Abstract Michael Tong describes his path from his birth of Anhui to becoming one of the most successful restauranteurs in New York City with two four-star restaurants. Moving first to Shanghai and Hong Kong before settling in the US, Mr. Tong studied civil engineering but chose to work in a NYC restaurant after graduation. From there, he opened up two restaurants, Shun Lee Palace and Shun Lee West, where he developed his love for different Chinese cuisines and helped bring Sichuan and Hunanese food...

Abstract Ming Tsai talks with MOCA about his lifelong relationship with food and how he came to be one of the most successful East-West fusion chefs. Listen in as Ming explains the role that food and cooking played in his early life growing up around his grandparents in a Chinese-American household and visiting Taiwan. Despite going to Yale for a degree in engineering, he ultimately decided to become a chef, and after working in several famous French kitchens and culinary schools, he pursued a...

Abstract Nancy Chen, brought up in Taiwan and an immigrant to the US since 1996, speaks about the role of cooking and Chinese food in her life. She details the way Chinese food and her own journey in home cooking has played a constant role in her life as an immigrant in America while commenting on the changes Chinese food has undergone in America during her time here. Her narration contains plenty of anecdotes about her experiences with food both during her childhood and adulthood while she expresses...

Abstract Peter Chang is a chef and restauranteur who owns and operates a series of restaurants in the D.C. area, including Peter Chang Café, Peter Chang’s China Café, Q by Peter Chang, and the most recent Mama Chang. In the interview, Mr. Chang speaks about his incredible journey from his childhood in rural Hubei, his time in culinary school, his success as a chef in China, how he came to America, and how he survived then thrived in America, eventually garnering media attention in the US from...

Abstract Philip Chiang was born in Shanghai, China in 1948. Within a year, his family moved to Tokyo, Japan to avoid China’s communist regime. He lived in Japan until the age of 14. He valued Japanese culture and the emphasis on hospitality. In 1962, he moved to San Francisco. His family lived there before it became the known, multicultural city it is today. His family ate out frequently, and it gave him the opportunity to enjoy many different cuisines. He grew especially fond of Italian food....

Abstract Susanna Foo talks to MOCA about moving from place to place during her childhood in China as well as during her adulthood in the United States. She discusses attending school and working as a librarian before developing an interest in cooking which led her to become a chef. She shares her experiences at her family’s struggling restaurant and how her studies at the Culinary Institute of America helped her turn it around and ultimately led to her opening another restaurant and even writing her...

Abstract Tommy and Frank Wong discuss their experience coming to America from Hong Kong with their three brothers and working in a variety of restaurants before starting their own. The brothers lived across the US in Texas, Kansas, and San Francisco until they started their own restaurant in New Orleans. Tommy offers an interesting explanation of the history of Chinese food in America as well as how he worked to blend the styles and flavors of Chinese and Louisiana cuisine into what he considers to...

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Vivian Ku, owner of the fast-casual Taiwanese restaurant Pine & Crane, talks about her journey to opening up her restaurant and the decisions she made along the way. She particularly details how her family’s background and her grandmother’s cooking influenced what dishes she puts on her menu and what type of restaurant she wishes to run. Her belief in the family values behind the Chinese food culture continues to drive her down the path as a restauranteur.

Abstract William Chiu, born in 1952, begins this interview recalling his childhood growing up, learning and working in Hong Kong. He talks about his father’s work as a chef and his father’s fateful opportunity to immigrate with his family to the United States. He describes his education and reasoning for desiring to go to the United States. William recounts his first job working as a waiter in training before beginning to work with his father in the restaurant business. He also describes the working...