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
Reach - 27M+ followers (Youtube)
Webby Award for Food & Drink 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)
2.6M+ views (Youtube)
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

Marketing Significance - This audience income profile places Esther's followers well above average for social media influencers, with nearly one-third earning six figures or more. Combined with urban concentration, this creates premium purchasing power for restaurant visits, cooking equipment, specialty ingredients, and culinary experiences.
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.

Why This Matters
Food content significantly outperforms platform averages across all social media. Esther's 2-3% Instagram engagement rate places her in the top 10% of culinary influencers at her follower count. Food content overall on YouTube averages 608K views per post (food content is the industry leader).
Higher engagement translates directly to better conversion rates, making each of her 428K Instagram followers more valuable than followers of larger accounts with lower engagement.
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)