CHEF TRAVIS MASAR
Travis Masar, born and raised in southeast Colorado, pursued his passion for food by moving to Denver, where he earned a Bachelor's in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales. After working in Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, he developed a deep appreciation for Asian cuisines and cultures. Travis served as head chef at Denver's Uncle Restaurant before competing on Bravo’s Top Chef season 11, where he finished in the top six and earned the nickname "Captain Vietnam."
Following Top Chef, Travis moved to Philadelphia, where he became Executive Chef for Michael Schulson’s Sampan and Independence Beer Garden. At Bing Bing Dim Sum, he fell in love with traditional dumplings, baos, and Asian breads. In 2018, fellow *Top Chef* contestant Shirley Chung recruited Travis to help establish Ms Chi restaurant concepts in Los Angeles. After two years on the West Coast, he returned to Colorado to open his own restaurant, Pig and Tiger.
Since then, Travis has launched Pig and Tiger Chili Crisp, offering a range of flavors from regular to hot honey to Black label. He also opened Peko Peko, a Japanese ramen and temaki concept, and teamed up with chef friends to launch Eat'Ya Pizza, a Roman-style pizzeria in downtown Denver.