Culinary storyteller Jet Tila to visit campus

Jet Tila, a celebrated chef and restaurateur, will visit campus Wednesday, March 20, for a series of events.

The author of “101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die,” Tila was appointed a culinary ambassador from Thailand by the Royal Thai consulate-general in Los Angeles. He has been a guest on NPR, the CBS Early Show and Food Network’s Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen and Iron Chef America.

Dining Services and Chartwells is sponsoring Tila’s appearance, which includes a meet-and-greet at 10:30 a.m., March 20, followed by teaching kitchen sessions at 11 a.m. and 12:15 and 2 p.m. UNC Charlotte students and employees can register online for one of the sessions.

Tila will attend a book signing at 1:15 p.m., and he will discuss entrepreneurship at 3:30 p.m. in the Popp Martin Student Union.

In 2013, Tila partnered with the Compass Group, the world’s largest food-service company, to launch Modern Asian Kitchen, a new fast-casual Pan-Asian concept with locations nationwide.

Geneice Bond, director of marketing and guest experience for Chartwells, said, “Chef Jet has built a partnership with Chartwells to highlight his cuisine and introduce authentic flavors through his menus. Dining Services sees his teaching kitchen sessions as an opportunity to provide an experience for students to learn a new recipe they can cook for themselves, their families and their friends.”

Tila grew up in his family’s restaurant kitchens and markets in Los Angeles, home to the world’s largest Thai population outside of Thailand. As a boy, he spent time learning the ancient traditions of Asian cuisine from his Cantonese grandmother and working in the famed Bangkok Market, which opened in 1972, and Royal Thai restaurant, which opened in 1978.