Season 12 of MasterChef was subtitled Back to Win because the contestants from previous seasons had returned to the MasterChef kitchen for a second chance at winning the title. So, Dara Yu, a contestant on Season 1 of MasterChef Junior ranked as the Runner Up at the time, took down the two adult men for the win. After weeks of intensive cooking competitions, Dara became the official winner of the MasterChef trophy at only 20.
Now let’s look at her Masterchef journey, stories about her parents, dating life, and net worth in the rest of the writing.
Dara Yu Masterchef 12 Winner
Winning Masterchef 12 was a surreal experience for Dara Yu. She said she had gone back into the MasterChef kitchen for this season just like. “Let’s just have fun and see what happens”, she had thought.
As for her young age, Dara told Parade.com that she never saw it as a disadvantage. Also, she pointed out that since several of this season’s contestants were from seasons that aired after her season of MasterChef Junior, they only had maybe five years of professional experience compared to her eight (even if they were older than her).
She is also used to being the youngest in the kitchen because she has been working in the industry since she was 12.
Dara’s winning menu was based on the assortment of some childhood favorites plus the French techniques she learned at culinary school.
Since the win, Dara also has talked about her strategy going into the final cook, where she gets her ideas for what to make for each challenge, how much luck plays a part, and more.
How Much Is Dara Yu’s Net Worth?
Dara Yu’s net worth was reported to be standing above $200 thousand as of 2022. Plus, lately, she won the coveted $250,000 prize money.
Yet, Dara said she was not already sure how to spend her $250,000 prize money or where to put her Viking kitchen because she did not have her own home yet.
But, Dara does know that she plans to continue working in the culinary business. Also, she thought she may be will be investing a good amount of her prize money. Maybe in some passion projects and possible future food businesses she shared. And then, she would maybe spend some of it on traveling.
In the future, Dara would like to pursue teaching/educating, sharing her knowledge with other young, upcoming cooks, and, she said, for that may be she will turn to the TV or the internet.
Who Are Dara Yu’s Parents?
George Yu and Carole Yu are Dara Yu’s parents.
Dara Yu’s dad, George Yu is no more. He passed away at the age of 43 on 7 July 2007 in Los Angeles, California, after a long and painful battle with a rare type of lung cancer that afflicts nonsmokers.
He was a pioneer in digital architecture. Throughout his career, he was also active in teaching, first at the University of British Columbia School of Architecture, then at SCI-Arc. He also held visiting professorships at the University of Texas in Austin and Florida International University. He was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
Late George is survived by his wife, Carole, and daughters Dara and Elena (7 years older tha Dara).
Dara’s mom, Carole Yu remarried in 2012. A commercial actress for a while around that time, she saw the casting call for MasterChef Junior and therefore took Dara to the audition.
Dara also fondly made the wedding cake for her mother who turned 59 on 29 August 2021. Dara was 10 at the time Carole got married to Scott Stewart. Scott, like Carole, was Los Angeles based as of 2022 and he loved telling his story on YouTube. Carole too seemed to be successfully running the “This Is Yu” podcast and a YouTube channel called ‘Yu Can Cook’.
Back in 2018, entrepreneur and independent business owner, Carole talked about coping with her husband’s death while raising two young daughters, in a podcast. At the time, she also revealed that she was born in New Zealand and how Dara’s dad’s job took the family to many places like Italy, Canada, Japan, and China, before he died.
Is Dara Yu Dating Anyone?
As of 2022, one could not tell if Dara Yu was dating anyone. Yet, in the past, she is believed to have been in one relationship at least.
Dara Yu Height
Known previously as ‘Dara the Bow Girl’ for her trademark red hair bow, Dara Yu stood 5 feet 5 inches tall in height as of 2022.
Related FAQs
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How Old Is Dara Yu?
Dara Yu was born on Valentine’s Day in 2001. So, she celebrated her 21st birthday earlier in 2022.
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Where Is Dara Yu From?
Currently, Santa Monica, California-based Dara Yu grew up in Los Angeles.
It was a different kind of childhood Dara had. She grew up around food and watched Food Network instead of cartoons. Her grandma used to teach traditional Chinese cooking to housewives in South Bend, Indiana. So, that also helped her become passionate about food. She grew up being just so fascinated by chefs.
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Is Dara Yu On Instagram?
Dara Yu was not on Instagram as of yet. But she did already entertain some 10K followers on her ‘Chef Dara Yu’ Facebook as of 15 September 2022. She also actively tweeted on Twitter (@ChefDaraYu).
