Shirley Fong-Torres

Shirley Fong-Torres
Born (1946-11-16)November 16, 1946
Died June 18, 2011(2011-06-18) (aged 64)
Cause of death leukemia
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley
Occupation Chef, Food Writer
Relatives Ben Fong-Torres (brother)

Shirley Fong-Torres (November 16, 1946 – June 18, 2011)[1] was a chef, tour operator, and popular travel and food writer based in San Francisco, California.

Early life

On November 16, 1946, Fong-Torres was born. Fong-Torres' father was Ricardo Torres. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, Fong-Torres' father Ricardo (born Fong Kwok Seung), changed his surname to Torres and posed as a Filipino in order to immigrate to the United States. His family later adopted the hyphenated surname, Fong-Torres.[2]

Education

Fong-Torres was a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.

Career

Early in her career she worked at Levi Strauss and taught middle school. She later founded Wok Wiz Chinatown Tours (1987), which still offers cultural and culinary themed tours to locals and tourists.[3] She developed the very popular specialty tour "I Can't Believe I Ate My Way Through Chinatown." Wok Wiz Chinatown Tours continues today, with Shirley's team of talented tour leaders and her daughter, Tina Dong Pavao carrying on her legacy.

In 2006, Shirley Fong-Torres appeared on the hit Travel & Living Channel show Cocktail Kings, and inspired mixologist Dimitri Lezinska to create a Margarita style drink named "Diva of Sausalito."

Personal

Fong-Torres has a brother Ben Fong-Torres, an American rock journalist, author, and broadcaster.

Fong-Torres died of leukemia on June 18, 2011.[4]

References

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