1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: Hey, what's up and women about drama. This is Freddie Rodriguez. 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 2: I'm the Dusin Eagles podcast for iHeartRadio and today today 3 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 2: you have the third Amigo. My good friend Roy Choy 4 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 2: is in the house. 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: Forming. 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 2: Indeed, indeed, man, I'm so personally thrilled that you're here 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 2: because you're you're one of my good friends. And for 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 2: those who don't know, Roy and I have a have 9 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 2: a monthly dude dinner right myself alex Ey wonderful showrunner 10 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 2: h DJ King Tech from the wake Up Show, and uh, 11 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 2: it's it's uh. I'm just I'm just thrilled that you're 12 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:47,919 Speaker 2: here man, and and those dinners have been so important 13 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,319 Speaker 2: in my life just to get to sit down with you, 14 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:52,479 Speaker 2: get to sit down with us and get the break bread, 15 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: and for us to just chat as humans, as men, 16 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 2: talk about life, talk about business and uh, and just 17 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 2: just to be surrounded by really good people man, and so. 18 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 3: Our mobile man cave, it's it's space. We have to 19 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 3: talk about old stuff, old stuff, right. 20 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, we feel the same way. The way this podcast 21 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 4: started was the same way. We went to the one 22 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 4: dinner and this one dinner just turned into like, wow, 23 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 4: how much do we need this, you know, you kind 24 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 4: of really need this moment to kind of recharge and 25 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 4: and uh, you and I shared share a moment together 26 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 4: during some of the most vulnerable times in the history 27 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 4: of the world, really during COVID. I, you know, as 28 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 4: Lee and I had started this as a podcast called 29 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 4: Essential Voices, which was talking to individuals that nobody really 30 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 4: knew they were in the radar of essential you know, 31 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 4: because people were rightfully so giving all the flowers to 32 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 4: you know, to our doctors and to our nurses and 33 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 4: shout out to them again for everything they did for us. 34 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 4: And there was a lot of other unsung heroes around it, 35 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 4: you know, the you know, the the truck drivers taking 36 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 4: the food, you know, or bringing even the you know, 37 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 4: when all the truck stops were shut down and then 38 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 4: all these incredible visionaries of food. Food was one of 39 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 4: the biggest stress points of the COVID when things started 40 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 4: running out when they're when the farmers couldn't really be 41 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 4: and the farmers turning and the food and then transportations 42 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:23,359 Speaker 4: started getting tough to get food. 43 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: To all the grocery stores. 44 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 4: As soon as the people started seeing the empty shells, 45 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 4: you know, people started really feeling that this is a 46 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 4: post apocalyptic moment, you know, But it was individuals like Roy. 47 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 4: You know that with his company, his vision and his 48 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 4: healing and the healing that he was providing with his 49 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 4: food also showed up in a moment well not just vulnerability, 50 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 4: but a moment where that that was also calling for 51 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,919 Speaker 4: us to be united and bringing together. And he had 52 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,400 Speaker 4: food programs that were incredibly effective during that time, and 53 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 4: he came on essential voices and we had a really 54 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 4: honest and deep and vulnerable conversation about what he had 55 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 4: had to do to kind of show up for his 56 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 4: community and for everybody around him. He needless to say, 57 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 4: his food, right Roy, You know, Roy toy Is And 58 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 4: I love for you to talk a little bit about 59 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,959 Speaker 4: his business too, But I love for you to tell 60 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 4: everybody who has not discovered yet, which I think would 61 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 4: be very rare, somebody doesn't know what this truck looks 62 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 4: like and his business looks like. 63 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: But really, proud have. 64 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 3: You here, man, Thank you great to be here. Yeah, 65 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 3: those times it was essential. It was toilet paper and 66 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 3: food that was yeah. But what made us kind of 67 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 3: jump in to the fire on everything was that we 68 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 3: had four wheels and being a mobile food vendor, being 69 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 3: a street food vendor, you know you're one, you're mobile, 70 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 3: but you're also connected to whatever is happening on the ground, 71 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 3: you know, And so when things fall and things break, 72 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 3: and even in times and crisis like now with the 73 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 3: immigration situation of the politics, you're able to mobilize and 74 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 3: figure things out. And the fires most recently in Los Angeles, 75 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 3: you know your business is threatened. But then what happens 76 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 3: is a bigger purpose comes up sometimes when you're kind 77 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 3: of pushed to the eggs and you have to confront 78 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 3: the I guess the capitalism and the commercialization of what 79 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 3: you do, and there's if there's nothing left, then you 80 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 3: look at yourself and say, well, if there's no money, 81 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 3: if there's nothing, no ROI to worry about, what is 82 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 3: it that you can really do in life? Life is 83 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 3: not over just because you can't make money at that moment. 84 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 3: And so then we turn that into well, you know, 85 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 3: we still can get food, we can get donations, we 86 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 3: can do crowdfunding. We can not make profit, but we 87 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 3: can go out and feed. And that's happened in COVID 88 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 3: and happened in the fire. So we learn every day. 89 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 3: But I think the biggest thing is being able to 90 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 3: go to where the crisis is. 91 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, Roy, One of the things I always 92 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 2: admired about you is that not only are you a 93 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,720 Speaker 2: celebrity chef per se, right, but like philanthropy and activism 94 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 2: has always been such a big part of your history. 95 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: It is part of the DNA or who you are. Yeah, yeah, 96 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: what why is that? Why? 97 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 2: Why why aren't you just the dude driving a Lamborghini 98 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 2: and like on every cooking show and like, uh, you know, 99 00:05:10,279 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 2: I I came to know that Roy, Right, Yeah, I 100 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 2: knew I knew the other celebrity Roy, but I came 101 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 2: to know that Roy based on the conversations, the countless 102 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 2: conversations we've had about stuff like that, Like why why 103 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 2: is that such a big part of who you are? 104 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 3: I think it's because I don't make that much money, 105 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 3: you know, the Laborghini. 106 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 4: This episode has been brought to you. 107 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: Available everywhere. 108 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 3: You know. The food business, you know, it's really a 109 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 3: day to day business, so you have to no matter 110 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 3: how successful you are, you have it really you can 111 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 3: never really get ahead. There's no big payday in the 112 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 3: food business. So then what happens is it pushes you 113 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 3: to really confront why are you here? Why do you 114 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 3: wake up every day and climb up this mountain? And 115 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 3: for some people, like immigrant families, like ourselves, sometimes it's 116 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 3: the only thing you can do. 117 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:08,920 Speaker 1: Right. 118 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,599 Speaker 3: You don't speak the language of this country, you're not educated. 119 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,320 Speaker 3: Sometimes you left your country before you even finished a 120 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 3: certain level of education. You're not getting hired, so the 121 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 3: only thing you can do to provide for your family 122 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 3: is open a small donut shop or open a restaurant. 123 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 3: So there's that thing. But then becoming a chef is 124 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 3: another thing. And I think it's for me personally, is 125 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 3: that you know I come from you know, the ground up. 126 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,040 Speaker 3: I know what the struggles like, and I know I 127 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 3: had been through a lot of struggle and then I 128 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 3: had hit rock bottom a few times in life and 129 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 3: it was food that saved me. So on the final 130 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 3: time I hit rock bottom and food saving me, I 131 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 3: kind of made like it was like a movie. I 132 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,520 Speaker 3: kind of made like this silent promise, you know, whatever 133 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 3: happens from here, I'm going to make sure that whatever 134 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 3: I take, I give back tenfold, you know. And it 135 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 3: was just a personal agreement, you know, It wasn't like 136 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 3: some soapbox or anything like that. It's just I believe 137 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 3: in loyalty, and loyalty I think goes to your own 138 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 3: promises too, right, and and they don't have to again 139 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 3: be on stage or anything like that, but you have 140 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 3: to be true to them and those That was just 141 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 3: one thing that I was true to it, and I 142 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 3: think because I've stayed true to it, I believe that 143 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 3: it it feels and feeds me as well. You know, 144 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 3: I think if I, as I got maybe I guess 145 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 3: more famous or bigger or whatever, if I started to 146 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 3: veer away from that, then you know, I would have 147 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 3: to confront personally me breaking that promise. And so anyways, 148 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 3: like because of that, everything I do has a balance. 149 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 3: It has It's almost like it's almost like you know, 150 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 3: a green red switch, right, So it has If I'm 151 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 3: doing this job for this much, or if I'm doing 152 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 3: this this kind of like endorsement thing, or I'm doing 153 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 3: this TV show, then I'm going to balance that with 154 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 3: something you know, for charity or for purpose or for 155 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 3: you know, for I guess you know, meaning and retrospect. 156 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 4: What you get in return with that is also you're 157 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 4: building community, You're showing up to the places where emotionally 158 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 4: they see, you know, the loyalty you have with the people, 159 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 4: and yeah, it turns back into hey, man, if I 160 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 4: had a choice between that truck and this truck, I'm 161 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 4: going to this one. 162 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:36,599 Speaker 2: You know. 163 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:39,319 Speaker 4: And in retrospect is that you're building a our community. 164 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 4: But talking you said something that really you know, that 165 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 4: that really hit me in the heart. Just you know, 166 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 4: for us immigrants, it's not about the soapbox. You know, 167 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 4: we don't have the luxury of a soapbox, right. We 168 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:52,719 Speaker 4: gotta you know, we gotta put some dirt on it 169 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 4: and get back in the back in the saddle, because 170 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 4: that's just the way the American dream goes. 171 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 2: Right. 172 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 4: The more you keep digging at it, the faster you're 173 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:00,959 Speaker 4: going and going back little bit of your of your 174 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 4: of your beginnings. I you know, I relate so much 175 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 4: in the last time we talked to, you know, in 176 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 4: the podcast, and also you're reading so much more about 177 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 4: you know that realized that we have a very similar 178 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,360 Speaker 4: you know, growth, how we grew up in the structure 179 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 4: of that. Ultimately, you know, you know, we came to America, 180 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,920 Speaker 4: we went back, you know, then came back you know, 181 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 4: and you might tell us a little bit about that. 182 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 4: You know, how how your family and your influences and 183 00:09:30,440 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 4: you know when when you returned back to your family's 184 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,559 Speaker 4: country and then you came back and because you were 185 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 4: born and. 186 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, I didn't go, but my parents went came and 187 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:43,240 Speaker 3: went back. So and then I was born in Korea. 188 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 3: So my my both my parents met here in l A. Yeah, 189 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 3: they met here in l A. While they were both 190 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 3: like graduate students or my mom was I always say, 191 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 3: quote unquote at art school, but you know art schools, 192 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 3: Like I don't know what that means. 193 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: Where'd you go? Where'd you go? 194 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 3: Uh? Think she went to the Pasadena Arts Center, I believe. 195 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 3: And then my dad was a graduate student here at UCLA. 196 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 3: So they met through their own circles back then. I 197 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 3: think it was like the mid sixties, late sixties. Back then, 198 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 3: Asians weren't that much many out here in there, you know, 199 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:20,839 Speaker 3: like there was a there was an exclusion act that 200 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 3: was lifted in nineteen sixty five. So like not to 201 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 3: get into too much history, but like you know, Asians 202 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 3: were clowned upon in this country for many, many years. 203 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,480 Speaker 3: I mean, you go back to World War two, you 204 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 3: go back to the Chinese railroad occupation. So you go 205 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,479 Speaker 3: back to you know, the internment camps and the concentration 206 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 3: camps of the Japanese because of World War Two, and basically, 207 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 3: you know, and the way Hollywood treated Asians, you know, 208 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 3: with Charlie Chan and all that stuff, and basically Asians 209 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,000 Speaker 3: were just like clowned on and pushed to the corner 210 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 3: and we weren't even allowed in this country, like we 211 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,839 Speaker 3: were like not even you know, you couldn't even get in. 212 00:10:57,920 --> 00:10:59,839 Speaker 3: And then in nineteen sixty five, because there was that 213 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 3: actually a law that forbid Asians to come in. So 214 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 3: then so in sixty five it lifted and people started coming. 215 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 3: And then so where this all leads is like by 216 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 3: that time, my parents like I think men in sixty 217 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 3: eight or something like that. You know, the Asians were 218 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 3: just starting to come in. So there were no neighborhoods. Really, 219 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 3: there were some old China towns. There was no creative town, 220 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 3: there was no Little Saigon, there was no Tie Town. 221 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 3: There's none of that. And so anyways, the circles of 222 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 3: Asian people were really small. So if you saw someone 223 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 3: yeah yo. 224 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:41,559 Speaker 1: Yo, let's look up, it's like a podcast. Yeah. 225 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 3: So that's how all our parents went and uh. But anyways, 226 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,280 Speaker 3: they they met, they had a blast. I've seen some 227 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 3: old pictures of the man. They were living it up man, 228 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 3: you know, you know, especially can you imagine, like they 229 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 3: come from these kind of small countries they come to America. 230 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 3: Back then it was the wayfarer, sunglasses, cigarets, you know, 231 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 3: old old like impalas and stuff like that. But they 232 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 3: weren't old. They were the year of time, but a 233 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 3: beautiful you know, like big bucket seat, you know, you 234 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 3: got your arm around driving, and so it must have 235 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 3: been amazing for them. And then they had to move 236 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 3: back as the risas ended. And I always think that 237 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 3: I haven't I talked to them about it, but they 238 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 3: never really tell me too much. But I put the 239 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 3: pieces together. I think they went back and all they 240 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:31,080 Speaker 3: did was plot for like three years to figure out 241 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 3: how the fuck they get out of Korea and how 242 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 3: to get how to come back, and so in that 243 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 3: time I was born. And then they came back. But 244 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 3: the thing is, the weird thing is they went back 245 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 3: to their country with like a higher education, and they 246 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 3: could have lived a life, but they were willing to 247 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 3: give all that up to come back here and start 248 00:12:52,320 --> 00:13:04,680 Speaker 3: at the bottom again, you know, so they came back 249 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 3: here and started at the bottom. You know, graveyard shifts, 250 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 3: janitorial shifts. Well that's where it all started again. You know. 251 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,560 Speaker 3: He was studying to become like a political ambassador, you know, 252 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 3: like he was. I mean, if everything had gone the 253 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 3: way it was supposed to go, he was probably going 254 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 3: to be like like working for the embassy or a 255 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 3: political ambassador or some sort of high governmental position. But 256 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 3: he came back here and it doesn't matter as as 257 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 3: especially as Asians during that time. That's why you see 258 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 3: a lot of Asians from that period, from the early 259 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 3: seventies to the early eighties, that ten year period, the 260 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 3: reason why so many own again like liquor store, strike cleaners, 261 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 3: donut shops, you know, small restaurants, noodle shops, hamburger shops, 262 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 3: all that stuff, because you couldn't get a job. Nobody 263 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 3: would hire an Asian person. You know, we were completely 264 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 3: like foreign to the American Even with him with a 265 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 3: degree from it don't matter. Yeah, it didn't matter unless 266 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:15,960 Speaker 3: you had like a science degree or something. So that 267 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 3: took a lot of humble pie I think for that 268 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 3: that group of Asians where no matter how educated they were, 269 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 3: they had to go down and get some dirt on them, 270 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:30,800 Speaker 3: like you say, and take whatever job is available. You know. 271 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:35,080 Speaker 3: My parents basically worked from I would say eight nine 272 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 3: am to about eight nine pm every single day. 273 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: Did they have a What did they do? What do 274 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: your folks do during that time? 275 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 3: Again? Run liquor store, run liquor stores, work at gas stations, 276 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 3: the janitorial graveyard, door to door sales, amway, all that, restaurants, 277 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 3: small restaurants, I think, all that kind of all that 278 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 3: kind of stuff. And but they'd be gone the whole time, 279 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 3: and that kind of shaped me into who I am 280 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,440 Speaker 3: because with them being gone, and then it's, you know, 281 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 3: like life is all about those timing and I'm sure 282 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 3: people growing up right now, kids growing up, it's they're 283 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 3: going to have their own timing points. But for me 284 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 3: growing up in the seventies, it was the timing of 285 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 3: them having to figure things out, being the first wave 286 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 3: of Asian immigrants, the seventies being a time where there 287 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 3: weren't that many rules in place yet, you know, and 288 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 3: so they basically just say peace out at like eight 289 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 3: nine am, and they wouldn't Like I was five years old, bro, 290 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 3: I was fucking five years old and they would say 291 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 3: peace and then they would be gone, the whole whole 292 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 3: damn day. 293 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: Who would watch you nobody? 294 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,920 Speaker 3: I watched myself to watch it. 295 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love Lucy. 296 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 3: I used to get on the bus over here. It's 297 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 3: called it used to be called RTD here La Rapid 298 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 3: Transit this year and I guess on the bus at 299 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 3: five years ago. So so in the bus driver, Yeah, 300 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 3: and then you just get on the bus and nobody cares. 301 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 4: So we talked about a little bit about that moment 302 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 4: in time because my family had a pretty similar you know, 303 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 4: my parents met in Miami, you know, during the early seventies, 304 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 4: you know, and my dad and my mom you young, 305 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 4: got married and all the stuff in Miami, and they 306 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 4: had it all same thing, you know, the fifth Will Continental, 307 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 4: you know, the whole thing. And then and then my 308 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 4: dad moved back to Venezuela. 309 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 3: You know, very similar, and that we. 310 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 4: We were raised in Venezuela, was about fourteen years old, right, 311 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 4: and then we came back to the United States around 312 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 4: that time, learned how to speak englishrom scratch and the 313 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 4: whole thing, you know, what really call my attention in 314 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:44,360 Speaker 4: your story so much was that at five years old, 315 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 4: it goes and I want to say that, I want 316 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 4: to say this in capital letters. 317 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: They don't make it like that anymore. 318 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:53,840 Speaker 4: They don't make them like that anymore, you know what 319 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 4: I mean, like a five year old kid to be 320 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 4: able to like handle his stuff, understanding the gravity that 321 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 4: her that his parents are out there doing what they 322 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 4: gotta do. 323 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: And then you got to find your own way too 324 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 1: at five, five, seven years old. Yeah, it's like you 325 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:06,919 Speaker 1: have to. 326 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 4: You have to. 327 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,600 Speaker 3: I mean, I think about think about parents and their kids. 328 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:14,840 Speaker 3: Now there's I mean, obviously technology helps, but in most 329 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,200 Speaker 3: cases they know where their kid is at every single 330 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 3: second of the day. You probably know where your kids 331 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 3: are every single second of the day iPhone. 332 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 4: Yeah. 333 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, Well back then, man, they didn't even know. 334 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: By the time they go home, you could be in 335 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 1: New York. 336 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:30,199 Speaker 4: You could be in New York home alone, you know, 337 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 4: you know, ten hours, twelve hours, definitely, you could. 338 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 1: Be in Italy. Did you have siblings you had to 339 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: watch over? 340 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:41,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, but we're uh, six seven years apart, so by 341 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 3: the time and then in early infant days, they would 342 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 3: strap her on their backs and go and used to 343 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 3: go door or door and go do the work she 344 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 3: used to sell, like she would she would do a 345 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 3: lot of I mean you see it now today in 346 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:55,879 Speaker 3: La a lot. She would do a lot of what 347 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,640 Speaker 3: you see on the corners where you see the mom 348 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 3: selling manudo or posole on the weekends, or their tomates 349 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 3: or anything like that. You know, we were just the 350 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 3: Asian version of that, you know, Like my mom would 351 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 3: make kim chi and what's called pun chan, which is 352 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,880 Speaker 3: basically marinated vegetables and then marinated meats, and she would 353 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,439 Speaker 3: pack all that up and she would wrap it up 354 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,040 Speaker 3: in these cloths, put it in our backpack and put 355 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 3: the kid on the side, and basically go door to 356 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,080 Speaker 3: door wow. Or she would show up at like my 357 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 3: mom was very smart, Like she would show up at 358 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:31,919 Speaker 3: places where she knew people would gather, you know, like 359 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,639 Speaker 3: back then bowling was really popular and pool like billiards 360 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 3: and all those. 361 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: Things, and everybody wants to eat when everyone. 362 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 3: Wants to eat, and she would just show up there 363 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:43,880 Speaker 3: and then like if everyone a little taste, and then yeah, 364 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,880 Speaker 3: it's very smart. Again, very very similar to I think 365 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 3: those probably where it's not maybe a direct line, but 366 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,199 Speaker 3: it's definitely it's definitely a crooked line to where a 367 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 3: lot of my instincts for street fe. 368 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 1: Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. 369 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 4: Where did where did all the inspiration and how did 370 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:00,960 Speaker 4: it all come full circle for you? 371 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 3: Well, being a lot, I think it's all again. All 372 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 3: those pieces are like a shattered kind of glass that 373 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 3: come together one being alone at such an early age, 374 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 3: I was roaming the streets a lot, and so I 375 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,879 Speaker 3: would see street vendors or I would smell the food. 376 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 3: I was very familiar, you know, with the smells of 377 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 3: the streets and the foods of the streets from a 378 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:26,160 Speaker 3: very early age, and being a kid. When you're walking 379 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 3: around as a kid, people don't really pay attention to 380 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 3: you in the same way they do maybe adults. Right, 381 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,880 Speaker 3: So what I mean by that is like you can 382 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 3: slip in and out of things. You know, you can 383 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 3: kind of listen to conversations, you can like study things, 384 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:46,439 Speaker 3: be exposed to things without anyone noticing you're there, especially 385 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 3: if you have the eye for it. And so for me, 386 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 3: that was something that I did a lot. I was 387 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 3: alone a lot. I would just walk around. I would 388 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 3: just witness things or absorb things, I guess studying, and 389 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:00,400 Speaker 3: I kind of like what you guys do is actors, 390 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 3: you know, like I would study the movements, the asyncrasies, 391 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:05,400 Speaker 3: the small little. 392 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,720 Speaker 1: Nuances, sufficiency of business. 393 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,640 Speaker 3: The efficiency. I would see how people operate, how they 394 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 3: how they set set up. You know. These are and 395 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,400 Speaker 3: these are all little things that were like my own 396 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 3: little kind of hobbies or interests. You know, most people 397 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 3: had hobbies of like building, uh you know, model airplanes, 398 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,959 Speaker 3: or working on their motorcycles or things like our bikes 399 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 3: or things. For me, it was watching like how a 400 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,679 Speaker 3: street vendor exchanges cash, you know, watching how they flip 401 00:20:36,920 --> 00:20:40,879 Speaker 3: flip their foods and things like that. But I didn't 402 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 3: know growing up that those things would ever turn into something. 403 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 3: Those are just my own personal hobbies. Being around my 404 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 3: mom by her side, and the way she handled stuff 405 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 3: and the way she like knew how to pack things, 406 00:20:55,760 --> 00:21:00,199 Speaker 3: knew exactly how much she was going to pack and 407 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 3: why she was going to this place, and all those 408 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 3: things were I guess like by the time I got 409 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 3: into street food, they were already ingrained in me. You know. 410 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 3: Jason Bourne, you know. 411 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:14,119 Speaker 1: Yeah, what was that magic that magic moment? 412 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 4: What was that moment when you say I'm going to 413 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 4: start this thing? See how it goes, like, what was 414 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 4: that moment? 415 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: How did that start? 416 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 3: For Kogie? It was I was out of a job, 417 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 3: so it was kind of like my hand was forced. 418 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 1: What were you doing before? What were you doing? 419 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:30,400 Speaker 3: I was a chef. I was a chef for fifteen 420 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 3: years before Kogie happened. Yes, but I was at the 421 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 3: Beverly Hilton. Oh yeah, So if you were at the 422 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 3: Golden Globes ten thousands, yeah. 423 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 2: Slid so eight. 424 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:43,640 Speaker 3: I probably served you made those lighters. 425 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:52,639 Speaker 1: I love great triple triple fright fries. 426 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I was. I was doing that whole thing. 427 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 3: I was working in hotels. 428 00:21:57,320 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: Did you did you go to school to be a chef? 429 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:03,120 Speaker 3: I went to school to be chef. I was on 430 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 3: the path to my goal, my dream because I didn't 431 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 3: know I was going to be an entrepreneur. So my 432 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 3: dream up until that point was to eventually maybe become 433 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 3: like an international chef. Like that was as far as 434 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 3: my vision could go. Was like, like my biggest mountaintop 435 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,760 Speaker 3: was could I be like the executive chef or the 436 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 3: regional chef for like, you know, like a four season Singapore. 437 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: That was my Mount Everest. 438 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 3: That was my Mount Everest, you know, that was because. 439 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 1: First of all, that's a really great that's a. 440 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 3: Great job, man. You know, like you're working in in 441 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:41,600 Speaker 3: you know, Singapore or Bangkok, or you know, even Puerto 442 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,399 Speaker 3: Rico or you know wherever, and then you have this 443 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:47,920 Speaker 3: great job. You're cooking amazing food, you have an amazing 444 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 3: clientele and guests, and then you know, you can stay 445 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 3: around the world wherever you want at a partner hotel. 446 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 3: So that was that was a dream. I lost all 447 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:00,119 Speaker 3: that and then in two thousand and eight, and and 448 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 3: then I was out of a job for about almost 449 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:04,760 Speaker 3: six months. 450 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:07,880 Speaker 1: Why can we, may we ask, Yeah. 451 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,919 Speaker 3: I think you know, the economy crashed. It was the 452 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 3: real estate crisis at that time. And then also what 453 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,160 Speaker 3: happened was I think I had, for all that success 454 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 3: as a as an executive chef, in that time in life, 455 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 3: I was maybe a little overqualified for any jobs out there. 456 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,680 Speaker 3: You know, it was a time in the world where 457 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:32,159 Speaker 3: everyone was downsizing. But I think it was also spiritual 458 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 3: in a sense that maybe that part of my chapter 459 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:37,560 Speaker 3: of my life was over because I was interviewing. I 460 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 3: was out there interviewing, and I wasn't getting any jobs. 461 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 3: I wasn't getting the jobs that I thought I should 462 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 3: get and. 463 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: Within the world, somehow the universe was telling you, Hey, 464 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: I think so there's another there's another world, there's another 465 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: street over there. 466 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think so. I don't thank you for asking 467 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,240 Speaker 3: that woman, because I you know, it's hard to talk 468 00:24:05,240 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 3: about it, because like in the world when you talk 469 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,919 Speaker 3: about mystical shit, you know, like nobody wants to really listen, 470 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,640 Speaker 3: you know, and it's like, oh, it's hard. 471 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 1: To put in your words. 472 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:15,400 Speaker 4: I hear you in that that's a really interesting thing 473 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:17,520 Speaker 4: that you tap into it because we you know, we're 474 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,640 Speaker 4: not shy to tap into the why us right, We're 475 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,439 Speaker 4: not shy to tap into that into that aspect because I, 476 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 4: you know, I look at you, and I look at 477 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:30,920 Speaker 4: the you know, nothing short of a really good will, 478 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 4: beautifully well built empire. You know that you have, and 479 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,199 Speaker 4: you know, to reflect on this this moment, that the 480 00:24:39,240 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 4: moment where you were being compressed the most, you were 481 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,160 Speaker 4: led to make a different type of diamond somewhere else, 482 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 4: you know, And I think that that was an interesting thing. 483 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 1: We talked about it, like why us right, Like no in. 484 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 4: Our family, no in our family decided to go into 485 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 4: this thing. 486 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 1: We're like, we decided to do. 487 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,959 Speaker 4: The hardest thing that we could possibly do, and somehow 488 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,439 Speaker 4: we ended up a path where not only sustainability, but 489 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 4: we were to you know, hopefully do some positive things 490 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 4: that we can take with us in the graveyard. But 491 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 4: but I'd love to tap a little bit deeper into 492 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 4: that part because you know, in that moment, and we 493 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 4: always try to offer this to a lot of our 494 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,560 Speaker 4: listeners and our viewers and everybody who watches us or 495 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,679 Speaker 4: listening to us, is is that is the moment that 496 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 4: don't call it a test, It is those moments of 497 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:31,119 Speaker 4: of of hardship and and turmoil are the manifestation of 498 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,959 Speaker 4: where you know where like you did that that chapter 499 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 4: is closed. We got to tell you otherwise you're going 500 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:39,400 Speaker 4: to keep going in and roll possively inhabities. 501 00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 1: But I'd love for you to dive it a little 502 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:41,440 Speaker 1: deeper on that point. 503 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, like if we if you do open 504 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:47,719 Speaker 3: yourself up to the mystical communications, you know, and you 505 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 3: may not know it at that time, you know you 506 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 3: may feel it and you know it's it's weird because 507 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 3: in hindsight, I can completely diagram it all out for you. 508 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:03,360 Speaker 3: I can really pinpoint that if there was something happening 509 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 3: that there were these kind of mystical road signs that 510 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,719 Speaker 3: led me to make a lessons to signals that turned 511 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,959 Speaker 3: things and move them this way. You know, I couldn't 512 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:18,199 Speaker 3: get a job I was. I completely lost my ability 513 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 3: to do things that were second nature to me. I 514 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 3: couldn't I had built a career for fifteen years doing 515 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 3: it would be like if you couldn't read pages anymore, 516 00:26:32,040 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 3: memorize anymore, like these things that were innate within you, 517 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 3: I couldn't even do anymore. And then there was these 518 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:44,280 Speaker 3: these moments that happened where I would listen to different 519 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 3: signals at that time that allowed me to see that 520 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 3: there was a new path ahead of me. You know, 521 00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:53,600 Speaker 3: my friend calling me and saying, hey, let's start a 522 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:58,160 Speaker 3: taco truck. Me normally saying probably would have said no, 523 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:00,280 Speaker 3: but because I was out of work for soul long, 524 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 3: I was open to it, you know, me finally confronting 525 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,760 Speaker 3: the food and the flavors that I that I was 526 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:10,439 Speaker 3: kind of shying away from. I was always cooking like 527 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 3: European food, and then finally I started to but I 528 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,440 Speaker 3: would be eating tacos, burritos and Korean food. And then 529 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 3: I never really cooked that food, and so then finally 530 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:23,080 Speaker 3: I opened myself up to cook it. The night we 531 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 3: opened Kogie, you know, there was no press or fanfare 532 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 3: or anything. We opened at two am in front of 533 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 3: a club, and we parked there right at midnight. But 534 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 3: the day, the day we opened, was the same day 535 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:40,480 Speaker 3: Twilight opened at the Arc Light at the Cinromadome, and 536 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 3: so it was just like I look back at that 537 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 3: moment and then there was all it was. It was 538 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:49,239 Speaker 3: like midnight on a foggy November night with all of 539 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 3: these vampires like dressed up doing cosplay, doing cosplay, waiting 540 00:27:54,359 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 3: in line for and we noticed that. 541 00:27:57,359 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: At first screen. 542 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, for the screening, and we're just like, there's something 543 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 3: going on right now, you know. And then and just 544 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 3: all those things as I look at it together, and 545 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 3: then the moment people ate the taco and the burrito, 546 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 3: like everything just stopped. Time stopped, and so I think 547 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,560 Speaker 3: all those things, uh, you know, they were all meant 548 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 3: to be. 549 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: And that was a very pop culture moment. 550 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, and your point, you're pointing out the 551 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 4: release of Twilight, you're pointing out that the time of 552 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 4: the night in which. 553 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,359 Speaker 3: Time, but there's also two other things. One is social 554 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 3: media just happened. Twitter just came out, and then the 555 00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,719 Speaker 3: iPhone just came out. So it was all these things 556 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 3: happening at one time that allowed us to kind of 557 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 3: plug into that that energy. And did we know everything 558 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:51,000 Speaker 3: at that time, No, but we trusted it and we 559 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 3: listened to it and we followed it. And I think 560 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 3: if you're looking for something right now or wherever you 561 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 3: are in life, I don't know it's easy to look 562 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 3: back on it, but if you're in the moment, I 563 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 3: think if you can open yourself up to information that's 564 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 3: not just in your brain like other information, you know, 565 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 3: and you know a lot of native indigenous cultures do 566 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,320 Speaker 3: it all the time, right right, and you know, tap 567 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 3: back in, tap, tap back in. 568 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,480 Speaker 4: And I think that's that's the thing that's a really 569 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:25,760 Speaker 4: interesting theme to kind of follow here as well, because 570 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 4: what you're describing is you saying, like, Okay, I achieved 571 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 4: the cuisine that was unlike my heritage culture to where 572 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:37,720 Speaker 4: I came from, you know, the stuff that I saw 573 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 4: my mother make and all that, and then all of 574 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 4: a sudden you went back to your interest, to. 575 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 1: Your what you what you liked, what you work from it. 576 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 4: And when you can co sign on something I like 577 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:48,960 Speaker 4: this tackle, somebody else probably will. 578 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:50,400 Speaker 1: That's the magic moment. 579 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 3: And everybody felt it at that time. It wasn't just 580 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 3: me or my team. It was the reason why I 581 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 3: think that there was something happening is because everyone around 582 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:03,360 Speaker 3: us felt it. Like there's if you write it on paper, 583 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 3: there's no reason that an Asian guy making tacos out 584 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:11,480 Speaker 3: of a truck, you know, wouldn't make any sense. Right. 585 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 3: But as soon as we got out there, like everyone 586 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 3: was like, yeah, you know right, Why do you think 587 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 3: they didn't see race, They didn't see anything. They just 588 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 3: they saw the saw the truth in the future. 589 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: Why do you think that is right? 590 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 2: And and and you know what was super interesting about 591 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 2: this is before you and I even met, right, I 592 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 2: remember driving down what was that place on Washington where 593 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 2: you where you first had your your your tacos at 594 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 2: you know that place? 595 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 1: Remember that place like on in Culver City, the bar, 596 00:30:40,480 --> 00:30:43,000 Speaker 1: the bar Dalla By Room. 597 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 2: I remember going like on a midnight taco run, Like 598 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 2: I keep hearing about these tacos, man, I gotta go 599 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,000 Speaker 2: half so and I went there at midnight and I 600 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 2: thought it was one of the most amazing, amazing things 601 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 2: I had ever tasted. But what I found that was 602 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 2: so interesting was that you had the foresight to go, 603 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:03,479 Speaker 2: I'm gonna murder you know, these Korean flavors with like 604 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:05,160 Speaker 2: Mexican delicacies. 605 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 1: It's like, yeah, to talk to me about. 606 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 2: Like what what I know that you were saying that 607 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 2: you came up eating tacos and burritos and all that. 608 00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:16,480 Speaker 2: But what gave you sort of the vision to go, 609 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 2: I'm going to merge these two flavors, these two cultures together. 610 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 3: Well, really, what it was it was an expression of 611 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 3: the area of Los Angeles we came from, yeah, you know. 612 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:31,040 Speaker 3: And it was more than it being this like cerebral 613 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,000 Speaker 3: idea of like, hey, we're gonna you know, we're gonna 614 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 3: do these things and make a new culture. It was like, 615 00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:40,280 Speaker 3: we're just going to cook and speak the way that 616 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:42,880 Speaker 3: we are and where we're from, you know, and we're 617 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 3: from Koreatown, Los Angeles, right, And if you go to Koreatown, 618 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 3: Los Angeles between Vermont and Cranshaw and Beverly and Pico, 619 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 3: if you go in that square block, it's all mixed up, 620 00:31:54,560 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 3: you know, like it's Central American Wahawkan Mexican Korean, and 621 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 3: the Guatemalins are speaking Korean and the Koreans are speaking 622 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:11,479 Speaker 3: Spanish slang, and you know, the kids look are dating 623 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 3: each other, you know, the young Latino girls are all 624 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 3: into k pop. You know, it's like all mixed up together, 625 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 3: and you can't really distinguish the line between the two. 626 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 3: You know, like you go to the high schools, you 627 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 3: go go to Koreatown at three pm, and in front 628 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 3: of like the junior high schools and high school you 629 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 3: come out. All the kids come out there, all in 630 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 3: the k pop, right, you know, And then go to 631 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 3: the markets and the restaurants. Everybody working in the markets, 632 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 3: in the restaurants all speaking Korean and not speak just 633 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 3: speaking like like school book Korean, but speaking like slanging 634 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 3: Korean r like arguing with the Korean like lady or 635 00:32:51,520 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 3: worker or whatever. And they're eating together the food of 636 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 3: each other. So they have a rice bowl with kinda 637 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 3: hot sauce, but kimchi and the cilantro and onion all 638 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:06,080 Speaker 3: mixed together, you know, and it's all mixed up together. 639 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:09,560 Speaker 3: Everything's mixed up together. And that mix up is kind 640 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 3: of what our food was. And so what we did 641 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 3: was we just got out of the way, you know, 642 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 3: And that's really what it was. Was like we were 643 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 3: able to like kind of like harness it, but we 644 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 3: got out of the way and let it speak for itself. 645 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 3: And I think what it did was it made our 646 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 3: area of town like worldwide, you know. 647 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 1: All right, So let's low it down right there. 648 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 4: This has been part one of a two part conversation 649 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 4: with ROCHOI and we'll see you guys for a part two. 650 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 2: Those Amigos is a production from WV Sound and iHeartMedia's 651 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 2: Michael through That Podcast Network, hosted by Me, Freddie Rodriguez, 652 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 2: and Wilmer Valdorama. 653 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:56,160 Speaker 4: Those Amigos is produced by Aaron Burlson and Sophie Spencer Zabbos. 654 00:33:56,280 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 2: Our executive producers are Wilmer Valdorama, Freddie Rodriguez, Aaron Burlson, 655 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 2: and Leo Clem at WV Sound. 656 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:05,960 Speaker 4: This episode was shot and edited by Ryan Posts and 657 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,320 Speaker 4: mixed by Sean Tracy and features original music by Madison 658 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:10,600 Speaker 4: Devenport and Halo Boy. 659 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:14,320 Speaker 2: Our cover art photography is by David Avalos and designed 660 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:15,600 Speaker 2: by Deny Holtz. 661 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 4: Claw and thank you for being there third Amigo today. 662 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:20,480 Speaker 4: I appreciate you guys. Always listening to those amiingos. 663 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:23,439 Speaker 2: More podcasts from my Heart, visit the ir heart Radio app, 664 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:26,840 Speaker 2: Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 665 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: See you next week.