About Chef Yan

“If Yan Can Cook, So Can You!” has always been the motto of Chef Martin Yan!  With his extraordinaire, popular television host of more than 3,500 culinary and travel TV shows and author of 34 cookbooks including his brand-new cookbooks – “Martin Yan’s Best of Yan Can Cook” and “MY Asian Kitchen”. He is one of the most recognizable Chinese Chef in the culinary world, from Shanghai to San Francisco, with a career spanning over four decades. Promoting Chinese and Asian cuisines, making the food easy for the cook has been his life-long mission.  

His award-winning public television series, Yan Can Cook, airing since 1978, has introduced generations of audiences to Chinese and Asian cuisines.   Chef Yan has received numerous awards and recognitions including the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the lifetime achievement award from the International Association of Cooking Professionals. He was also honored with the 2023 Culinary Excellence Award at the Sonoma International Film Festival. 

Never the one to rest on his laurels, Chef Yan has remained an active international food and cultural ambassador. He roams the world working with home chefs and top chefs to entertain and educate the public, sharing his unique humor and strong passion for cooking.