My BBQ Pit Madam - Winnie Yee | Tosh Show

Quick Overview

Winnie Yee, also known as the "Smoke Queen," transformed her business during the pandemic, pivoting from owning three restaurant franchises to selling barbecue from her home, which eventually led to her acclaimed restaurant, Smoke Queen Barbecue. Yee faced initial challenges, including a neighbor reporting her for operating a commercial business in a residential zone, but navigated these by utilizing her existing business EIN and health department permits. She successfully blended her Malaysian-Chinese heritage with American barbecue techniques, notably creating a unique pork belly chashu, and is now a published author with a cookbook featuring her fusion recipes.

Key Points: Winnie Yee, "Smoke Queen," transitioned from operating three restaurant franchises (Sabarro, Baja Fresh, Submarina) to a home-based barbecue business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her first attempt at smoking a brisket, learned through YouTube, resulted in a poor outcome, but she was motivated by the challenge, stating, "I just couldn't be defeated by that piece of meat." Yee legally operated her home business by using her existing business EIN and health department permits, despite a neighbor reporting her for commercial activity in a residential zone. She successfully fused her Malaysian-Chinese heritage with American barbecue, creating signature dishes like pork belly chashu, which she describes as "Cantonese style barbecue... I like employed the Texas style of smoking onto this charu so you have a different texture." Yee's restaurant, Smoke Queen Barbecue, goes through "2 to 3,000 lbs of meat a week," with brisket being a primary seller, costing around $22 per pound initially and now much higher. Her journey includes appearing on "Barbecue Brawl" as a finalist and on "Chopped," achieving her goal of not being the first eliminated on both shows. She has authored a cookbook, "Chinese American Barbecue," featuring 100 recipes, including "green curry mac and cheese" and "sesame slaw," set for release in Spring 2026.