A native of Taiwan, Ming Pu credits his mother for instilling in him a true passion for cooking. He learned the importance of utilizing only the freshest, seasonal produce the Asian markets had to offer from his time spent helping her prepare a home-cooked meal every night. At the age of 7, Pu and his family moved to Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada where they lived for two years before making Louisville/Southern Indiana their permanent home in 1999. Along the way, the 33 year-old chef gained a diverse food vocabulary of Eastern Asia, Southern and French Techniques along with a wide range of ingredients that are evident today in his melting pot of New American cuisine at The Brooklyn and The Butcher, The Exchange Pub & Kitchen and OutCast Fish and Oyster Bar. Prior to joining Brand Hospitality as an executive chef and then Culinary Director. Pu attended culinary school at Sullivan University in 2009. During this time, he honed his skills in varying positions at restaurants in Louisville, including Jack Frys and English Grill at The Brown Hotel. He interned at Asiatique a Louisville Staple of Southeast Asian Cuisine under his mentor, chef Peng Looi then worked up to a line cook to sous chef. After 4 years of working for Chef Looi, Pu was given the opportunity to open The 502 Bar & Bistro. While overseeing the helm of the kitchen at The 502 Bar & Bistro Pu was named FSR Magazine 40 Under 40: Restaurant Stars on the Rise 2018 and also received good food 100 restaurants and James Beard Smart Catch Leader 2019 and 2020. Ming’s goal is to open a Taiwanese American Restaurant one day showcasing Taiwanese food and culture through his life experiences. Ming has been a guest chef at the James Beard House four times along with participating in the James Beard Boot Camp Policy for Change 2019 and James Beard Taste America of Louisville, Kentucky. Recently he participated in Indie Chefs Week in Columbus, Ohio.