Soleil Ho is an award-winning food and culture writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2019, they became The San Francisco Chronicle's restaurant critic, going on to win the James Beard Foundation's Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award in 2022 before transitioning to a columnist role in the Chronicle's opinion section. Their diverse writing portfolio includes restaurant reviews and investigative journalism, while their published works include the graphic novel MEAL, contributions to several anthologies, and the 2024 cookbook The Memory of Taste, co-authored with Oakland chef Tu David Phu.
San Francisco Chronicle
2019 – 2025
As a restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle beginning in early 2019, they elevated the food section with compelling stories showcasing the Bay Area's diverse culinary landscape while co-hosting the acclaimed podcast Extra Spicy (named among The Atlantic's top 50 podcasts of 2020). After winning a James Beard Foundation award in 2022, they transitioned to the Chronicle's Opinion section in 2023, crafting columns addressing pressing issues from media sensationalism about San Francisco to in-depth analyses of Asian American opposition to affirmative action while continuing to mentor emerging journalists of in food and culture writing.
University of Gastronomic Sciences
2024 – Present
At the northern Italian university founded by the renowned Slow Food organization, Soleil teaches a survey course on food media for Master’s level students from around the world. Students learn the formal aspects of food media as seen through essayistic writing, recipe development and audiovisual production.
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As a freelance journalist, Soleil has bylines in a wide variety of publications, from Bitch Media to the New Yorker to Wine Enthusiast. In addition to journalism, they have found great satisfaction in collaborating with chefs on cookbook projects, consulting on culinary matters for novelists, and teaching the occasional food writing course.