Tony Liu was born and raised in Hawaii, where he worked in some of the islands’ top kitchens before heading to the mainland to study at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree from the CIA, Liu cooked under some of the country’s most acclaimed chefs, including Gray Kunz at Lespinasse and Daniel Boulud as part of the opening team at Daniel. He went on to work for innovative chef Floyd Cardoz at Tabla before traveling to Spain, where he was a stagiaire at Restaurant Martin Berasategui, the renowned Michelin three-star restaurant in Lasarte. Upon returning to NYC, Liu secured a position at Mario Batali’s Babbo, where he became executive sous-chef. Following that, he helmed August in New York’s West Village, where his soulful interpretations of regional European cuisine earned him a loyal following and rave reviews including two stars from Frank Bruni of The New York Times.

Liu joined the Keith McNally group of restaurants in 2007 as Morandi’s executive chef, and now also serves as Pulino’s executive chef, where his refined taste and masterly touch continue expanding their expression.