Chef Simone Tong is the Chef-Owner of Little Tong and Little Tong Noodle Shop.
Simone was born in Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan Province. Before her culinary career, she studied in Chengdu, Beijing, Macao, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2006 with degrees in economics and psychology.
In 2009, Simone saw an episode of the culinary TV show After Hours with Daniel that featured Chef Wylie Dufresne’s wd~50, prompting her to enroll at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, where she graduated with highest honors. After graduating, Simone went to work at wd~50, Alder and 15 East.
In summer 2016, Simone embarked on a three-month culinary and research adventure through Yunnan province. Starting from the capital city of Kunming, she visited the ancient towns of Dali and Lijiang, hiked through the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and trekked through the breathtaking Tiger Leaping Gorge, and into the majestic Ganden Sumtseling Monastery in Shangri-La bordering Tibet and Sichuan.
At each turn and in each ancient city, there was a magical recipe to be learned and adapted, and through her cooking, Simone shares the story of the experience and the flavors and dishes experienced during that special time.
In fall 2019, Chef Tong will open Silver Apricot, a full-service Chinese-inspired restaurant at 20 Cornelia Street in the West Village.