{"id":26625,"date":"2016-04-15T10:33:02","date_gmt":"2016-04-15T14:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=26625"},"modified":"2016-04-15T10:33:17","modified_gmt":"2016-04-15T14:33:17","slug":"roy-choi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/roy-choi\/","title":{"rendered":"Voicings: Roy Choi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Roy Choi has always been intrigued by cheese. \u201cI\u2019m the guy who asks for lots of samples [at the counter],\u201d he says, laughing. It\u2019s no wonder, then, that curds often factor into the Korean-Mexican street food (see: cheddar-and-Jack-stuffed kimchi quesadillas) Choi serves from his award-winning Kogi<\/a> BBQ truck. The genre-bending chef also helms a clutch of buzzy Los Angeles eateries and is a partner in Koreatown\u2019s Line Hotel<\/a> and the fledgling healthy fast-food venture Loco\u2019l<\/a>. He has a wildly popular blog<\/a> and a best-selling memoir, L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food<\/a><\/cite>. And did we mention that the 2014 film Chef<\/a><\/cite> is loosely based on Choi\u2019s life? Culture<\/strong> caught up with Choi to learn more about his passion projects, early influences, and why he\u2019s so crazy about cheese.<\/p>\n

ON STARTING OUT<\/h3>\n
\"ldquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
Kogi is, first and foremost, a family, a co-op of people—it wasn\u2019t all me. All of the original members were integral to its success and the resulting food truck movement. It\u2019s like being in a band—everyone is of equal importance. We knew we were tapping into something, you could just see it in the eyes of people waiting in line.<\/div>\n

ON LOCO’L<\/h3>\n
\"ldquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
The idea was sparked by a 2013 speech I made at MAD<\/a> [star Danish chef Rene\u0301 Redzepi\u2019s annual nonprofit food symposium] in Copenhagen about hunger, and how traditional restaurants aren\u2019t making food that\u2019s accessible to a broader demographic. Chefs today are at a place in society where we have a voice and [start] think tanks, and people take us seriously. We have the clout to implement change when it comes to food security.<\/div>\n

ON CHEESE<\/h3>\n
\"ldquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
Everything I know I learned from Steve Jenkins\u2019 book [Cheese Primer<\/a><\/cite>]. I love creamy, complex cheeses, aged Italian goat cheeses. The first cheese that really made an impression on me was Parmigiano Reggiano<\/a>. I used to go to cheese shops in L.A. when I was younger and just hang out. I\u2019m a curious soul.<\/div>\n

ON EARLY CULINARY INFLUENCES<\/h3>\n
\"ldquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
We didn\u2019t have much money growing up. We\u2019d make other sacrifices, but not when it came to finding and cooking great food. It\u2019s a cornerstone of Korean culture: Food somehow trumps everything else.<\/div>\n

ON OVERCOMING ADDICTION<\/h3>\n
\"ldquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
At a certain point in my early 20s, I fell really far down [into substance abuse and gambling], and was close to the end of my rope. I was watching Emeril Lagasse on TV in \u201995, and I had an epiphany. I knew I wanted to cook. From there, everything fell into place—it was a dramatic U-turn. I\u2019m a very addictive person. It used to be drugs; now it\u2019s cooking for and feeding people.<\/div>\n

ON THE FUTURE OF FOOD TRUCKS<\/h3>\n
\"ldquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
America is a nation built on small businesses, and trucks provide a sense of community, a way to enjoy the outdoors and make use of empty or abandoned lots. Parks are outdated in many ways, because of water waste and other factors. Food trucks are a way to create a new human and family dynamic, the way shopping malls did in the 1980s.<\/div>\n

ON LOS ANGELES<\/h3>\n
\"ldquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
I was raised here, failed here, spit out here. I left, came back, and was given another chance. L.A. allowed me to make a difference in my community and in the food industry, and become a revolutionary of sorts.<\/div>\n

ON COOKING FOR THE COMMUNITY<\/h3>\n
\"ldquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
\"rdquo\"<\/a><\/div>\n
I don\u2019t like to speak in terms of food deserts or disadvantaged communities—these are my friends and family. I just try to create venues that can be enjoyed by everyone.<\/div>\n

Feature Photo Credit: Audrey Ma<\/em><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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