How old is Esther Choi? Celebrity chef announces pregnancy with wholesome reference to Lunar New Year 

Esther Choi, the 38-year-old Food Network Contributor announced her pregnancy on Instagram on Monday. The Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend star alluded to the Lunar New Year as she called herself the “Mother of Dragon”. In a carousel of images, Esther posed with her growing baby bump.

The arrival of spring is considered the beginning of a new year in the lunisolar calendar. This tradition is primarily celebrated in China, Vietnam, and South Korea. Every year, an animal in the Chinese zodiac represents the spirit of the year.

As per Janine Lowe, a Feng Shui consultant and an astrologist, this year is marked as the year of the Dragon. The animal symbolizes power, magic, and a catalyst that helps one focus on achieving what one truly wants.

As Esther Choi referred to the Year of the Dragon in her announcement, she also shared how she executed a lot of difficult tasks in life. However, becoming a mother is not easy. She expressed she was amused by all the "amazing" mothers out there. Esther added described her journey of motherhood as "incredibly difficult" yet beautiful. She wished everyone a happy new year and added:

"see you soon, dragon angel baby."

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Esther Choi and rise to the culinary industry

Esther Choi discovered her love for food at a young age and got her first restaurant job at 14. As per her biography on the website of the Institute of Culinary Education, she grew up in New Jersey’s Egg Harbor. There she said:

“Over the years I realized that it was not just a job anymore; my love and passion for food grew every day. At some point, I realized opening my own restaurant was something I had to do.”

However, the journey was not smooth as Esther Choi had to work twice as hard as her coworkers in the male-dominated part of the kitchens to earn everyone’s respect. She worked multiple jobs at once and used to work up to 100 hours every week without taking any off.

Esther had to impress a selection committee with her 80-page business strategy to get a space for Mŏkbar in the Chelsea Market in Manhattan. Fortunately, the restaurant was an instant hit. It was awarded the honor of the best new restaurant by Village Voice Reader’s Choice. The restaurant offers Japanese and Korean cuisines to its guests and customers.

In 2017, she opened a second outlet of Mŏkbar in Brooklyn. The menu at this outlet focuses on more traditional Korean cuisine and is more refined. One of the popular dishes includes jipbap — a traditional Korean meal comprising rice, a choice of protein, and side dishes in small bowls.

Esther Choi and her business partners opened a gastropub called Ms. Yoo in the same year. It is located on the Lower East Side of NYC and was named after her grandmother. Her third eatery, The Spotted Pig, was also inspired by her grandmother. There, the food offered is American with a Korean touch.

When Esther first joined Food Network, she worked in the purchasing department where she had to find ingredients for the channel’s celebrity chefs. In 2012, she was featured on the network’s FN Dish blog, where she made a “family meal” for her colleagues.

She earned further television recognition as a contestant on Beat Bobby Flay Season 2. Esther appeared on Chopped and Worst Cooks in America as a judge. On the 2021 game show, Battle of the Brothers as well, she was a guest judge.

Esther Choi’s most recent work includes hosting Heat Eaters, a spinoff of the Hot Ones. She told InsideHook.com in an interview last year:

“When they approached me about this show, I thought I was definitely the perfect person for it because I'm just obsessed with spicy food in general. It's in pretty much every meal that I have."

She added:

“I think it comes from my background growing up in a Korean American household eating spicy food. We did not skimp out on the spice. Korean food packs a punch and there's a lot of heat in a lot of the dishes. Now I'm so completely addicted I can't eat a meal without some sort of spice in it, whether it's hot sauce or pickled chilis or kimchi or even just raw chiles.”

Esther Choi is reportedly married to Jerry Choi, with whom, she is expecting her first child.