Christine Lau was raised in Oakland, CA by parents who emigrated from Hong Kong. Her Chinese American cuisine is strongly influenced by her upbringing in the Bay Area, her years working in New York City, and the cultural diversity that define both.

Christine got her start working in restaurants at the age of 17, at One Market Restaurant in San Francisco as part of a school project. In her early career she was sous chef at Centovini under Patti Jackson where their menus relied heavily on greenmarket produce, seasonality, and simplicity. Christine dedicated herself to handmade pasta and learned a philosophy of Italian food that would change her approach to cooking.

After cooking Italian food for several years, she jumped at the opportunity to open Bar Basque with Japanese American Chef Yuhi Fujinaga. Working under Yuhi, Christine learned a natural approach to marrying Japanese ingredients and techniques with Spanish cuisine. Christine furthered her Japanese culinary education when she opened Bar Chuko Izakaya with a trio of Morimoto alums. Based on the casual, Japanese, late-night gastropub concept, Christine’s menu was made up of fun shareable plates and a full yakitori menu.

In August 2020, just a few months into the pandemic, Christine opened Kimika – showcasing her take on Itameshi. Kimika married Italian and Japanese cuisine while celebrating seasonality and local produce. Christine’s Heirloom Tomatoes with Housemade Tofu was named Eater New York - 15 Best Dishes of 2020. Her Shrimp & Prosciutto Tortellini in Brodo was named Food & Wine Magazine’s Best Bites of 2021. In 2022, Kimika was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Best New Restaurant award and lauded by Pete Wells of the New York Times: “It takes a light hand to mash up Italian and Japanese cuisines and not get mush. At Kimika, that hand belongs to Christine Lau.”

Most recently, Christine created the menu at Chino Grande in Brooklyn, NY where her menu pays homage to New York City’s Chinese-Latin American restaurants from the 1960’s & 70’s. Christine can also be found popping up in cities across America on her quest to connect cultures through food.