Christine Ha

Early Life

Christine Ha was born in Los Angeles to Vietnamese refugees who escaped just before the Fall of Saigon in 1975. She grew up in Houston, TX, and has fond childhood memories of eating her mother’s wonderful Vietnamese home cooking.

Losing her mother to cancer at age 14 was the first major hardship Ha faced but she says that it prepared her for losing her vision as a young adult. “It taught me to not lose hope but to be prepared for the worst,” said Ha. “I think it’s important to find support, whether that be with family, friends, community, or others going through similar experiences.”

Ha attended The University of Texas at Austin where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance. It wasn’t until she moved out of the freshman dorms that she realized she needed to learn how to cook for herself. Starting from scratch, she read cookbooks voraciously and began playing around with different ingredients and techniques in the kitchen. What started as necessity soon became something she enjoyed.

Around the same time, Ha began experiencing vision loss and eventually returned to Houston. Initially, she was misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Four years later, she finally received the correct diagnosis: Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO), an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system. As her optic nerves became inflamed and atrophied, Ha gradually lost her vision throughout her 20’s. At this point, she left her first corporate job to focus on her health and rehabilitation.

Career

Amid all of this, Ha found herself missing her mom and longed for the foods that reminded her of childhood. Having never been taught her mom’s recipes, she began recreating dishes from memory, relying on smell, taste, and intuition. Each time her vision would decrease to a new baseline, she would have to teach herself how to cook all over again.

As she navigated her vision loss Ha began asking herself, “What should I do with my life?” She had always loved reading and decided to pursue creative writing as a way to express herself. She enrolled in the University of Houston’s Master of Fine Arts program, where she learned braille, how to use a screen reader, orientation and mobility (O&M) skills, and how to navigate Houston’s public transportation system with a cane.

During her final semester, Ha auditioned for “MasterChef,” thinking that it would be a good way to obtain material to write about. Instead, it changed her life. Winning the competition that launched her culinary career and gave her a public platform, the rest is history. She has often said that the greatest gift from winning “MasterChef” is the opportunity to advocate for others in society. “For me to get to do that and inspire and encourage people with a lot of the motivational and keynote speaking that I do, that’s been super fulfilling,” said Ha.

Today, Ha owns two restaurants in Houston: The Blind Goat, a modern Vietnamese eatery, and Stuffed Belly, a fast-casual smash burger and American sandwich concept. Best known as “The Blind Cook,” Ha’s first cookbook, “Recipes from My Home Kitchen,” became a New York Times Bestseller.

The Dot Experience

Being a member of The Dot Experience Cast is “A great way to give back to our community and hopefully give them the encouragement and inspiration to achieve their own dreams,” said Ha. “It’s important to show the world what it’s like to “walk in our shoes” and how, regardless of abilities, one can achieve amazing things.” She hopes that everyone who comes through The Dot Experience walks away with the idea to “Dream Bigger.”

Christine Ha resides in Houston, TX with her spouse and dog. She will release her second cookbook in the Spring of 2027 and is the subject of a documentary film project which has been in production since 2019.

To keep up with what Christine is up to next, follow her on Instagram or visit her website.