Iron Chef Ming Tsai Spills The Sauce On His Brand—And The Secret Ingredient He Can’t Resist

Chef Ming Tsai is a beloved American chef, restaurateur, and television personality, celebrated for his innovative East-West cuisine that blends Asian and Western flavors. He’s the owner of the acclaimed restaurant Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and is best known for his cooking show “Simply Ming,” which has garnered numerous awards.  A prominent figure in the culinary world, he’s earned accolades for his contributions to the culinary arts, including the James Beard Foundation Award.

I connected with Chef Ming to learn more about his Mings brand, chatted about noodles, and found out what his Iron Chef secret ingredient would be if given the choice.

Foodbeast: What inspired you to create the Mings brand, and how does it reflect your culinary mission statement?

Chef Ming Tsai: I started cooking at 10 years old, and I’ve always been focused on making people happy through food. From growing up helping my mom in the Mandarin Kitchen to training in Paris and Osaka, I’ve been perfecting my signature cooking style of combining Eastern and Western cuisines for decades. This cooking style was the pillar of my first restaurant Blue Ginger, my professional career as a chef and TV personality, and continues with Mings. My frozen food line Mings brings many of my all-time favorite noodle dishes to homes nationwide in an easy and accessible way.

Foodbeast: What are some signature products or dishes from the Mings brand that you are particularly excited to introduce to your audience?

Chef Ming Tsai: Not only are noodle dishes one of my favorite types of dishes to cook but they are also a staple in Asian cooking. From wheat to rice noodles, we wanted Mings to offer the best tasting, perfectly textured noodles in the freezer aisle. While I love all the Mings meals I’m most excited to introduce Mings Spicy Dan Dan noodles. The frozen aisle isn’t known for having many truly spicy foods, so I wanted one of our initial offerings to be Dan Dan noodles because of Ma-La: the unique combination of tingly Szechuan peppercorns and spicy hot chilis which will delight your mouth. I realize not everyone in the U.S has easy access to authentic Asian flavors and ingredients, so Mings will be an introduction to this oh-so-satisfyingly spicy dish.

Foodbeast: Could you share how Mings is different from other similar CPG offerings?

Chef Ming Tsai: I never could have imagined I’d see some of my favorite noodle dishes in the freezer aisle! Whether you’re an Iron Chef or have limited cooking experience, you can still enjoy these restaurant-quality meals. Mings stands out for many reasons; from the lovely texture of the house-made noodles to the spicy, authentic bold flavors enhanced by authentic Asian ingredients. I don’t do bland foods, period.

Foodbeast: MingsBings has gone viral and now that you’ve got your frozen food line — how have you made sure the quality still meets the standards of a chef at your level?

Chef Ming Tsai: As a chef, my number one priority for Mings was that the meals tasted just as good as if someone were to order a dish off the menu at one of my restaurants. Nestlé cares about food quality as much as I do. Using authentic ingredients to capture the essence of my signature cooking style was non-negotiable. Launching this frozen food line was like opening a new restaurant or pop-up. I came in with my ideas and worked together with the culinary team at Nestlé over the last year to develop and bring Mings to life, resulting in a thoughtfully crafted meal line that delivers restaurant-quality meals for everyone to enjoy at home.

Foodbeast: When you’re developing frozen food, what’s something most people don’t realize about maintaining flavor and texture?

Chef Ming Tsai: With any noodle dish, the texture can make or break the meal. It’s about achieving the perfect combination of umami flavor using authentic Asian ingredients while maintaining the texture and integrity of the noodles to ensure an optimal tasting experience. For instance, with Mings Spicy Beef Ramen and Mings Chicken Ramen, part of the cooking process is to add some room temperature water to the dish before heating it up in the microwave. This step contributes to the perfect Asian ‘al dente’ texture for the best-tasting frozen noodle dishes on the market.

Foodbeast: What’s the biggest mistake people make when trying to “elevate” a dish at home?

Chef Ming Tsai: My biggest tip as a chef is to taste food frequently throughout the entire cooking process and not be afraid to add extra seasonings to really punch up the flavor – I like to think of this as how you “chef it up.” That was an essential part of the development of Mings and while my meals are delicious on their own, one of my favorite parts of this line is that anyone can customize it to their flavor preferences. My go-to lunch is topping a Mings meal with a soft-boiled egg (just 30 seconds in the microwave!) and sliced scallions, sliced jalapeños, spinach, or even bean sprouts – the possibilities are truly endless! In fact, there’s a QR code on each box of Mings that drives to a video of how to elevate the meal.

Foodbeast: What’s a single pantry item you swear by that most people overlook?

Chef Ming Tsai: Kecap Manis, a thick sweet soy sauce from Indonesia. It’s fantastic for adding sweet umami to any dish and because it’s thick, you can plate it like a pro – drizzle, zig and zag.

Foodbeast: Have you ever had a total flavor fail that made you say, “Never again”?

Chef Ming Tsai: The worst thing I ever made was a boxed tuna noodle casserole for my wife. I seasoned it like I normally would, and it turned out so salty we could not eat it and went to bed hungry.

Foodbeast: Okay, last question! What would your Iron Chef secret ingredient be if you got to choose it?

Chef Ming Tsai: I’m undefeated with duck and I’ve cooked it dozens of ways. But my other favorite ingredient that I’d love to put in a competition would be fresh uni. Of course I’d do it raw, in a bisque, with sushi rice, and then I’d end with a uni soufflé.