills in the kitchen, Daniel hosted dinner parties for friends and started a culinary club at his high school. When he arrived at Georgia Tech, he wanted to continue sharing his expertise, so he created CHEFS at Tech, a student organization that hosts cooking workshops, grocery trips, and restaurant outings. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCooking is one of the most important skills you can have, and that\u2019s not something they teach you in school, so I wanted to fill that gap. Then, I started creating content on social media because I wanted to share my love for food and teach the world how to cook,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmbracing the \u201cglobal gauntlet\u201d theme of the 16th season of Fox\u2019s culinary reality show, Daniel showcased his Asian fusion cooking style, impressing the judges \u2014 Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Tiffany Derry \u2014 with his take on Mapo tofu, a Sichuan-spiced dish that he fused with ravioli.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cThat was better than some of the pasta I\u2019ve had in Italy,\u201d Ramsay said after tasting Meng\u2019s dish.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike preparing for a final exam at Tech, Daniel prepared extensively for his audition, helping him stay composed under the bright lights.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTech taught me to work under heavy pressure because you\u2019re surrounded by so many hardworking students,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u0027re in that kitchen, not only is the audience watching you, but the whole world\u0027s going to be watching you, so there\u0027s a lot of weight on your shoulders. But I knew I was ready because I was so focused, and this moment meant everything to me.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAble to execute his vision for the dish and take on Ramsay\u2019s challenge of doing pushups in the kitchen, Daniel earned an apron to secure his spot in the competition. The feedback from the three culinary experts gave Daniel the added confidence of knowing he can compete with the best, but it\u2019s the memories of cooking alongside his mother and sharing his food with friends and family that continue to push him.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022From when I was a kid up until now, watching my parents enjoy my food means everything to me. In the \u003Cem\u003EMasterChef\u003C\/em\u003E kitchen, the stage got bigger, but that feeling never changed. Cooking has always been how I show people I care. That doesn\u2019t go away, whether I\u2019m cooking for my parents or Gordon Ramsay,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen he\u2019s not competing, Daniel shares dishes on his social channels as a food content creator. From his Hainanese chicken and rice recipe to showing how he cooked for 70 of his fraternity brothers at Tech, Daniel wants his channel (@mengseats) to be a source of entertainment, education, and inspiration for those looking to elevate their skills in the kitchen.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile his dishes vary in complexity, his favorites are those that remind him of his childhood, and he continues to iterate on his fried rice \u2014 both in technique and ingredients. A message he shares, particularly with college students, is that adding simple \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/02\/generating-buzz-protein-packed-industry\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eproteins\u003C\/a\u003E and fresh vegetables to dishes like rice or ramen noodles can significantly boost nutritional value, enhance satiety, and broaden their palate.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFollow Daniel\u2019s \u003Cem\u003EMasterChef\u003C\/em\u003E journey on Fox every Wednesday at 8 p.m. EDT and stream the next day on Hulu.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Content creator Daniel Meng has been cooking since he was eight years old, and he\u2019s ready to share his skills in one of television\u0027s biggest culinary competitions. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EContent creator\u003Cem\u003E \u003C\/em\u003EDaniel Meng has been cooking since he was eight years old, and he\u2019s ready to share his skills in one of television\u0027s biggest culinary competitions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Content creator Daniel Meng has been cooking since he was eight years old, and he\u2019s ready to share his skills in one of television\u0027s biggest culinary competitions. "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2026-04-23 01:06:14","changed_gmt":"2026-04-23 01:17:35","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680037":{"id":"680037","type":"image","title":"Daniel Meng","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech graduate Daniel Meng competing in the \u003Cem\u003EMasterChef\u003C\/em\u003E kitchen. Photo courtesy Fox\/\u003Cem\u003EMasterChef.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776906837","gmt_created":"2026-04-23 01:13:57","changed":"1776906837","gmt_changed":"2026-04-23 01:13:57","alt":"Daniel Meng","file":{"fid":"264271","name":"Screenshot-2026-04-22-at-9.12.05-PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/Screenshot-2026-04-22-at-9.12.05-PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/22\/Screenshot-2026-04-22-at-9.12.05-PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3296364,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/22\/Screenshot-2026-04-22-at-9.12.05-PM.png?itok=ZBXDhxQH"}}},"media_ids":["680037"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"43101","name":"Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business"},{"id":"185293","name":"content creation"},{"id":"146881","name":"culinary arts"},{"id":"182828","name":"cultural food"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}