Hetty Lui McKinnon

About

Australian Chinese Instagram star, cookbook author, and recipe developer known for being a James Beard Award finalist, for her multiple cookbooks, and for her social media cooking content. She has also written for many food publications and columns including New York Times Cooking, The Washington Post, Bon Appetit, and others. She is the founder and host of The Peddler Journal's The House Specials podcast. 

Before Fame

She grew up with a passion for eating Chinese food, but it wasn't until she was an adult that she discovered a love for cooking it. She founded the restaurant Arthur Street Kitchen in the year 2011. She self-published her first cookbook, entitled "Community," in the year 2013, which became a big hit. She began posting to social media and contributing to various publications, which made her famous in both Australia and general cooking circles. 

Trivia

Her first cookbook was initially supposed to be for her restaurant subscribers. She became a vegetarian at 19 years old. She has been featured on the New York Times Cooking YouTube channel. 

Family Life

She was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Her parents were Chinese immigrants from Guangdong, China. Her father passed when she was just 15 years old. She has two siblings and is the youngest child in the family. She has three children named Scout, Dash, and Huck. 

Associated With

Her cookbooks are bestselling favorites among fans of Yotam Ottolenghi. She shares plant-based recipes like CrazyVeganKitchen.