NYC restaurateur Melba Wilson is heartbroken over the sudden loss of life of movie star chef Anne Burrell … telling TMZ it’s left her and your entire culinary world gutted.

Melba, a fellow Meals Community character, tells us she simply spoke to Anne final week — chatting about karaoke, backgammon, and life — and nothing appeared out of the bizarre as she appeared wholesome and vibrant.

When requested if Anne had ever talked about being unwell, Melba shut it down — saying there was by no means a phrase about any well being points.

Catch the clip — Melba delves into simply how shut they had been … including that Anne would gentle up any room she walked into, and no shock … she started preventing again tears by the tip of our interview.

Melba additionally digs into the legacy Anne leaves behind — and it is all about the best way she broke boundaries within the meals and beverage enterprise filled with males.