ESTHER CHOI


Media Kit (2025)

Esther Choi

Chef | Entrepreneur


Chef Esther Choi is a Webby Award-winning Korean culinary authority with 800K+ followers and 45M+ cumulative viral views across digital platforms. She expertly bridges traditional media credibility, co-hosting Food Network's 24 in 24 and hosting First We Feast's Heat Eaters, with substantial digital-native influence, maintaining high engagement rates as a prolific content creator on Instagram and TikTok. She reaches a wide audience through both owned channels and strategic partnerships.

Her mission is to make Korean cuisine accessible to mainstream America, using authentic storytelling from her grandmother’s recipes alongside innovative concepts like her Korean-Italian fusion (Koritalian). This vast media reach complements her successful restaurant empire of 7 locations spanning NYC to Las Vegas, ensuring her shows and social content reach millions weekly.

Her influence translates to proven commercial success, with her Walmart Ready-to-Eat frozen food line generating $5.5M+ in retail sales and ~1M units sold in its first year, positioning her in the top 3 performing celebrity chef lines at Walmart.

Executive Summary

Chef Esther Choi, a Korean Culinary Authority Meets Digital-Native Influence

800K+

Combined IG, TikTok, Youtube Follower (October 2025)

50M+

YouTube Partnership Views

2024 Webby Award Winner

Heat Eaters Series

Cultural Authority

Korean-American chef with 7 restaurant locations, Food Network co-host, First We Feast host

Engagement Premium

2-3% engagement rate (4-6x platform average) = higher value per follower than mega-influencers

Proven Conversion

Expected $6.50 ROI per $1 spent on food influencer campaigns

$5.5M+ retail sales: Walmart Ready-to-Eat line (Y1 ~1M units sold)

Premium Audience

$85-100K mean income, 75% ages 18-44, urban professionals

Webby Award 2024

(First we Feasts's Heat Eaters)

Food Network "24 in 24" co-host

(Season 2, 2025)

Top 3 Walmart Celebrity Chef Line

45M+ views on collaborative content

What Brands Gain When Partnering with Chef Esther

Access to Premium Demographics

$85-100K mean income, urban professionals, 75% between 18-44

High restaurant visitation (3+ monthly), strong disposable income, active product discovery through influencers

Cultural Authority

Korean-American culinary expert in one of the fastest-growing food categories in America

Authentic voice with family heritage, combined with innovative fusion approach that makes Korean cuisine accessible

Multi-Channel Activation

TV (Food Network + First We Feast), social media (800K+ followers), restaurants (7 locations), events (Food & Wine Festivals)

Single partnership unlocks touch points with audiences

Conversion Power

Expected 2-4% e-commerce conversion, 3-5% restaurant / brand awareness conversion

50M+ views on Eater Kitchen Gadgets series demonstrates ability to drive interest in products through authentic demonstration

Credibility, Recognition, Diversification

Restaurant Credibility

Real-world restaurant operations validate expertise and provide physical activation opportunities

Award Recognition

Webby Award provides independent industry validation of content quality and influence

Platform Diversification

Strong presence across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and television reduces platform risk

Consistent Performance

Two years of sustained growth, viral content, and media recognition demonstrates reliability

Social Media Reach (Oct 2025)

428K+ Instagram Followers

1.5-3M average monthly impressions
Engagement Rate: ~2-3% (4-6x industry average of 0.45-0.50%)

282K+ TikTok Followers

800K-2M average monthly impressions
Engagement Rate: ~6-8% (food content benchmark)

YouTube

Viewership

50M+ through partnerships

15M+ Monthly Impressions

Across Esther's Top 3 Online Platforms (est.)

Extended Reach Through Strategic Partnerships

Host - First We Feast's Heat Eaters

Reach - 27M+ followers (Youtube)
Webby Award for Food & Drink Series

Eater Kitchen Gadgets Series

50M+ views across series

Food Network 24 in 24 Co-Host
Real-time TV competition series

Selected Viral Content

King Crab Three Ways - Danny Kim

45M+ views (cross-platform)

Stray Kids Heat Eaters Episode

2.6M+ views (Youtube)

Uncle Roger Meets Esther

10M+ views (Youtube)

Spotlight — HBO’s "Selena + Chef"

Chef Esther Choi's notable appearance on HBO's "Selena + Chef" vividly highlights her distinguished culinary authority and engaging teaching prowess. During this high-profile episode, Chef Choi expertly guided Selena Gomez in crafting an authentic Korean BBQ feast. This segment showcased Chef Choi's profound knowledge of Korean cuisine through dishes like marinated short rib, spicy pork, and refreshing cucumber kimchi. Notably, the episode prominently featured Selena Gomez utilizing gochujang as a key ingredient, underscoring its cultural significance. This collaboration effectively demonstrates Chef Choi's broad mainstream appeal and exceptional ability to educate and inspire a diverse audience, positioning her as an invaluable asset for brand partnerships aiming to connect with viewers through authentic culinary expertise and captivating content.

Behind the Scenes: Teaching Celebrity Cooking

Who Are Esther's Followers? Meet the Urban Culinary Explorer

Core Culinary Interests

  • Authentic international cuisine (Korean, Asian fusion)
  • Restaurant culture and fine dining
  • Home cooking experimentation
  • Food media consumption
  • Cultural exploration through food
  • Social dining experiences

Digital Behavior

  • Daily social media uses social media 2 hours 21 minutes (avg.)
  • Restaurant visits 3+ times monthly
  • Product discovery 83% via influencers
  • Restaurant selection 72% based on social media
  • Food content engagement 80% of Gen Z actively engaged

Device Usage

  • Mobile ~70-75% (primary)
  • Desktop / Laptop ~25-30%
  • Platform specific Instagram ~70-80% mobile, TikTok ~90%+ mobile

Discovering New Restaurants & Recipes

  • Self-expression through food choices
  • Status and social validation
  • Culinary skill development
  • Connection to cultural heritage
  • Supporting women and minority chefs

Income & Purchasing Power of Esther's Audience

Esther's audience demonstrates above-average income levels concentrated in high-cost urban markets with strong dining-out culture. This purchasing power translates directly into marketing value for premium brands and culinary experiences.

Key Income Metrics

  • Mean household income $85,000-$100,000
  • High earners ($100K+) 29% of audience
  • Average disposable income $1,750/year on dining out
  • Income vs. US median 13-17% above national average of $75K

Brand Partnership Value Proposition

Esther sits in the sweet spot between emerging & macro-influencer - large enough for significant reach, small enough for authentic engagement

Premium Asian Food Brands

Condiments, sauces, specialty ingredients, Korean food products. Her authentic expertise and cultural authority make her the ideal advocate for premium Asian food brands entering or expanding in the US market.

Kitchen Equipment & Cookware

Professional and home cooking equipment. Her Eater Kitchen Gadgets series (50M+ views) demonstrates proven ability to drive interest in cooking tools through authentic testing and demonstration.

Cooking Education Platforms

Masterclass-style platforms, cooking apps, culinary schools. Educational content performs really well, and has demonstrable teaching ability through both short & long-form content.

Asian-American Lifestyle Brands

Fashion, beauty, lifestyle products targeting Asian-American consumers. Her representation and authentic voice resonate strongly with this growing demographic.

Partnership Value Drivers

Performance Metrics

  • 1.5-2.5% CTR (3-5x display advertising)
  • 2-4% e-commerce conversion rate
  • 428K highly engaged, affluent IG followers
  • 7.38% campaign engagement rate

Unique Amplification

  • 7 restaurant locations
  • TV exposure: Food Network & First We Feast
  • Press coverage through entertainment & food media
  • Multi-platform distribution

How Esther Stacks Up Against Other Celebrity Chefs

Esther's Competitive Position

The Sweet Spot

Sits between emerging and macro-influencer. Large enough for significant reach, small enough for authentic engagement

Higher Value Per Follower

2-3% engagement rate (4-6x platform average, 3-4x mega-influencers like Bobby Flay) means each follower delivers significantly higher conversion value

Comparable to Digital-Native Peers

Performance matches successful digital-first chefs like Priya Krishna and Sohla El-Waylly

Unique Value Proposition

Restaurant ownership + TV presence + digital engagement creates rare trifecta of credibility

Engagement Benchmarks

Instagram Performance

  • IG Platform Average (0.45-0.50%) Instagram macro-influencers (500K-1M followers)
  • Expected Range (0.54-0.70%) Baseline for Esther's tier (400K-500K followers)
  • Culinary Influencer (2.5-3%) Standard quality food content benchmark
  • Esther's Performance (2-3%) Esther outperforms platform average by 4-6x

TikTok Performance

  • Mid-tier influencers (50K-500K) 7.5% average engagement
  • Food content specifically 6-8% engagement rate
  • Platform advantage TikTok consistently outperforms Instagram across all tiers

TikTok's algorithm favors engaging content discovery, explaining higher baseline engagement rates compared to Instagram's follower-focused feed.

Expected Conversion Rates

Culinary Influencer Conversion Benchmarks

2-4%

E-Commerce Conversion

Average conversion rate for influencer content driving product sales

1-3%

Restaurant / Brand Awareness

Conversion to restaurant visits or brand consideration

Esther's Expected Performance

  • Direct e-commerce ~2-4% conversion rate
  • Restaurant / brand awareness ~1-3% conversion
  • Premium product launches ~0.5-1.5% (offset by higher average order value)

Click-Through Rate (CTR) Expectations

  • Esther's expected CTR ~1.5-2.5% based on engagement rate (est.)
  • Context > Significantly outperforms display advertising (~0.46% CTR) and matches social feed performance
$5-6

ROI Per Dollar

Influencer campaigns average $5-6 per $1 spent (short-term), with long-term ROI multiplier of 3.35x (IPA Oct 2025)

7.38%

TikTok Campaign Engagement

Average engagement rate for food influencer campaigns

* All benchmarks updated October 2025. Sources: Smart Insights, IPA Effectiveness Study (Oct 2025), Store Growers, Emplicit, WordStream, Shopify CRO Statistics.

Selected Awards, Recognition & Milestones

Industry Validation: From Culinary Competition to Mainstream Television

2024 Webby Award Winner

Category Food & Drink Series / Channels

Show Heat Eaters

Significance Webby Awards are known as the "Internet's Oscars"— recognizing excellence in digital content

2025 Webby Award Nominee

Category Best Web Personality/Host

Nominee Esther Choi as Heat Eaters host

Impact Back-to-back Webby recognition establishes sustained excellence

Career Milestones & Historical Recognition

2015 Zagat 30 Under 30

Named to prestigious list of young culinary leaders shaping the industry

2022 Netflix Iron Chef Finalist

Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend - competed at highest level of culinary competition, gaining international exposure

2024 Webby Award Winner

Heat Eaters wins Food & Drink Series category, validating digital content excellence

2025 Food Network Lead Host

Season 2 of 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing cements position as mainstream television personality

Trusted by Leading Brands Across Food, Hospitality & Lifestyle

Harvard Case Study: How Your Business Should Tap into the Creator Economy

Creators aren't just changing marketing, they're transforming product development, too. Content creators are silently rewriting the innovation and strategy rule book for established companies, particularly in consumer goods and services. By changing how consumers search for and use products, creators are driving demand for increasingly specialized products, accelerating product life cycles, and changing what customers actually value.

Through research interviewing hundreds of content creators, product developers, and business leaders, analyzing thousands of hours of content across platforms, we've sized the creator economy at a conservative estimate of 40 million economically consequential creators worldwide. If each creator influences just $10 of spending among 1% of their followers annually, creators affect $130 billion in purchasing decisions.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER


Esther is available for

Brand Partnerships & Ambassador Programs

Content Collaborations & Sponsored Series

Festival Appearances & Cooking Demonstrations

Television & Streaming Projects

Private Events & Corporate Partnerships


Contact

Email: esther@mokbar.com

Or connect directly: @choibites (Instagram, TikTok)