Melissa was born and raised in Los Angeles by traditional Chinese parents. She knew how to work a wok by age six and learned to cook by experimentation and mimicking cooking shows like Julia & Jacques. After obtaining a B.A. in Cognitive Science from UC Irvine and graduating top of her class from the Culinary Institute of America, Melissa relocated to San Francisco and trained under several Michelin star and James Beard-acclaimed chefs, most notably Dominique Crenn, Craig St