Kat Lieu

Lieu is of Vietnamese and Chinese (Cantonese) descent.^[1] She was born in Montreal, moving to Brooklyn, New York at age two.^[2] Growing up, she spent the school year in Brooklyn with her parents, but would spend summers in Montreal with her grandparents; her grandmother loved to bake and cook, and taught Lieu those skills.^[1]

Lieu decided to become a physical therapist in high school.^[3] She graduated from college in 2008 with a degree in physiotherapy,^[4] and worked as a doctor of physical therapy for more than 13 years.^[5] In 2023, she decided not to renew her physical therapy license, as part of a full shift to a culinary career.^[3] In a 2023 interview, she noted "[physical therapy] never really felt like it was my own choice".^[3]

Lieu is a self-taught cook and baker, having never taken professional classes.^[1]

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lieu found herself missing her mother's cooking, and became aware of the lack of Asian baking recipes online.^[6] In May 2020, she founded Subtle Asian Baking, a Facebook group to share Asian-inspired recipes. The group quickly gained traction, with 67,000 members by the end of the year;^[7] by 2024, the group had around 160,000 members. The group often runs fundraisers for different organizations.^[1][8]

Lieu has written three cookbooks: Modern Asian Baking at Home (2022),^[9][10] Modern Asian Kitchen (2024),^[1] and 108 Asian Cookies (2025).^[11][12] Lieu has said she is a "prolific" writer, and thinks she might write ten to 15 cookbooks in total.^[5] She has also written articles for Parade.^[13]

Lieu's online food content has drawn racist remarks, and she has spoken out about how these comments are an example of the racism faced by Asian-Americans.^[6][12][14]

Lieu was recognized by 425 Magazine on their 2023 40 Under 40^[15] and 2024 Women to Watch lists.^[2]

Her Instagram account was nominated for a 2023 IACP Award in the Individual Instagram Account category.^[16] In 2024, she was awarded the Toni Tipton-Martin Award from the IACP.^[17]

Lieu has lived in Renton, a suburb of Seattle, since 2017.^[6][8] She has a son, who was born in 2013.^[5]

• Modern Asian Baking at Home: Essential Sweet and Savory Recipes for Milk Bread, Mochi, Mooncakes, and More, Inspired by the Subtle Asian Baking Community. June 2022.^[18][9]
• Modern Asian Kitchen: Essential and easy recipes for Ramen, Dumplings, Dim Sum, Stir-Fries, Rice Bowls, Pho, Bibimbaps and more. Beverly, MA, USA: Harvard Common Press. April 9, 2024. ISBN 978-0-7603-8404-6.^[1][19]
• 108 Asian Cookies: Not-Too-Sweet Treats from a Third-Culture Kitchen. October 2025.^[12]