Interview with Peng S. Looi
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
With his roots in civil engineering, Chef Peng S. Looi cleverly designs works of “Edible Art” for his clientele in Kentucky. In addition to running the famous August Moon Chinese Bistro and the upscale Asiatique, you will find Looi busy preparing his gourmet line of sauces and extending his hand for charities to help the community. NAC: How has your Malaysian background shaped your approach to cooking? PL: Malaysia is a culinary paradise. With its multicultural population of ethnic Indian, Chinese, Malay and a few others, fusion of cuisines have taken a natural course over the years. For example, Mamak (Indian Muslim), Nyonya (Malay Chinese) and Eurasian (European Asian) foods have become a part of the Malaysian national cuisine. I [...]
Interview with Kimmy Tang
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
Four and a half years ago, this talented chef opened her restaurant Michelia Bistro in Los Angeles. Since then, she has had a loyal following with her blend of Vietnamese and European cuisine. NAC took a closer look. NAC: What influenced you to enter the world of food and cooking? “I started playing with my mother’s cooking utensils when I was seven, and have loved cooking from that time on. I feel I was born to be a cook! I followed my mother in her kitchen to learn how to prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes. From 1986 when I came to America, I worked in restaurants as a waitress and then became a supervisor. I did try to change my career [...]
Interview with Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall is not a new name in the world of Korean cuisine. She reveals the delicious secrets of Korean cuisine in her well-acclaimed cookbook “Growing up in a Korean Kitchen.” Also, a prizewinning Korean novelist, Hi Soo gives lectures on traditional Korean cooking, consults food companies and develops new recipes as well. NAC: How did you become interested in cooking and what brought you to the United States? HH: I married an American. I fell in love with him when I was a senior in college in Korea and after we got married, we moved to Seattle so he could complete his graduate studies in Asian politics. Later, he joined the University of Maryland as a teacher [...]
Interview with An Family
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
The ladies of the An family are the hardest-working women on the West coast! Hannah, Elizabeth, Monique, Catherine, Jacqueline, and their mother, Helene, are the feminine super forces behind hotspots Crustacean and Thanh Long, serving up savory dishes inspired by Helene’s childhood in Vietnam. Each of the restaurants has its share of family secrets, including a ‘secret kitchen’ that only the An ladies may enter, to ensure that recipes remain carefully guarded. New Asian Cuisine sat down with Elizabeth, CEO of the booming An Family industry, Catherine, the director of catering and special events, and Chef Helene herself. From top left: Elizabeth, Helene, Catherine, Diana (Helene’s Mother-in-Law), and Bosilika (Elizabeth’s daughter) NAC: What is the best part about getting to [...]
Interview with Ming Tsai
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
From TV shows to charity work, this versatile chef has never failed to fascinate his clientele. Ming Tsai has made his mark in the culinary world through his unique and creative East West cooking styles. Ming has partnered with Target for a line of cookware and foods. NAC: Having received a degree from Yale University for Mechanical Engineering, has it helped you in your present career? MT: It’s helped me in problem-solving and thinking analytically, For example, when I did a business plan, I found spreadsheets easy to do. Also, I use those skills every day at work. I learned how to problem-solve quickly and efficiently. Now, I work with Kyocera to develop knives, and I also just designed a [...]
Interview with Khai Duong
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
Chef Khai Duong is beloved by Vietnamese cuisine aficionados for his marriage of traditional Southeast Asian recipes with classic French techniques, thanks to his studies at Le Cordon Bleu. His San Francisco restaurant, Ana Mandara, certainly embodies Eastern mysticism and European romance; ‘Ana Mandara’ translates to ‘beautiful refuge’ and refers to a Vietnamese legend about forbidden lovers who flee to a South Vietnam island and feast upon the foods indigenous to their paradise. The restaurant is world-renowned for creative, complex dishes with whimsical names like “Elixir of Innocence”, a soup of kafir lime and lemongrass broth with filet mignon, and “Tales from the West Sea”, whole fried New Zealand snapper with green mango sauce. Chef Duong’s passion for philanthropy rivals [...]
Interview with David Chang
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
This was an interview with David Chang in 2006…here what he had to say early in his career, before the multiple restaurants and best-selling cookbook Momofuku. NAC: What bonds you to the world of cooking? DC: Well, I graduated from Trinity College in Connecticut with a major in religion and worked in financial sectors. But I realized I didn’t want to sit behind the desk and work all day. And cooking is something that I really like to do. So, I went to the French Culinary Institute in New York City and I am pursuing my passion now. NAC: Has studying religion helped you in your present career? DC: Yes, it has given me a better understanding of the significance [...]
Interview with Surbhi Sahni
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
From her childhood cooking in India to her fancy desserts in New York, Surbhi Sahni was born to be a chef. By blending textures, tastes, colors and cultures, Surbhi creates irresistible Indian desserts to satisfy her clientele. NAC: We heard you started cooking when you were seven. What began your journey in the kitchen at such a young age? SS: There are usually a lot of responsibilities at home for a girl in India. Moreover, since my mom was an asthmatic patient, she used to frequently fall sick. So, most of her responsibilities fell on my plate. At seven years of age, I was working in the kitchen and taking care of household chores. It’s ironic, I never liked this [...]
Interview with Martin Yan
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
For nearly thirty years, Master Chef Martin Yan has been teaching the world how to cook, and how to smile doing it. The affable, energetic host of television shows such as ‘Yan Can Cook’ and ‘Martin Yan’s Chinatown’ is beloved by aspiring chefs the world over. A native of Guangzhou, China, Yan is a fan of fresh, seasonal ingredients, and considers simplicity and flavor to be the main ingredients for culinary success. He makes appearances all over the world, in person and via television and radio, and will soon be opening several more branches of his restaurant, ‘Yan Can; Fresh Asian Cooking’. Check out his website www.yancancook.com for a list of appearances, recipes, and new and exciting projects! NAC: What [...]
Interview with Kenny Lao
Posted on 01. Sat, 2010 by admin in Interviews/Stories
Kenny Lao’s youthful energy is infectious, a zesty joie de vivre that colors both his personality and his food. The owner of New York City’s Rickshaw Dumplings, California native Lao graduated from Brown University and earned an MBA from NYU’s Stern Business School, but all the while suspected that his heart was in his stomach. (In a good way.) Inspired by a family who taught him the virtues of an adventurous palate, Lao embarked on a quest to spread the gospel of homemade dumplings. Rather than dive in head first like a rookie, he worked front-of-the-house jobs at esteemed restaurants like Nobu and Tribeca Grill to garner experience in the restaurant industry. That’s right; he probably took your coat one [...]
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