1 00:00:00,140 --> 00:00:01,470 Sandra P.: Hey y'all, I'm Sandra Pham. 2 00:00:01,780 --> 00:00:03,080 Minh V.: And I'm Minh Vu. 3 00:00:03,220 --> 00:00:05,280 Welcome to Asian in Austin. 4 00:00:16,500 --> 00:00:17,280 Food. 5 00:00:17,420 --> 00:00:23,220 I feel like we've had a few episodes now related to food and honestly 6 00:00:23,970 --> 00:00:28,560 That excites me because I think we are finding more and more kind of 7 00:00:28,590 --> 00:00:33,580 evolution of what the scene looks like in Austin in the last couple of years. 8 00:00:33,949 --> 00:00:37,349 And it's been really fun to learn a little bit more about people's 9 00:00:37,370 --> 00:00:39,459 inspirations and things like that. 10 00:00:39,550 --> 00:00:44,249 But, yeah, I'm curious for you Sandra, I know you are a tough critic when 11 00:00:44,249 --> 00:00:48,479 it comes to Austin's Asian food, especially coming from Houston. 12 00:00:49,050 --> 00:00:50,540 Yeah, what are your thoughts these days? 13 00:00:50,925 --> 00:00:56,065 Sandra P.: Yeah, I think it's just really encouraging that chefs, 14 00:00:56,105 --> 00:01:00,164 particularly as, as big as the one that we have as a guest this month, 15 00:01:00,805 --> 00:01:04,785 have found Austin attractive and want to kind of build a community here. 16 00:01:04,785 --> 00:01:07,925 And specifically when it comes to Asian American food, right? 17 00:01:08,375 --> 00:01:13,185 Like we often see very new American and all of these other genres, 18 00:01:13,195 --> 00:01:14,375 fusions and things like that. 19 00:01:14,375 --> 00:01:17,525 And, but it's, it's really just nice to see that. 20 00:01:18,495 --> 00:01:22,475 Asian American food is being elevated to the level that it should be. 21 00:01:22,525 --> 00:01:24,305 And I particularly am just excited. 22 00:01:24,305 --> 00:01:28,585 I do think we often talk about food with our guests, even if they're not, 23 00:01:28,625 --> 00:01:31,975 you know, in a food career, because it is just such a common thread, I 24 00:01:32,005 --> 00:01:34,470 think, in the Asian American Diaspora. 25 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,760 I think we recognize it's how we connect to each other to our families 26 00:01:38,770 --> 00:01:43,870 is such a big staple as part of our culture and shows up in various ways. 27 00:01:43,879 --> 00:01:49,129 So I'm thrilled that we get to talk about it a little bit more in depth with someone 28 00:01:49,129 --> 00:01:50,990 who is a professional in this field. 29 00:01:51,850 --> 00:01:53,450 Minh V.: Yeah, beautifully said. 30 00:01:53,530 --> 00:02:00,980 I mean, I think food as a love language feels really relevant to the diaspora 31 00:02:00,980 --> 00:02:04,240 and thinking about the times that we've talked about cutting fruit or 32 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:05,810 our parents cutting fruit for us. 33 00:02:05,869 --> 00:02:11,220 And like, maybe they don't say I love you directly, but they will. 34 00:02:11,454 --> 00:02:16,695 Come with a fresh bowl of fruit that they've just labored over to 35 00:02:16,705 --> 00:02:19,335 give for us or meals at that too. 36 00:02:19,335 --> 00:02:21,685 So yeah, I'm really excited. 37 00:02:21,735 --> 00:02:25,665 I'll share a little bit more about Chef Harold's bio and 38 00:02:25,705 --> 00:02:26,855 we'll get into the interview. 39 00:02:27,395 --> 00:02:31,455 Harold Villarosa is an executive chef, entrepreneur, and proven 40 00:02:31,455 --> 00:02:33,315 leader in creating social impact. 41 00:02:33,705 --> 00:02:36,845 Born in the Philippines and raised in the South Bronx, he hustled his 42 00:02:36,845 --> 00:02:40,204 way from working in fast food to landing spots at Michelin rated 43 00:02:40,204 --> 00:02:44,955 restaurants in NYC, as well as the number one rated NOMA in Copenhagen. 44 00:02:45,255 --> 00:02:48,785 He earned his first executive chef position at Freeman's Restaurant, a 45 00:02:48,785 --> 00:02:52,265 hidden gem at the end of Freeman's Alley in the Lower East Side. 46 00:02:52,305 --> 00:02:57,275 In 2013, Chef Harold launched his non profit, Insurgo Project, to mentor and 47 00:02:57,275 --> 00:03:00,885 teach kids from his neighborhood about the opportunities in the restaurant industry. 48 00:03:01,154 --> 00:03:03,605 He took the program globally and served as the U. 49 00:03:03,605 --> 00:03:03,765 S. 50 00:03:03,904 --> 00:03:07,725 Culinary Ambassador of Denmark, Romania, and the Bahamas. 51 00:03:08,404 --> 00:03:11,615 Harold has been featured in numerous media outlets over the years, including 52 00:03:11,615 --> 00:03:16,665 Vice's "Munchies," NY1, where he was named the 'New Yorker of the 53 00:03:16,665 --> 00:03:18,715 Week', and also with Bon Appétit. 54 00:03:19,435 --> 00:03:22,555 Chef Harold recently moved to Austin and is opening up a new 55 00:03:22,575 --> 00:03:24,775 concept on the east side this fall. 56 00:03:25,105 --> 00:03:29,135 A celebration of Asian cultures filtered through a Texas prism. 57 00:03:29,635 --> 00:03:32,624 We're gonna take today's episode to learn a little bit more about 58 00:03:32,635 --> 00:03:36,795 his inspiration and what to look out for coming this fall from him. 59 00:03:37,464 --> 00:03:38,435 Let's get into it. 60 00:03:38,435 --> 00:03:41,802 Hey, Chef Harold. 61 00:03:41,802 --> 00:03:42,924 Welcome. 62 00:03:50,785 --> 00:03:54,885 Sandra P.: We are so thrilled to have you on the Asian in Austin podcast. 63 00:03:54,925 --> 00:03:55,665 How are you doing? 64 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:56,980 Chef Harold: Well, thank you for having me. 65 00:03:56,980 --> 00:03:57,570 I appreciate it. 66 00:03:58,110 --> 00:03:59,110 Sandra P.: Yeah, of course. 67 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,000 So we like to, when we invite our guest, give them an 68 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:03,510 opportunity to do a quick intro. 69 00:04:03,510 --> 00:04:07,879 So if you don't mind sharing your ethnicities, your pronouns, and any 70 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:09,459 other identities that you want to share. 71 00:04:10,060 --> 00:04:10,280 Chef Harold: Sure. 72 00:04:10,319 --> 00:04:11,900 My name is Harold Villarosa. 73 00:04:12,409 --> 00:04:14,230 I'm from the Philippines. 74 00:04:14,419 --> 00:04:16,270 I grew up in the South Bronx, New York City. 75 00:04:16,900 --> 00:04:17,790 Pronoun is a he. 76 00:04:18,150 --> 00:04:20,885 And now I currently live in Austin, Texas. 77 00:04:21,575 --> 00:04:22,355 Sandra P.: Awesome. 78 00:04:22,355 --> 00:04:23,695 And welcome to Austin. 79 00:04:24,245 --> 00:04:27,045 So we've received a bit of exciting news. 80 00:04:27,125 --> 00:04:28,995 You recently became a father. 81 00:04:29,025 --> 00:04:32,085 So tell us how has that been and congratulations. 82 00:04:32,095 --> 00:04:33,084 Chef Harold: I appreciate it. 83 00:04:33,164 --> 00:04:35,635 I mean, it still hasn't really kind of sunk in yet. 84 00:04:35,655 --> 00:04:37,764 You know, I'm just going through the motions. 85 00:04:37,765 --> 00:04:41,265 I'm being super supportive to his mom and just, you know, just 86 00:04:41,265 --> 00:04:43,095 making sure that she's okay. 87 00:04:43,335 --> 00:04:44,275 So it's been good. 88 00:04:44,275 --> 00:04:46,145 I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm about to be 40. 89 00:04:46,710 --> 00:04:50,020 In February, so I think it's perfect timing in that sense, especially with 90 00:04:50,020 --> 00:04:52,200 my career now and all these things. 91 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:53,159 So I'm I'm I'm excited. 92 00:04:53,690 --> 00:04:54,950 Sandra P.: Yeah, we're so excited for you. 93 00:04:54,950 --> 00:04:58,870 I know not only that, but you have a ton of new projects. 94 00:04:59,300 --> 00:05:03,920 So kind of jumping in here for those that are not familiar with Chef Harold here. 95 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,880 You have a very impressive career from going to fast food to even working at 96 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:14,570 Noma, one of the best restaurants in the world, for those that aren't familiar, 97 00:05:14,659 --> 00:05:18,440 but I'd love for you to share in a way that feels the most comfortable to you, 98 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:23,750 your career, how did, how did you go from fast food from the Bronx to this amazing 99 00:05:23,750 --> 00:05:27,250 career that you've, you've really been able to build and where you are today? 100 00:05:27,250 --> 00:05:30,180 And are there any just really big career moments? 101 00:05:30,180 --> 00:05:30,250 Thanks. 102 00:05:30,875 --> 00:05:35,105 Chef Harold: Yeah, I mean, I've been super lucky in my career to be in a period of 103 00:05:35,105 --> 00:05:39,864 time where cooking was such a, it wasn't like, you know, Anthony Bourdain's time 104 00:05:39,865 --> 00:05:43,594 where it was like a rock and roll type thing, like my time that I came up, it 105 00:05:43,635 --> 00:05:48,794 was very much whoever wanted to be a chef was like really into becoming a chef. 106 00:05:48,794 --> 00:05:50,545 We call it the golden era, you know what I mean? 107 00:05:50,635 --> 00:05:53,795 So around that time, um, And I had an opportunity to, like, 108 00:05:53,855 --> 00:05:56,065 talk to some great people. 109 00:05:56,125 --> 00:05:57,605 They gave me a checklist to follow. 110 00:05:57,605 --> 00:06:00,715 So I started working in McDonald's when I was 15. 111 00:06:01,325 --> 00:06:04,575 And I worked in all the fast foods in New York to Starbucks 112 00:06:04,575 --> 00:06:06,854 to, uh, you know, White Castle. 113 00:06:06,855 --> 00:06:10,715 And just doing it to survive and buy clothes and sneakers 114 00:06:10,724 --> 00:06:11,955 just like any other young kid. 115 00:06:12,590 --> 00:06:15,940 But I think I really got into it is when I realized that college wasn't 116 00:06:15,940 --> 00:06:21,190 for me, you know, sitting in class and like I had this crazy ADHD. 117 00:06:21,569 --> 00:06:22,590 So I'm super lazy. 118 00:06:22,590 --> 00:06:24,420 I can't even read my handwriting sometimes. 119 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:29,289 So it was like such a waste of time, just paying for semesters 120 00:06:29,289 --> 00:06:30,820 and community college to. 121 00:06:31,175 --> 00:06:33,105 Ivy League, you know, all type of stuff, man. 122 00:06:33,785 --> 00:06:37,575 And so I just decided to, you know, really pursue cooking and, and force 123 00:06:37,575 --> 00:06:41,205 myself to fall in love with it and force myself to be passionate about it. 124 00:06:41,205 --> 00:06:41,795 You know what I mean? 125 00:06:42,345 --> 00:06:43,805 It was kind of a do or die kind of thing. 126 00:06:43,825 --> 00:06:47,464 Like if I don't do good in this thing, like I might just be a bum in the streets. 127 00:06:47,494 --> 00:06:47,864 You know what I mean? 128 00:06:48,005 --> 00:06:50,070 So, I kind of forced myself into it. 129 00:06:50,070 --> 00:06:53,780 I found a culinary school that was for people that came out of jail and I 130 00:06:53,780 --> 00:06:58,789 snuck my way in and instead of paying 40, 50, 000 a semester at the French 131 00:06:58,789 --> 00:07:04,799 Institute, I paid like close to 2000 to 3, 000 in this regular small school. 132 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,240 And the best part about it is since it was like a school for people that came 133 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,530 out of, you know, prison and all that stuff, they got the most opportunities 134 00:07:12,530 --> 00:07:16,030 to be able to be interns in some of the best places in the city, right? 135 00:07:16,030 --> 00:07:16,400 So. 136 00:07:16,755 --> 00:07:20,845 After I did that program for six months, I got an opportunity to 137 00:07:20,855 --> 00:07:22,095 be an intern at the Food Network. 138 00:07:22,345 --> 00:07:24,845 So when I entered into the Food Network, that's when it really opened up for 139 00:07:24,845 --> 00:07:30,505 me when I realized food has many avenues, many different silos, right? 140 00:07:31,025 --> 00:07:34,364 And so I worked at the Food Network for three months during the summer. 141 00:07:34,914 --> 00:07:39,675 I did Bobby Flay's show, Rachael Ray, I did Iron Chef, you know, and I met 142 00:07:39,675 --> 00:07:40,905 so many different types of chefs. 143 00:07:41,405 --> 00:07:43,685 And, you know, I've always asked them every time they would come 144 00:07:43,685 --> 00:07:45,205 in, what makes a great chef? 145 00:07:45,215 --> 00:07:46,664 You know, that was like my main question. 146 00:07:47,170 --> 00:07:50,660 Super philosophical, but I was just trying to get in their heads and figure 147 00:07:50,660 --> 00:07:51,760 out, you know, how their mind works. 148 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:56,780 And the main thing they always kept saying was that nature is the true artist. 149 00:07:57,219 --> 00:08:00,020 Nature is the main reason why we do this. 150 00:08:00,020 --> 00:08:05,159 So if we treat it with respect and we just show ourselves on the plate 151 00:08:05,210 --> 00:08:09,449 through nature, And we have nothing to worry about, you know, our true selves. 152 00:08:10,140 --> 00:08:15,020 And so, I also ended up living in the library, which was amazing. 153 00:08:15,030 --> 00:08:17,990 The library in the Food Network is not a regular library. 154 00:08:18,039 --> 00:08:19,059 It's a library of food. 155 00:08:19,549 --> 00:08:23,019 And so they would have the whole collection of the elderly cookbooks, 156 00:08:23,019 --> 00:08:24,659 you know, all 12 of them, right? 157 00:08:25,164 --> 00:08:28,325 And I would just lay everything down on the table, Grant Hackett's cookbook, 158 00:08:28,765 --> 00:08:32,645 French Laundry, Faviken, all types of cookbooks all over the table. 159 00:08:32,645 --> 00:08:36,984 And I would fall asleep during my, during my break on top of the cookbooks, 160 00:08:36,984 --> 00:08:38,434 like reading about their journeys. 161 00:08:38,434 --> 00:08:41,804 And, and so I ended up creating this checklist for myself. 162 00:08:42,245 --> 00:08:43,684 I needed to work at a one star. 163 00:08:43,884 --> 00:08:45,095 I needed to work at a two star. 164 00:08:45,465 --> 00:08:46,785 I needed to work at a three star. 165 00:08:47,125 --> 00:08:48,564 And I needed to work overseas. 166 00:08:49,045 --> 00:08:50,944 And I also need to work in New York because New York 167 00:08:50,944 --> 00:08:52,344 was the big leagues, right? 168 00:08:52,925 --> 00:08:55,974 And so I created this checklist, and when I left the Food 169 00:08:55,974 --> 00:08:57,935 Network, I hit the streets. 170 00:08:58,395 --> 00:09:00,295 I read Eater every day. 171 00:09:00,735 --> 00:09:04,895 I literally scanned through Eater, read through who was the hottest new 172 00:09:04,895 --> 00:09:08,474 chef that was coming up, or the brand new restaurant that was coming up. 173 00:09:08,524 --> 00:09:13,044 And I was the first at the door talking about, how can I work for you, or how 174 00:09:13,045 --> 00:09:14,535 can I work for free on my day off? 175 00:09:15,295 --> 00:09:17,305 And so I did that for about three years. 176 00:09:17,344 --> 00:09:20,285 So I had a full time job at a small restaurant in the Lower 177 00:09:20,285 --> 00:09:21,375 East Side called Rayuela. 178 00:09:21,804 --> 00:09:26,524 And on my days off for two years, I would do three month increments of 179 00:09:26,534 --> 00:09:27,994 staging at different restaurants. 180 00:09:28,354 --> 00:09:33,155 So I went to work for Christopher Lee at Aureole and Charlie Palmer. 181 00:09:33,694 --> 00:09:36,904 I was at Rouge Tomate when they had two Michelin stars. 182 00:09:37,354 --> 00:09:38,545 I was at Aquavit. 183 00:09:39,124 --> 00:09:44,394 And then, and Rene Redzepi came to New York with David Chang and Ruth Reichl. 184 00:09:44,394 --> 00:09:45,995 And they were doing like a whole talk. 185 00:09:46,609 --> 00:09:48,629 About the restaurant and I don't know about Noma then. 186 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:52,129 Noma just got number one restaurant, just got his cookbook. 187 00:09:52,599 --> 00:09:56,779 I have no clue who this guy is and the library was full of people. 188 00:09:56,909 --> 00:09:57,579 It was filled. 189 00:09:58,020 --> 00:10:02,189 All the best chefs from the Denmark, the government people were there. 190 00:10:03,250 --> 00:10:05,939 And I remember it was like 15 bucks and I didn't have it 191 00:10:05,969 --> 00:10:07,290 because I was a broke cook, right? 192 00:10:07,290 --> 00:10:10,900 I didn't have it and I was pissed because some lady told me it was free. 193 00:10:11,444 --> 00:10:13,235 And I was like arguing with the lady in the front. 194 00:10:13,235 --> 00:10:14,345 And it was like a whole thing. 195 00:10:14,345 --> 00:10:16,954 I was making a scene just to, just to see if somebody was 196 00:10:16,954 --> 00:10:17,905 going to let me in for free. 197 00:10:17,915 --> 00:10:18,435 You know what I mean? 198 00:10:18,954 --> 00:10:20,974 And there's, I remember this old black lady was like, 199 00:10:20,974 --> 00:10:21,814 don't worry about it, honey. 200 00:10:21,814 --> 00:10:22,314 Just skip. 201 00:10:22,324 --> 00:10:26,344 Cause you saw me, I had my, my knife, my, my knife roll in the whole nine. 202 00:10:27,064 --> 00:10:30,464 And so I skipped and I sat down and I listened to Rene Redzepi talk 203 00:10:30,484 --> 00:10:34,334 about Noma and I just got caught in the juice to tell you the truth. 204 00:10:34,334 --> 00:10:35,655 I got caught in the storytelling. 205 00:10:36,135 --> 00:10:38,135 I got caught in his, the way he talked. 206 00:10:38,135 --> 00:10:40,405 I got caught in the way he treated people. 207 00:10:41,134 --> 00:10:45,355 And on the Q& A part, I was the second person up and I just asked him in front 208 00:10:45,355 --> 00:10:49,485 of everybody, I think it was like 700 people, 600 people in the space, I just 209 00:10:49,515 --> 00:10:54,404 asked him if I can go and work for him in front of everybody and he said he couldn't 210 00:10:54,404 --> 00:10:58,384 say no in front of all these people, so that's how I got my Stagia Noma. 211 00:10:58,564 --> 00:11:02,094 And so for maybe a year. 212 00:11:02,555 --> 00:11:06,854 We kept in touch, and I worked at two different jobs, and I 213 00:11:06,854 --> 00:11:09,755 saved about close to 6, 000. 214 00:11:10,415 --> 00:11:12,354 And I bought my plane ticket to Denmark. 215 00:11:12,364 --> 00:11:16,295 Back then, they didn't provide housing, so I had to find my own housing, which 216 00:11:16,295 --> 00:11:20,795 was crazy, because I lived with, like, a African freedom fighter, some lady 217 00:11:20,795 --> 00:11:24,365 that was writing, like, stuff about South Africa's corruption, and all 218 00:11:24,365 --> 00:11:27,625 this crazy stuff, an Italian professor. 219 00:11:28,094 --> 00:11:30,824 A Japanese kid that was just randomly in Copenhagen. 220 00:11:31,224 --> 00:11:35,395 We all lived in this house in the middle of the hood in Copenhagen. 221 00:11:35,875 --> 00:11:37,584 And Rene Redzepi kept his word. 222 00:11:37,584 --> 00:11:41,944 And I think for me now, looking back at it, there was like different things 223 00:11:41,954 --> 00:11:45,384 that I remember about being at Noma and like working at the restaurant. 224 00:11:46,044 --> 00:11:49,305 But I think the main thing I really, that stood out to me was seeing 225 00:11:49,305 --> 00:11:52,384 Rene Redzepi there before everybody else, making everybody breakfast. 226 00:11:53,149 --> 00:11:56,939 And then like being able to like meet everybody and say hello to everybody. 227 00:11:57,589 --> 00:12:00,219 You know, he came from, you know, the French Laundry with Thomas Keller. 228 00:12:00,219 --> 00:12:01,399 He was with him for like a year. 229 00:12:01,910 --> 00:12:06,140 So the Thomas Keller group has a thing called shake in and shake out where 230 00:12:06,150 --> 00:12:07,610 every chef comes in through the door. 231 00:12:07,610 --> 00:12:10,200 You have to check in and then check out everybody on your way out. 232 00:12:10,699 --> 00:12:12,390 So he was really adamant about that. 233 00:12:12,390 --> 00:12:17,030 So even though I was working for free and I was some kid from the South Bronx. 234 00:12:17,540 --> 00:12:22,150 He made me feel like a person that was part of the team and he made me feel like 235 00:12:22,570 --> 00:12:24,210 it was meant to be, you know, to be there. 236 00:12:24,210 --> 00:12:25,280 And so, yeah. 237 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:29,189 And then after, after Noma, I came back to New York and I thought I was 238 00:12:29,190 --> 00:12:33,949 going to be the hottest shit in the streets, asking for like 100, 000 for 239 00:12:33,950 --> 00:12:38,165 salary and I was like, yeah, I just came back from Noma and then everybody 240 00:12:38,165 --> 00:12:40,775 was laughing in my face and said, what are you, what are you doing bro? 241 00:12:41,495 --> 00:12:43,425 And so I was like, I settled for 12 an hour then. 242 00:12:46,165 --> 00:12:47,385 And so that's what happened. 243 00:12:47,844 --> 00:12:51,454 And so I ended up working at a restaurant called Fedora in the West 244 00:12:51,454 --> 00:12:53,394 village with uh, Mehdi Benkritly. 245 00:12:54,115 --> 00:12:57,235 He was the chef at Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal for about 10 years. 246 00:12:57,645 --> 00:13:01,855 And so I learned about Quebecois cooking and nose to tail cooking 247 00:13:01,855 --> 00:13:02,764 and all that type of stuff. 248 00:13:02,765 --> 00:13:03,904 I was with him for two years. 249 00:13:04,599 --> 00:13:06,689 And then I opened Batard with Marcus Blager. 250 00:13:08,175 --> 00:13:08,634 Intense. 251 00:13:08,654 --> 00:13:11,634 Cause you know, Marcus blocker came from the Gordon Ramsey group. 252 00:13:12,094 --> 00:13:13,245 So he was going for stars. 253 00:13:13,245 --> 00:13:15,234 So I was waiting for a year. 254 00:13:15,285 --> 00:13:19,334 I got one Michigan with him and three New York times. 255 00:13:19,834 --> 00:13:22,544 And then after that, I don't know, maybe I was a sucker for pain. 256 00:13:22,544 --> 00:13:25,564 So I went to work at first day and then I was there for a 257 00:13:25,564 --> 00:13:26,964 year working at a three star. 258 00:13:27,589 --> 00:13:32,360 And then after I left that, I just kind of like blanked out and like, didn't 259 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:37,199 want to cook anymore and like, I just like took a month off and then I started 260 00:13:37,219 --> 00:13:40,540 working for this restaurant group in the Upper West Side that did almost 261 00:13:40,540 --> 00:13:42,250 15 million just off of fried chicken. 262 00:13:42,860 --> 00:13:43,890 It was ridiculous. 263 00:13:43,919 --> 00:13:47,569 I mean, I've never cooked so much fried chicken in my life and it was just 264 00:13:47,569 --> 00:13:49,490 amazing to see a program like that. 265 00:13:50,100 --> 00:13:52,620 And how much money you can really make in a restaurant setting. 266 00:13:53,110 --> 00:13:55,379 So I was with that group for three or four years. 267 00:13:55,379 --> 00:13:56,780 I opened another restaurant with them. 268 00:13:57,610 --> 00:14:00,640 And then I got an opportunity to work, to be the chef at Freeman's 269 00:14:00,650 --> 00:14:05,250 restaurant, the Lower East Side, which is like a very prominent restaurant. 270 00:14:05,250 --> 00:14:06,620 It's been around for almost 30 years. 271 00:14:06,999 --> 00:14:09,270 I was the seventh chef on the, in the lineage. 272 00:14:09,670 --> 00:14:13,369 And so I was there for two years, opened one of their small cocktail restaurants. 273 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,120 And then I opened two more restaurants for Claus Meyer after that. 274 00:14:17,885 --> 00:14:21,535 Open the restaurant, comedy club and a farm to table restaurant at the same time. 275 00:14:22,345 --> 00:14:26,095 And then the pandemic happened and then I had to make a switch. 276 00:14:26,625 --> 00:14:29,724 And luckily I did a food media back in the day. 277 00:14:30,235 --> 00:14:35,395 And so I slid into Brad Leone's DMs and I told them Bon Appetit wouldn't 278 00:14:35,415 --> 00:14:38,875 get back to where it was until you get somebody like me on your team. 279 00:14:39,365 --> 00:14:40,365 And he said, you're right. 280 00:14:40,765 --> 00:14:43,594 And then that's how I got my job at Bon Appetit. 281 00:14:44,105 --> 00:14:46,805 And so I worked at Bon Appetit during the pandemic for about a year 282 00:14:46,805 --> 00:14:48,864 and a half doing the video work. 283 00:14:48,995 --> 00:14:50,625 And that's how I survived the pandemic. 284 00:14:51,365 --> 00:14:57,145 And then 2000 and maybe 21 Brookfield properties. 285 00:14:57,145 --> 00:14:59,765 I don't even know Brooklyn properties, but they're one of the biggest 286 00:14:59,915 --> 00:15:01,245 real estate company in the world. 287 00:15:01,804 --> 00:15:04,535 And they bought five blocks in San Francisco. 288 00:15:04,949 --> 00:15:07,219 Worth close to 1. 289 00:15:07,699 --> 00:15:08,870 5 billion. 290 00:15:09,420 --> 00:15:13,420 And they had a building that was a three, a commercial building that they needed 291 00:15:13,420 --> 00:15:14,929 an anchor restaurant, the bottom of it. 292 00:15:15,485 --> 00:15:19,405 And they were in the middle of Soma, which is south of market where all the Filipinos 293 00:15:19,415 --> 00:15:21,835 lived and displaced all the Filipinos. 294 00:15:21,845 --> 00:15:25,535 So they needed a Filipino savior to come in to make them not look like they, 295 00:15:26,075 --> 00:15:28,475 you know, made a bad business decision. 296 00:15:28,475 --> 00:15:33,424 So I came to San Francisco to open a huge Filipino restaurant, 4, 000 square feet, 297 00:15:34,154 --> 00:15:39,345 close to 6 million for the build out the whole nine, worked on it for three years. 298 00:15:40,170 --> 00:15:44,170 Got to the finish line and then London Breed in San Francisco made us do 299 00:15:44,170 --> 00:15:45,619 all the paperwork all over again. 300 00:15:45,629 --> 00:15:47,860 I said, I can't, I can't wait no more. 301 00:15:48,140 --> 00:15:54,129 So I left San Francisco and that was kind of really, really hard because, you 302 00:15:54,130 --> 00:15:56,890 know, I was embedded in the community now, you know, I'm a community guy. 303 00:15:56,890 --> 00:16:00,809 So, and so, oh, and between all of that stuff. 304 00:16:01,209 --> 00:16:05,599 I had a nonprofit that I taught kids on my days off about how 305 00:16:05,599 --> 00:16:06,780 to become social entrepreneurs. 306 00:16:06,790 --> 00:16:12,230 So I ran a nonprofit for 10 years from 2013 to like 23. 307 00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:15,259 And then I came back to New York and I said, maybe I should do something 308 00:16:15,270 --> 00:16:20,640 back here, you know, like 20, summer of 2023, 22, 23, and I realized New 309 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,810 York, New York, wasn't it, wasn't it at all disgusting what the landlords were 310 00:16:24,810 --> 00:16:28,099 trying to do to people, disgusting what they're trying to do, the small business, 311 00:16:28,140 --> 00:16:29,899 and I didn't want to be part of it. 312 00:16:30,220 --> 00:16:35,569 And so I came to Austin just for vacation and to check everything out. 313 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:37,979 But then the chefs found out that I was here. 314 00:16:38,439 --> 00:16:41,010 All the restaurant, restaurant owners found out I was here. 315 00:16:41,609 --> 00:16:44,709 And then I ended up doing tastings for a bunch of restaurants. 316 00:16:44,739 --> 00:16:50,349 I don't know why, but the fam hospitality group really resonated with my ethos 317 00:16:50,869 --> 00:16:53,429 and what I was trying to do in the Filipino food and what I was trying 318 00:16:53,429 --> 00:16:55,409 to do in the Filipino community. 319 00:16:55,935 --> 00:16:58,605 And now we are in the process of opening a restaurant, which is going 320 00:16:58,605 --> 00:17:00,194 to be a full blown Filipino restaurant. 321 00:17:00,824 --> 00:17:05,855 And I think it's going to be, uh, the first mid level casual Filipino 322 00:17:05,855 --> 00:17:10,874 restaurant, not like your regular mom and pop spot, but something with very 323 00:17:10,885 --> 00:17:16,564 much operators from the Jose Andreas group to, to any group of Chicago. 324 00:17:16,565 --> 00:17:19,014 Like we have some big hitters on the team. 325 00:17:19,415 --> 00:17:21,845 So I think we're super excited about building it. 326 00:17:21,845 --> 00:17:23,884 And then, and then that's my career. 327 00:17:23,884 --> 00:17:24,595 That's where I'm at now. 328 00:17:25,180 --> 00:17:25,730 Sandra P.: Wow. 329 00:17:27,360 --> 00:17:28,910 I feel like you have lived. 330 00:17:28,940 --> 00:17:32,390 And what I appreciate about a lot of chefs is you just live like nine 331 00:17:32,390 --> 00:17:37,980 lives, like you just going through your entire kind of career there. 332 00:17:38,010 --> 00:17:42,030 And I know men and I could spend probably Multiple many, 333 00:17:42,030 --> 00:17:43,690 many, many, many hours with you. 334 00:17:43,690 --> 00:17:47,830 And so we're gonna do our best to do your career justice over the next 335 00:17:47,850 --> 00:17:51,629 hour here and talk about and break down some of those key milestones. 336 00:17:52,060 --> 00:17:53,619 I do want to make one comment, though. 337 00:17:53,619 --> 00:17:55,019 I something that stuck out to me. 338 00:17:55,020 --> 00:17:57,270 And you said, you know, I knew college wasn't for me. 339 00:17:57,270 --> 00:17:59,919 But as when you were talking about your career and your hustle. 340 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:01,410 All of that. 341 00:18:01,420 --> 00:18:03,580 That's exactly what college is about. 342 00:18:03,580 --> 00:18:03,790 Right? 343 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:07,120 Like you were talking about studying, staying hours up, reading these 344 00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:09,480 cookbooks, studying abroad, right? 345 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:13,560 You went to Denmark and you lived a full college life. 346 00:18:13,570 --> 00:18:16,799 So give yourself credit because you definitely hustled and you 347 00:18:16,799 --> 00:18:18,430 built your own school life. 348 00:18:18,830 --> 00:18:19,569 So amazing. 349 00:18:19,569 --> 00:18:20,899 But yeah, we. 350 00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:23,070 Amazing, amazing career. 351 00:18:23,070 --> 00:18:26,360 And we'll, we'll kind of dive into that a little bit further. 352 00:18:26,649 --> 00:18:30,919 Minh V.: Yeah, like Hustler comes to mind just the whole time that you were 353 00:18:30,929 --> 00:18:32,550 sharing about your experience and stuff. 354 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:39,274 But one thing that I wanted to kind of go back even further, And kind of get into 355 00:18:39,334 --> 00:18:43,064 pre this journey that you just described. 356 00:18:43,385 --> 00:18:45,284 You mentioned that you were born in the Philippines. 357 00:18:45,284 --> 00:18:48,094 I'm curious, how long did you stay there? 358 00:18:48,104 --> 00:18:51,274 What was it like growing up there if you stayed there long and do 359 00:18:51,274 --> 00:18:52,675 you ever, do you ever go back? 360 00:18:53,604 --> 00:18:53,874 Chef Harold: Yeah. 361 00:18:53,874 --> 00:18:56,784 I'm from a small province called Mandurriao in Iloilo 362 00:18:57,294 --> 00:18:59,345 city on an island called Panay. 363 00:18:59,815 --> 00:19:04,185 So I'm from Visayas and I grew up there until I was nine years old. 364 00:19:04,185 --> 00:19:04,215 Okay. 365 00:19:04,215 --> 00:19:04,275 Thank you. 366 00:19:04,885 --> 00:19:10,165 And then I moved to the South Bronx directly, my mom, she's super famous. 367 00:19:10,175 --> 00:19:16,075 She's one of the first original nurses that was part of the American program 368 00:19:16,075 --> 00:19:20,835 where first she served in Lebanon during the war, and then she was part of that 369 00:19:20,845 --> 00:19:25,445 main group that went to America that started the kind of the floodgates 370 00:19:25,455 --> 00:19:28,655 for all the nurses to come into America and be part of that program. 371 00:19:29,215 --> 00:19:33,655 And so her first stop was the South Bronx, which was one of the worst hospitals and 372 00:19:33,655 --> 00:19:35,824 whatever in the city, Lincoln Hospital. 373 00:19:36,575 --> 00:19:41,585 It was just hilarious to be the only Filipino family in the South Bronx 374 00:19:41,755 --> 00:19:46,295 and how we had to really assimilate and my mom was adamant about that. 375 00:19:46,744 --> 00:19:50,415 She was like, you need to learn English fast and you need to be out here with 376 00:19:50,415 --> 00:19:53,784 your skin tough because you're going to come after you, you know what I'm saying? 377 00:19:53,794 --> 00:19:55,404 They don't know you and they're going to attack you. 378 00:19:55,404 --> 00:20:00,715 So we really had to like hustle and we really get into that mental of 379 00:20:00,785 --> 00:20:02,625 trying to be Americanized in a sense. 380 00:20:03,090 --> 00:20:05,410 But also just trying to be able to like survive. 381 00:20:06,230 --> 00:20:09,400 And, you know, the early nineties, I was, I came to New York 1994. 382 00:20:09,750 --> 00:20:11,480 So, you know, it was really right in the middle of it. 383 00:20:11,510 --> 00:20:13,389 The South Bronx was still burning, you know what I mean? 384 00:20:14,110 --> 00:20:18,900 And so we were all part of that and yeah, I just give it up to my mom and my 385 00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:23,029 pops to like, you know, kept me out the streets my whole life, you know, and. 386 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:27,670 Luckily, I surrounded myself with people that, you know, cared about me and I 387 00:20:27,670 --> 00:20:30,130 really didn't get caught up in it, which I couldn't have, you know what I mean? 388 00:20:30,130 --> 00:20:31,450 So it was cool. 389 00:20:32,349 --> 00:20:33,879 Minh V.: Yeah, appreciate you sharing that. 390 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:38,060 Was that, I mean, it sounds like a little bit of a whiplash to go from 391 00:20:38,319 --> 00:20:42,200 where you were, where you're growing up in the Philippines to now South Bronx. 392 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,180 Like, can you talk a little bit more about maybe like an example of 393 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:49,310 a memory that sticks out of like, damn, we're not, you know, We're 394 00:20:49,310 --> 00:20:50,570 not in the Philippines anymore. 395 00:20:50,950 --> 00:20:51,560 Yeah, yeah. 396 00:20:51,940 --> 00:20:52,740 Exactly. 397 00:20:52,940 --> 00:20:53,550 Chef Harold: Oh, definitely. 398 00:20:53,550 --> 00:20:55,550 I mean, we came to the South Bronx. 399 00:20:55,940 --> 00:20:57,569 I remember it was like 5 p. 400 00:20:57,569 --> 00:20:57,909 m. 401 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,760 and we were coming out of the taxi and, you know, I still have slippers 402 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:03,709 on and I had my bowl haircut, right? 403 00:21:03,750 --> 00:21:09,010 And I was pushing my cart by my little luggage and hip hop music 404 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,550 was playing and the first song I heard was Rene by the Lost Boys. 405 00:21:12,915 --> 00:21:15,375 And I was like, man, this is really good. 406 00:21:15,385 --> 00:21:19,455 Like storytelling, you know, it was telling a good story and people were 407 00:21:19,455 --> 00:21:23,815 still like by the trash cans with the fire, like really old school, like kids 408 00:21:23,815 --> 00:21:27,685 were still jumping on like beds, you know, by the, by this open yards thing. 409 00:21:27,685 --> 00:21:31,105 And there was like a center, I think across the street from the house. 410 00:21:31,445 --> 00:21:34,955 And so I just looked around and my mom was looking at us and it was looking at 411 00:21:34,955 --> 00:21:36,965 her and like, you gave us no warning. 412 00:21:36,985 --> 00:21:39,085 There was not, none of this was. 413 00:21:39,625 --> 00:21:43,405 None of these conversations was had the 15, 16 hours we were in the plane. 414 00:21:43,875 --> 00:21:47,855 Nobody said anything that this was going to be the view coming into the 415 00:21:47,855 --> 00:21:51,534 situation, you know, and what we, you know, what we saw from New York was like 416 00:21:51,534 --> 00:21:55,974 home alone too, or whatever, like this, that was our, you know, New York, right. 417 00:21:55,994 --> 00:22:00,604 But being able to see that, and then in the next two days, go 418 00:22:00,604 --> 00:22:03,504 to school was mind boggling. 419 00:22:03,574 --> 00:22:07,834 I was in ESL class for like the first six months just to get my English up. 420 00:22:07,834 --> 00:22:09,475 Even though English was taught and. 421 00:22:10,020 --> 00:22:13,910 In the schools in the Philippines, I had to get my English up because my accent 422 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:15,200 was hard, you know what I'm saying? 423 00:22:15,790 --> 00:22:21,090 And so being able to like do ESL, being in that room full of like real like, 424 00:22:21,370 --> 00:22:26,009 you know, like real immigrant situation with other people from the Caribbean and 425 00:22:26,010 --> 00:22:29,830 myself, and then just kind of getting out of that room and then being able 426 00:22:29,830 --> 00:22:33,860 to be part of like the mass general population again, and like, it was 427 00:22:33,860 --> 00:22:35,590 crazy, you know, and, and, and yeah. 428 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:40,030 Sandra P.: Yeah, that, that reminds me, similar story, but I, when I was moving, 429 00:22:40,250 --> 00:22:42,050 my mom didn't have a conversation either. 430 00:22:42,050 --> 00:22:45,210 I moved when I was six and it was just like, you get plopped, 431 00:22:45,850 --> 00:22:45,940 no, 432 00:22:45,940 --> 00:22:49,909 Sandra P.: no setting up, no like, Hey, by the way, we're going to start 433 00:22:49,909 --> 00:22:51,310 a new life here, the adjustment. 434 00:22:51,310 --> 00:22:55,739 It's just like, boom, here you are, you know, you mentioned your mom kind of the 435 00:22:55,749 --> 00:23:01,289 trailblazer for the nursing industry, bringing it to the U S did she pressure 436 00:23:01,289 --> 00:23:03,489 you at all to go down this path or. 437 00:23:03,705 --> 00:23:05,555 What kind of led you to explore? 438 00:23:05,555 --> 00:23:09,395 I know you mentioned early on you, you know, need to get some jobs and 439 00:23:09,395 --> 00:23:10,925 you joined fast food and all of that. 440 00:23:10,925 --> 00:23:13,155 But what was your relationship with food? 441 00:23:13,155 --> 00:23:16,305 And why did you not pursue a career in the medical field? 442 00:23:16,685 --> 00:23:17,695 Chef Harold: Oh, I did pursue it. 443 00:23:18,175 --> 00:23:19,755 I just, I just couldn't stand it. 444 00:23:19,955 --> 00:23:20,715 Biology. 445 00:23:20,834 --> 00:23:22,185 I didn't understand any of it. 446 00:23:22,235 --> 00:23:28,815 Like, I mean, I spent maybe 2, 000 at a nursing school and I moved to Utah 447 00:23:28,815 --> 00:23:33,570 for like, seven years when I was, after I was 18, I tried to go to a nursing 448 00:23:33,570 --> 00:23:35,660 school and my mom was super happy. 449 00:23:35,660 --> 00:23:39,259 She even bought me my, my first like 10 pairs of scrubs, you know what I'm saying? 450 00:23:40,030 --> 00:23:41,549 But I just told her it wasn't for me, man. 451 00:23:41,550 --> 00:23:45,150 This, you know, looking at blood and all this biology stuff. 452 00:23:45,210 --> 00:23:48,440 Like even though on the backend, I would have made more money 453 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,010 than, you know, whatever. 454 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,670 But at the end of it, like, I wasn't passionate about it at all. 455 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:55,500 My little sister went into it. 456 00:23:55,510 --> 00:23:57,540 My big brother is in it still. 457 00:23:58,030 --> 00:24:01,319 And so like, it's been part of the family lineage, whatever. 458 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,740 But for me, I just always enjoyed the hospitality part. 459 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:07,010 of the food. 460 00:24:07,110 --> 00:24:09,820 You know, I remember when I was, when we were living in the Bronx, 461 00:24:09,820 --> 00:24:12,770 I was the one that would get the pans ready for breakfast. 462 00:24:12,780 --> 00:24:14,220 You know, I would make all the omelets. 463 00:24:14,230 --> 00:24:16,629 I'd take everybody's order on a Saturday. 464 00:24:16,629 --> 00:24:17,160 You know what I'm saying? 465 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,879 A lot of spam and rice, a lot of corned beef, you know, eggs over hard, you 466 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:24,239 know, a lot of like things that little kids are not supposed to be doing at 467 00:24:24,239 --> 00:24:26,280 like nine years old or 10 years old. 468 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,260 But you know, I was in there making already like eggs and 469 00:24:29,630 --> 00:24:32,410 part of our culture too, like my father's the cook at the house. 470 00:24:32,950 --> 00:24:36,050 Not my mom, you know, and he came up to the merchant marines. 471 00:24:36,050 --> 00:24:39,110 So he was a cook at the merchant marines and then moved his way up. 472 00:24:39,590 --> 00:24:43,200 And so me and him were always in the kitchen and, and doing all those things. 473 00:24:43,220 --> 00:24:47,280 But like, yeah, I've always had that like innate thing inside of me. 474 00:24:47,390 --> 00:24:51,449 And I think once I was put in a corner or behind a brick wall and like had to 475 00:24:51,449 --> 00:24:56,240 decide whether go this way or that way, I had to make a choice for my passion 476 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,160 and in this world, it took me now. 477 00:24:58,930 --> 00:24:59,690 Minh V.: That's awesome. 478 00:24:59,950 --> 00:25:00,270 Yeah. 479 00:25:00,270 --> 00:25:03,620 And it, and it still seems that you're able to draw inspiration for, 480 00:25:03,659 --> 00:25:06,610 from what aspect of your family, from your father, father's side too. 481 00:25:17,019 --> 00:25:20,300 I loved reading a little bit more about your community collective that 482 00:25:20,300 --> 00:25:23,070 you talked about from 2013 to 2023. 483 00:25:23,290 --> 00:25:27,050 For those who aren't familiar with it, I wondering if you can just 484 00:25:27,050 --> 00:25:28,530 share a little bit more about it. 485 00:25:28,769 --> 00:25:32,735 I know that it focused on What I read was like farm to table movement 486 00:25:32,735 --> 00:25:36,165 and low income neighborhoods in New York City, and then also taking 487 00:25:36,165 --> 00:25:38,395 you to Copenhagen as well, too. 488 00:25:38,605 --> 00:25:39,725 Yeah, what inspired. 489 00:25:41,065 --> 00:25:43,085 Chef Harold: Yeah, I think, you know, I've always been that 490 00:25:43,085 --> 00:25:45,535 type to always, what's next? 491 00:25:45,715 --> 00:25:48,195 What can I, how can I be better than I was yesterday? 492 00:25:48,235 --> 00:25:48,845 You know what I mean? 493 00:25:48,874 --> 00:25:53,624 So, one day I was working at Fedora and the restaurant, I was working at 494 00:25:53,654 --> 00:25:57,385 West Village, and the farmer came in with these beautiful mushrooms, I'm 495 00:25:57,385 --> 00:26:02,640 talking about, Chanterelles all the way to Morel's all clean, not dirty. 496 00:26:02,970 --> 00:26:04,510 And I said, how did you grow these? 497 00:26:04,530 --> 00:26:08,330 And he was like, Oh, we grew them in a, in a shipping container with sawdust. 498 00:26:08,590 --> 00:26:09,510 It doesn't get the dirt. 499 00:26:09,620 --> 00:26:13,260 I said, I'm like 27 years old and I'm finding about this now. 500 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:14,590 And so. 501 00:26:14,925 --> 00:26:17,985 In my head, I'm like, I need to do something because the kids in my 502 00:26:17,985 --> 00:26:23,035 neighborhood, all they know is, is Cheetos and Coca Cola and bacon, egg and cheeses. 503 00:26:23,035 --> 00:26:23,654 You know what I'm saying? 504 00:26:23,664 --> 00:26:30,225 Like, I'm cooking foie gras and quail and all making pasta from scratch. 505 00:26:30,274 --> 00:26:33,094 Like, you know, these things need to be passed on. 506 00:26:33,104 --> 00:26:34,384 Somebody's got to do something. 507 00:26:34,995 --> 00:26:36,845 And so I just decided to just. 508 00:26:37,450 --> 00:26:38,040 I don't know, man. 509 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:41,450 We had this Halloween party at my house, and one of these guys 510 00:26:41,450 --> 00:26:42,810 I met, his name is Joaquin. 511 00:26:43,290 --> 00:26:48,070 He was one of the original members of Alice's Waters Edible Schoolyard, like 512 00:26:48,070 --> 00:26:50,479 the original, original in the Bay Area. 513 00:26:50,860 --> 00:26:55,339 And so we linked up, and we just started talking about the issues and 514 00:26:55,410 --> 00:26:59,999 how archaic the educational system is, and how archaic our food system is. 515 00:27:00,180 --> 00:27:03,030 And then we just decided, you know what, let's just do something. 516 00:27:03,470 --> 00:27:08,270 And so the first thing I did was I went to a school and I told, you know, we pitched 517 00:27:08,270 --> 00:27:12,760 it to a principal and the principal was like, that's fine if it gives, you know, 518 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:16,600 one of my teachers like a day off to like relax from these crazy ass kids. 519 00:27:17,220 --> 00:27:19,650 And so we taught like a fourth grade class. 520 00:27:20,255 --> 00:27:25,445 We didn't go to school to be teachers, none of it, we had to write a whole class 521 00:27:25,525 --> 00:27:29,565 thing, you know, and he went to college so I made him do all the writing, you know, 522 00:27:29,885 --> 00:27:33,875 I just kind of be the mouthpiece, and then we just taught this one class and we 523 00:27:33,875 --> 00:27:39,214 came out of it super inspired, like super inspired, and so we just started pitching. 524 00:27:39,690 --> 00:27:42,760 We pitched to mad different schools and we were our aim was all the 525 00:27:42,770 --> 00:27:47,130 new charter schools where all the principals were from the school of 526 00:27:47,130 --> 00:27:51,679 thought of like super innovative wanted to open something up to their kids. 527 00:27:52,100 --> 00:27:55,190 And so one of our first schools was up in Fordham and. 528 00:27:55,870 --> 00:27:57,580 She was an amazing principal. 529 00:27:57,870 --> 00:28:00,140 She just let us, she just let us do whatever. 530 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:04,150 First was an after school program, where we taught kids about, you know, where 531 00:28:04,150 --> 00:28:05,870 their food came from in my life as a chef. 532 00:28:06,370 --> 00:28:09,230 And then what we ended up doing was, we started breaking down my 533 00:28:09,230 --> 00:28:13,050 life as a chef, and how I got there, and then we started making silos. 534 00:28:13,255 --> 00:28:17,605 And we started doing class teachings with each one of those silos. 535 00:28:18,095 --> 00:28:20,855 And so one of the silos was like staging, right? 536 00:28:21,285 --> 00:28:23,095 So I called one of my chef friends. 537 00:28:23,105 --> 00:28:27,064 I'm like, yo, can I bring some kids down from the South Bronx to come to 538 00:28:27,065 --> 00:28:30,515 this one Michelin star restaurant and like learn about how to make ice cream. 539 00:28:30,795 --> 00:28:31,175 Cool. 540 00:28:31,215 --> 00:28:33,895 And so, you know, one of the chefs, his name is James Kent. 541 00:28:34,295 --> 00:28:34,975 Rest in peace. 542 00:28:35,045 --> 00:28:37,135 He was one of the best chefs in New York City. 543 00:28:37,915 --> 00:28:39,405 He was the first one to say yes. 544 00:28:39,935 --> 00:28:43,825 And he let me come to the Nomad and we were on the top floor. 545 00:28:43,825 --> 00:28:47,745 I remember to this day, to the top floor of the restaurant and he would make ice 546 00:28:47,745 --> 00:28:52,195 cream from liquid nitrogen and it was smoking everywhere, you know, turning 547 00:28:52,195 --> 00:28:55,914 the ice cream and these young kids from the South Bronx were losing their mind. 548 00:28:56,245 --> 00:28:58,025 You know, they were like, I can't believe you can make ice 549 00:28:58,025 --> 00:28:59,755 cream just like that instantly. 550 00:28:59,965 --> 00:29:00,375 Right. 551 00:29:00,515 --> 00:29:03,345 And so we started creating this curriculum. 552 00:29:03,630 --> 00:29:06,470 Then we ended up just being passed around from school to school. 553 00:29:06,900 --> 00:29:11,650 We went to Smellman school up in North Bronx where the affluent 554 00:29:11,690 --> 00:29:13,720 people of New York send their kids. 555 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:16,000 So we taught Jerry Seinfeld's kid. 556 00:29:16,550 --> 00:29:19,820 And then after that, we went to the Dwight school, which is an Upper 557 00:29:19,820 --> 00:29:23,950 West Side, which is one of the highest private schools in the world. 558 00:29:24,020 --> 00:29:28,890 And we ended up really flushing the program and that school, because our motto 559 00:29:28,890 --> 00:29:35,030 was Using a high end school to make our mistakes and then making the curriculum 560 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,870 much smaller and then giving it to the public schools who basically for free. 561 00:29:39,199 --> 00:29:41,360 So we were just using the Robin hood method. 562 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:45,200 And then we were, did that program for five years while doing all of that. 563 00:29:45,500 --> 00:29:49,490 One of my friends in high school worked for the, the UN and she's 564 00:29:49,490 --> 00:29:50,560 part of the state department. 565 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,720 And I was like, listen, I'm going to Denmark to go speak at 566 00:29:54,740 --> 00:29:59,510 the MAD Symposium, which is René Redzepi's yearly symposium for food. 567 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:01,239 And I was like, I don't want to waste my time. 568 00:30:01,239 --> 00:30:03,170 I just don't want to go there for the MAD Symposium. 569 00:30:03,709 --> 00:30:06,740 Do you know anybody at the embassy that we can sell this to so they 570 00:30:06,740 --> 00:30:10,019 can pay us so we can keep coming back to Denmark and like doing this? 571 00:30:10,810 --> 00:30:15,300 And so we ended up meeting with uh, to the U. 572 00:30:15,300 --> 00:30:15,420 S. 573 00:30:15,420 --> 00:30:16,340 Embassy in Denmark. 574 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:19,960 The person that was underneath him was the guy that we pitched the idea 575 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:28,145 to and bust to find out he was like, uh, FBI undercover drug guy and he 576 00:30:28,145 --> 00:30:32,764 just loved the idea of this like, you know, lowbrow highbrow kind of thing. 577 00:30:33,284 --> 00:30:36,275 And we were like doing like gang signs to each other and it was crazy. 578 00:30:36,705 --> 00:30:37,794 I still remember to this day. 579 00:30:37,795 --> 00:30:39,785 It was some wild, that's another story. 580 00:30:39,785 --> 00:30:42,624 We got to tell, we got to tell you about the story about the night before. 581 00:30:42,905 --> 00:30:47,165 That got us to that morning meeting that we almost didn't make, but that's 582 00:30:47,165 --> 00:30:51,165 a different podcast, but that was crazy. 583 00:30:52,135 --> 00:30:52,675 Sounds crazy. 584 00:30:52,675 --> 00:30:53,165 Minh V.: Yeah. 585 00:30:54,415 --> 00:30:57,275 Chef Harold: So we met the guy, sold him the idea. 586 00:30:57,750 --> 00:31:00,680 And then we became, I became the culinary ambassador to U. 587 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:00,840 S. 588 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:01,790 Embassy of Denmark. 589 00:31:02,430 --> 00:31:07,640 And so with my own regular chef salary, I was also getting paid by the state 590 00:31:08,060 --> 00:31:10,969 through the programming that I was doing in New York with the state programs. 591 00:31:11,370 --> 00:31:15,070 And then the feds was paying me also through the federal program. 592 00:31:15,499 --> 00:31:17,174 And then I was traveling to Denmark. 593 00:31:17,535 --> 00:31:21,225 Twice a year and then teaching kids that were immigrants coming 594 00:31:21,225 --> 00:31:23,055 from other countries about the U. 595 00:31:23,055 --> 00:31:23,195 S. 596 00:31:23,195 --> 00:31:29,115 Hustle I did that for five years and then during that time too I went to the summit 597 00:31:29,145 --> 00:31:32,844 in Switzerland the financial summit and then that's where I met David Hertz. 598 00:31:33,255 --> 00:31:37,535 Who's the head of Gastromotiva in Brazil. 599 00:31:37,614 --> 00:31:42,045 He feeds the homeless in this like refettorio which is also part of Massimo 600 00:31:42,045 --> 00:31:44,535 Bottura's refettorio uh, situation. 601 00:31:44,755 --> 00:31:47,805 And so we ended up creating a program together called Social Gastronomy 602 00:31:47,805 --> 00:31:54,145 Movement, which we opened in Chile, Sweden, Denmark, New York, Miami. 603 00:31:54,344 --> 00:31:58,105 And so I was traveling while I was working as a full time chef. 604 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:02,550 Traveling all over this country and then setting up these programs, feeding 605 00:32:02,550 --> 00:32:04,340 the homeless, teaching the kids. 606 00:32:05,860 --> 00:32:10,440 Minh V.: Oh, Harold, like, where do you find the time to do all of this? 607 00:32:11,050 --> 00:32:16,109 Because my next question here, and I'm like, not to add more on your plate, 608 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,460 and I know you're starting new things in Austin, but I'm like, is, is that 609 00:32:20,460 --> 00:32:22,220 an interest, I guess, in the future? 610 00:32:22,230 --> 00:32:25,710 Not saying that you gotta do that now, but like, how, how, How involved 611 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:29,380 do you hope to be, I guess, in, in the Austin community as you, as 612 00:32:29,380 --> 00:32:31,720 you continue your projects here? 613 00:32:32,330 --> 00:32:34,640 Chef Harold: Well, I mean, when I first came to Austin December 614 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:38,210 of 2023, I know the rules. 615 00:32:38,780 --> 00:32:42,459 You can't just come into a city and act like you're the big dog without 616 00:32:42,479 --> 00:32:44,340 checking in with the community. 617 00:32:44,340 --> 00:32:45,180 You know what I'm saying? 618 00:32:45,620 --> 00:32:46,740 So I made the calls. 619 00:32:46,770 --> 00:32:51,550 I introduced myself to all of the Asian Asian Chambers of Commerce to the 620 00:32:51,550 --> 00:32:56,180 Filipinos even did a free dinner just to introduce myself and, you know, really 621 00:32:56,180 --> 00:32:58,230 just wanted to build the community. 622 00:32:58,670 --> 00:33:02,720 I think the main deal now is this restaurant is not only 623 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:03,790 going to be a restaurant. 624 00:33:04,130 --> 00:33:08,159 I want it to be a place like a community hub, you know, these hot 625 00:33:08,159 --> 00:33:11,520 summer nights or these hot summer days, you know, it could be a place 626 00:33:11,520 --> 00:33:12,810 where people could come and hang. 627 00:33:13,260 --> 00:33:18,170 We can have activations in a sense of panel talks to all 628 00:33:18,170 --> 00:33:19,700 that kind of stuff in the space. 629 00:33:20,250 --> 00:33:22,040 I'll provide the food, you know what I'm saying? 630 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:22,780 And then just like. 631 00:33:23,470 --> 00:33:25,910 I feel like we're at the table, but we're like at the kid's table. 632 00:33:25,910 --> 00:33:26,590 You know what I'm saying? 633 00:33:27,060 --> 00:33:28,830 We're not the Thanksgiving table, you know? 634 00:33:29,310 --> 00:33:34,360 So I think it's time to say we can't keep waiting to get into the big boy table. 635 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:35,530 We're just going to make our own table. 636 00:33:35,869 --> 00:33:36,490 You know what I'm saying? 637 00:33:36,490 --> 00:33:40,499 Like, we're just going to make our own table because Asians are all over the 638 00:33:40,500 --> 00:33:42,780 place like this, all types of Asians. 639 00:33:42,789 --> 00:33:44,660 There's not just not one type, you know what I mean? 640 00:33:44,700 --> 00:33:46,270 So I think. 641 00:33:46,535 --> 00:33:51,495 That's where I wanted to, that's where I wanted to come to, you know, South by 642 00:33:51,495 --> 00:33:53,455 Southwest is a great activation time. 643 00:33:53,515 --> 00:33:56,875 All of the Asian, uh, holidays are great activation time. 644 00:33:57,305 --> 00:34:00,404 The restaurant is right there on 6th Street in Medina, and we can 645 00:34:00,404 --> 00:34:04,035 get permits to shut down that block and throw some block parties, you 646 00:34:04,035 --> 00:34:05,375 know, we can do a night market. 647 00:34:05,845 --> 00:34:09,505 We can set up like huge, we let people really understand 648 00:34:09,795 --> 00:34:11,205 what Asian food tastes like. 649 00:34:11,325 --> 00:34:12,705 It's just not ramen. 650 00:34:13,085 --> 00:34:14,874 It's just not Thai food. 651 00:34:15,155 --> 00:34:16,145 It's just not that. 652 00:34:16,175 --> 00:34:16,765 You know what I'm saying? 653 00:34:16,805 --> 00:34:19,885 Like people really need to feel like you need to understand 654 00:34:19,885 --> 00:34:21,005 Asians through our food. 655 00:34:21,005 --> 00:34:21,564 You know what I mean? 656 00:34:21,564 --> 00:34:23,724 So I want it to be a platform. 657 00:34:24,175 --> 00:34:27,575 For everybody to be able to be successful and also, you know, to be all, to show 658 00:34:27,575 --> 00:34:30,465 off, you know, to show off the skill set and, and talk about where they're from. 659 00:34:30,495 --> 00:34:33,775 Cause I feel like Austin's becoming more and more diverse now. 660 00:34:34,075 --> 00:34:36,745 Since I've been here six months, I've noticed a lot of different people coming. 661 00:34:37,414 --> 00:34:41,594 Laotian restaurants have opened to Cambodians, you know, there's a bunch 662 00:34:41,595 --> 00:34:42,994 of Vietnamese people here already. 663 00:34:42,994 --> 00:34:43,585 You know what I'm saying? 664 00:34:43,585 --> 00:34:46,310 Like, you know, I feel like the Vietnamese people are just holding 665 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:49,280 back, you know, they're just giving you like the fun, but I'm like, yo, 666 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:51,390 bring the stuff on the back out. 667 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:51,950 You know what I'm saying? 668 00:34:52,100 --> 00:34:55,330 Let them, let them, let them really taste some nok cham, let them really 669 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:56,409 taste like, you know what I mean? 670 00:34:56,409 --> 00:34:58,800 The chili, let them really sweat it out. 671 00:34:58,810 --> 00:34:59,560 Let them feel it. 672 00:34:59,580 --> 00:35:00,160 You know what I mean? 673 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:04,009 Like, so I think that's where, I think that's where the conversation starts. 674 00:35:04,010 --> 00:35:06,550 Now, let's really start to create a standard. 675 00:35:07,135 --> 00:35:08,225 Of what this looks like. 676 00:35:08,695 --> 00:35:14,135 So Austin, not only is a great city to live, but we can also celebrate our 677 00:35:14,535 --> 00:35:17,595 history, our culture and do it together. 678 00:35:17,865 --> 00:35:20,555 And I want that to be for my son too. 679 00:35:20,565 --> 00:35:24,115 You know, I want him to be able to like grow up in a space where he doesn't 680 00:35:24,115 --> 00:35:29,235 have to be afraid or ashamed of being something, you know what I'm saying? 681 00:35:29,415 --> 00:35:31,565 And I just want him to be true to himself. 682 00:35:32,075 --> 00:35:32,425 So, 683 00:35:32,475 --> 00:35:33,755 Minh V.: yeah, for sure. 684 00:35:33,805 --> 00:35:40,194 And what a beautiful new piece of this story with your son to be able to make 685 00:35:40,194 --> 00:35:44,325 sure the community that he's able to grow up in is is a good one as well, too. 686 00:35:44,335 --> 00:35:45,995 So that. 687 00:35:46,104 --> 00:35:46,554 Yeah. 688 00:35:46,944 --> 00:35:50,224 One other thing that I think is interesting to me about your 689 00:35:50,224 --> 00:35:52,835 story is that, you know, you started with the food network. 690 00:35:52,835 --> 00:35:55,265 You were mentioning how impactful that was. 691 00:35:55,585 --> 00:36:01,135 You then were Cooking and working in all those amazing different restaurants. 692 00:36:01,435 --> 00:36:04,525 And then after COVID you went to Bon Appetit kind of back 693 00:36:04,525 --> 00:36:05,985 to food media a little bit. 694 00:36:05,985 --> 00:36:10,484 And so there's this like interesting thread of more traditional, 695 00:36:10,485 --> 00:36:13,865 maybe the culinary industry, and then also this like food media. 696 00:36:14,300 --> 00:36:18,140 And then I see, too, you have the Food Hustler, a new web series coming 697 00:36:18,140 --> 00:36:21,940 out on YouTube, kind of talking about the opening of this restaurant 698 00:36:21,940 --> 00:36:23,090 and, and different things like that. 699 00:36:23,099 --> 00:36:27,489 How important do you feel the collaboration between food and media is 700 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:32,740 and how do you hope to be able to use that to, to, Amplify the work that you do. 701 00:36:33,060 --> 00:36:34,030 Chef Harold: Yeah, it's very important. 702 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:37,190 I mean, nowadays, especially with social media and, you know, content 703 00:36:37,190 --> 00:36:40,739 is king, you know, and you have to always be relevant in that sense. 704 00:36:40,739 --> 00:36:41,059 Right. 705 00:36:41,529 --> 00:36:43,720 And, you know, some people don't like doing it because it 706 00:36:43,720 --> 00:36:45,540 takes a lot of energy, you know? 707 00:36:45,559 --> 00:36:50,909 So when I put cameras in front of people, sometimes they try to revert back to this 708 00:36:50,910 --> 00:36:55,860 kind of Asian quietness that we're always thought of, you know, and I always give 709 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:57,260 them a little pep talk before all of it. 710 00:36:57,910 --> 00:37:01,690 You cannot change who you are from this point to when the camera points 711 00:37:01,690 --> 00:37:05,580 on you because you don't want people to meet you in the street and see, 712 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,520 then you gotta keep turning off, turning off on, on, on this kind of 713 00:37:09,050 --> 00:37:10,680 image of who you're supposed to be. 714 00:37:11,050 --> 00:37:12,180 You have to be true to yourself. 715 00:37:12,180 --> 00:37:15,750 You have to know who you are right now because the camera is going to show that. 716 00:37:16,375 --> 00:37:19,665 So it's really, I'm trying to help fellow Asian chefs that 717 00:37:19,665 --> 00:37:20,555 are a little bit more timid. 718 00:37:21,045 --> 00:37:25,105 I try to help them like you got to get up front of it because at the end of the day, 719 00:37:25,225 --> 00:37:29,275 you know, like if you're not going to be in front of it, you're going to run over. 720 00:37:29,655 --> 00:37:30,515 You're going to get forgotten. 721 00:37:30,535 --> 00:37:32,225 You know, there's going to be this big wave and then you're 722 00:37:32,225 --> 00:37:33,275 going to be swallowed in it. 723 00:37:33,694 --> 00:37:34,905 You got to be on top of the trends. 724 00:37:35,370 --> 00:37:38,570 And I think it's, it's very important to tell our stories in that sense. 725 00:37:38,810 --> 00:37:40,120 Minh V.: Yeah, I appreciate that. 726 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:43,590 And it, it very much is similar to kind of the story of me and Sandra 727 00:37:43,590 --> 00:37:48,090 wanting to create this podcast and just put the power back in our hands 728 00:37:48,090 --> 00:37:52,450 of telling our stories, people in our community stories and amplifying that 729 00:37:52,450 --> 00:37:57,000 as best as we can and not wait around for someone else to, to do that for us. 730 00:37:57,000 --> 00:37:58,140 You know, so I appreciate. 731 00:37:58,575 --> 00:37:59,325 I appreciate that. 732 00:38:09,725 --> 00:38:12,905 Sandra P.: I would say one of the, I think, staple and most important 733 00:38:12,925 --> 00:38:16,945 things to Minh and I, and again, why we invest our time into this podcast 734 00:38:17,325 --> 00:38:21,875 is recognizing those that are really giving back to the community, right? 735 00:38:21,905 --> 00:38:27,040 Like, this, the Austin Asian community is very tight knit and very protective. 736 00:38:27,100 --> 00:38:31,020 And so one of the things I like that you mentioned was you're very hyper 737 00:38:31,020 --> 00:38:34,760 aware of giving back to the community in which you're building a business in. 738 00:38:34,780 --> 00:38:37,570 And I know in one of your own episodes, you're talking about finding 739 00:38:37,650 --> 00:38:40,710 sustainable farmers and vendors and things like that, that you're going 740 00:38:40,710 --> 00:38:42,460 to be using at the new concept OCO. 741 00:38:42,910 --> 00:38:44,710 We're interested in learning a little bit more. 742 00:38:44,710 --> 00:38:47,210 How are you making those decisions of who you're bringing to the 743 00:38:47,210 --> 00:38:48,950 table, who you're investing in? 744 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:52,810 How are you selecting the vendors and, and the folks in the farmers that you're 745 00:38:52,810 --> 00:38:54,380 really going to bring into this concept? 746 00:38:54,630 --> 00:38:58,230 Chef Harold: Yeah, I think it really just comes down to going to the space 747 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:03,039 and seeing how they treat the products and being able to say, this is how 748 00:39:03,039 --> 00:39:05,790 we're going to work together because you're treating this product properly. 749 00:39:06,110 --> 00:39:10,130 And the other way we did it too, is knowing some of the vendors 750 00:39:10,130 --> 00:39:13,140 that are already here, especially the Asian vendors, right? 751 00:39:13,550 --> 00:39:18,515 Minamoto, M&T and all those old school vendors up in North 752 00:39:18,515 --> 00:39:19,465 Lamar and all that stuff. 753 00:39:20,195 --> 00:39:21,535 We have a tight connection with them. 754 00:39:21,585 --> 00:39:26,315 And so our products, Asian products wise, they're definitely have the funk. 755 00:39:26,395 --> 00:39:27,515 Oh, they definitely got the fuck. 756 00:39:27,515 --> 00:39:29,915 Oh, we definitely got the fuck. 757 00:39:30,445 --> 00:39:30,854 Oh boy. 758 00:39:30,895 --> 00:39:32,425 I seen a fish sauce with fish in it. 759 00:39:33,130 --> 00:39:36,200 That's some real sh I was like, ah, this is first time for me. 760 00:39:37,060 --> 00:39:42,440 And so, you know, we really are trying to hone in on, on those aspects and 761 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:47,399 really spending our money properly to the spaces that need to be spent on because 762 00:39:47,399 --> 00:39:49,570 obviously we can't do it alone, right? 763 00:39:49,600 --> 00:39:51,249 We got to do it together, you know? 764 00:39:51,249 --> 00:39:54,735 So once, once again, If we're growing, the vendors are going to be 765 00:39:54,735 --> 00:39:58,995 growing and we try to attract people that have the same values as us. 766 00:39:59,395 --> 00:40:01,655 And so, you know, Farming the Table, Mr. 767 00:40:01,655 --> 00:40:05,855 Green's, Heritage Seafood, which has been working with, with local 768 00:40:05,865 --> 00:40:07,955 farmers and local fishermen. 769 00:40:08,625 --> 00:40:12,394 And so, yeah, we, we just try to do our best to make sure we take 770 00:40:12,584 --> 00:40:13,834 our products here from Texas. 771 00:40:14,245 --> 00:40:16,785 And then also, you know, with the Asian products, we definitely try 772 00:40:16,785 --> 00:40:20,285 to link up with the Asian markets and buy our products from them. 773 00:40:20,745 --> 00:40:23,735 It's probably the only way we have for us to get Filipino flavored 774 00:40:23,735 --> 00:40:25,005 stuff anyways, you know what I mean? 775 00:40:25,005 --> 00:40:27,495 Like, we were discussing if we're going to make our own banana 776 00:40:27,495 --> 00:40:30,055 ketchup, or we're going to be buying the bulk banana ketchup. 777 00:40:30,185 --> 00:40:34,015 So that's the one thing I'm like paying attention to, you know, if 778 00:40:34,015 --> 00:40:37,305 we want to be hyperlocal with our menu, you know, we got to be super 779 00:40:37,305 --> 00:40:39,794 smart about who we can build with. 780 00:40:40,235 --> 00:40:43,665 And maybe we can even build some of those Asian products with the farmers that 781 00:40:43,665 --> 00:40:48,185 we're working with now and see if we can create our own little plot of land to 782 00:40:48,185 --> 00:40:49,654 grow these like Asian products, you know? 783 00:40:50,605 --> 00:40:52,605 All those things are in the conversation right now. 784 00:40:53,105 --> 00:40:53,855 Sandra P.: Yeah, I love that. 785 00:40:53,875 --> 00:40:57,035 I was laughing when you were saying the funk and it reminded me of a 786 00:40:57,035 --> 00:40:59,135 conversation we've had with Sherry Kong. 787 00:40:59,144 --> 00:41:00,875 She owns Mama Kong Cambodian. 788 00:41:01,045 --> 00:41:01,505 Uh huh. 789 00:41:01,515 --> 00:41:04,155 Sandra P.: But I know when she was launching her concept, there was a 790 00:41:04,155 --> 00:41:09,145 little bit of fear of, Really putting out real authentic Cambodian food, right? 791 00:41:09,185 --> 00:41:11,535 Like, let me tell you, this ain't New York. 792 00:41:11,545 --> 00:41:12,035 Okay. 793 00:41:12,065 --> 00:41:16,675 So like Austin cuisine, the food, all of that, there, there's a 794 00:41:16,675 --> 00:41:18,045 reason there is momentum, right? 795 00:41:18,045 --> 00:41:21,175 And, and we're seeing that and we love that chefs like you are coming 796 00:41:21,175 --> 00:41:25,194 in and wanting to push the envelope, but you know, you coming in new, do 797 00:41:25,194 --> 00:41:28,585 you have any fear about introducing banana ketchup to this crowd? 798 00:41:29,035 --> 00:41:31,245 Chef Harold: I mean, I think from what you've seen through my career, 799 00:41:31,325 --> 00:41:36,195 I think fear is just part of my life, failure is part of it, so 800 00:41:36,195 --> 00:41:37,595 I've never been scared of failing. 801 00:41:37,675 --> 00:41:38,785 That's, that's number one. 802 00:41:39,175 --> 00:41:43,174 And number two, I did my work and I did kameyans, I did like six 803 00:41:43,174 --> 00:41:48,335 kameyans before I even, even thought about opening a Filipino restaurant. 804 00:41:48,345 --> 00:41:51,785 First of all, the concept was supposed to be South Asian, and then we just 805 00:41:51,785 --> 00:41:55,885 decided to go Filipino hard on like two months ago because of the pop ups. 806 00:41:56,265 --> 00:42:00,610 And the best part about the pop ups was Thank God, not only was the 807 00:42:00,610 --> 00:42:05,650 room full of Filipinos, the room was full of Austenites, people that just 808 00:42:05,650 --> 00:42:07,210 wanted to see what was going on. 809 00:42:07,760 --> 00:42:10,599 And then when they started eating with their hands, all this food 810 00:42:10,599 --> 00:42:14,430 on the table, all the stink spilling, all the sauces everywhere, 811 00:42:14,460 --> 00:42:15,999 their clothes getting all dirty. 812 00:42:16,010 --> 00:42:17,929 It was all like part of the experience, right? 813 00:42:17,940 --> 00:42:20,340 From that point on, every pop up. 814 00:42:20,615 --> 00:42:24,725 The first pop up was like 45 people, next it was like 65 people, 815 00:42:24,815 --> 00:42:26,495 and the next one was like 130. 816 00:42:26,915 --> 00:42:31,504 And so we used that as a market piece to understand now the marketplace for 817 00:42:31,504 --> 00:42:33,765 it is ready to have something like that. 818 00:42:34,405 --> 00:42:38,164 Obviously this Filipino restaurant is not going to be super in your face Filipino. 819 00:42:38,165 --> 00:42:42,175 We want to introduce things slowly, but we're also introducing products that have 820 00:42:42,175 --> 00:42:43,955 never been done with Filipino food before. 821 00:42:44,245 --> 00:42:48,945 So a little, like a little snippet into the food, like we're doing like 822 00:42:49,015 --> 00:42:50,644 an adobo, but we're doing it with lamb. 823 00:42:51,135 --> 00:42:53,925 What I realized is everybody can make chicken adobo. 824 00:42:53,965 --> 00:42:55,515 Everybody can make pork adobo. 825 00:42:55,515 --> 00:42:56,835 That's easy, right? 826 00:42:57,495 --> 00:43:02,065 But how can you make lamb adobo and make it edible enough and soft enough 827 00:43:02,065 --> 00:43:06,105 and and make it remind you of those things or of those of those nuances? 828 00:43:06,544 --> 00:43:10,934 And so we're doing these type of things to the food, but then the depth of the 829 00:43:10,945 --> 00:43:15,355 flavors underneath it, the depth of the story is more in the middle of it. 830 00:43:15,355 --> 00:43:19,155 So you'll fill it in your belly instead of like filling it in your mind. 831 00:43:19,155 --> 00:43:19,775 You know what I'm saying? 832 00:43:20,290 --> 00:43:24,400 Minh V.: I feel that that's a really thoughtful way to approach 833 00:43:24,730 --> 00:43:29,440 how you're going to be introducing some of these flavors and, and 834 00:43:29,440 --> 00:43:31,469 ideas to, to folks here in Austin. 835 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:36,369 One thing when I was doing a little bit of reading that I found really admirable 836 00:43:36,369 --> 00:43:41,150 is that you kind of talked about the Escoffier system that's found in a 837 00:43:41,150 --> 00:43:43,730 lot of, lots of the culinary industry. 838 00:43:43,730 --> 00:43:46,489 And I'm gotta admit, like, I'm a little ignorant to this. 839 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:47,910 to the industry a little bit. 840 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:52,310 My first introduction was really seeing it on the show the bear 841 00:43:52,580 --> 00:43:56,879 and kind of that hierarchical system and kind of way of working. 842 00:43:56,879 --> 00:44:01,399 And I can definitely see how much it could take a toll on the mental 843 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:03,230 health of staff at all levels. 844 00:44:03,689 --> 00:44:08,800 Have you seen a shift away from this in COVID and what are some 845 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:12,320 new trends that you see happening in the kitchen these days? 846 00:44:12,330 --> 00:44:16,370 Or how do you hope that your new concepts could be different? 847 00:44:16,960 --> 00:44:19,205 Chef Harold: Well, that's a great question because You know, 848 00:44:19,205 --> 00:44:20,695 we talk about that as a chef. 849 00:44:20,745 --> 00:44:21,885 We talk about that all the time. 850 00:44:22,265 --> 00:44:26,225 That's part of our culture building, essentially as part of our checklist, 851 00:44:26,315 --> 00:44:31,654 our pre opening checklist now, you know, I think COVID was a horrible thing, but 852 00:44:31,654 --> 00:44:35,535 also it was great that it leveled the playing field a little bit for most of us. 853 00:44:35,924 --> 00:44:38,275 Brown and black folks never had an opportunity. 854 00:44:38,645 --> 00:44:40,365 To be in the forefront before in food. 855 00:44:40,375 --> 00:44:40,825 Never. 856 00:44:40,885 --> 00:44:45,095 I swear to you, I swear to you, it would have taken another 10, 15 years 857 00:44:45,095 --> 00:44:48,144 before we even get an opportunity for somebody to invest in us. 858 00:44:48,174 --> 00:44:48,964 You know what I'm saying? 859 00:44:49,405 --> 00:44:50,745 COVID really opened that up. 860 00:44:50,745 --> 00:44:54,374 Now, if you, if you look at the statistics, a lot more brown and 861 00:44:54,374 --> 00:44:57,615 black folks are getting James Bond nominations than ever before. 862 00:44:57,645 --> 00:44:58,005 All right. 863 00:44:58,485 --> 00:45:01,755 And so I think that was one thing that really helped us. 864 00:45:01,965 --> 00:45:05,015 And then all those people that were toxic to the industry 865 00:45:05,515 --> 00:45:07,095 left because they didn't have. 866 00:45:07,795 --> 00:45:10,775 Most of those people that are toxic in the industry, all they believe is 867 00:45:10,775 --> 00:45:15,105 in this food, this food, uh, food, food, food, uh, kitchen life, uh, 868 00:45:15,425 --> 00:45:17,324 screaming at the people, da, da, da, da. 869 00:45:17,505 --> 00:45:20,655 So when COVID happened, you had no outlet for any of that. 870 00:45:20,925 --> 00:45:23,805 So you had to leave it and do something else, right? 871 00:45:24,264 --> 00:45:25,564 And so that also helped. 872 00:45:25,934 --> 00:45:27,845 So now the people that are left. 873 00:45:28,205 --> 00:45:32,875 In the space are the young chefs like myself that are now old 874 00:45:33,645 --> 00:45:36,485 that are now seasoned chefs. 875 00:45:36,894 --> 00:45:40,015 And now we see that that thing does not work. 876 00:45:40,264 --> 00:45:41,014 It does not work. 877 00:45:41,415 --> 00:45:46,065 Even people like Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller who hire screamers, who hire. 878 00:45:46,490 --> 00:45:50,330 Very toxic people have also pulled back on that. 879 00:45:50,340 --> 00:45:53,940 And now their conversation is a lot different now because they understand 880 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:59,510 that if they don't treat the people right, there's no manpower to push the cuisine 881 00:45:59,510 --> 00:46:01,539 or push their agenda or their brand along. 882 00:46:02,260 --> 00:46:04,700 And so for us, number one has always been culture. 883 00:46:05,220 --> 00:46:09,160 When I linked up with the hospitality group, that was one of my bottom lines. 884 00:46:09,350 --> 00:46:11,310 We needed to take care of our people. 885 00:46:11,650 --> 00:46:14,000 We need to pay them a livable wage. 886 00:46:14,390 --> 00:46:16,910 And we also need to give them opportunities to have a 887 00:46:16,920 --> 00:46:18,050 life work balance, you know? 888 00:46:18,050 --> 00:46:23,159 Like, you know, we want to give them an opportunity to, to really maximize 889 00:46:23,160 --> 00:46:24,599 what this really means to be a chef. 890 00:46:24,629 --> 00:46:25,524 You don't want to be a chef. 891 00:46:25,525 --> 00:46:27,665 At 65 still cooking on the line. 892 00:46:27,665 --> 00:46:29,015 And like, that's crazy. 893 00:46:29,025 --> 00:46:29,555 You know what I mean? 894 00:46:30,095 --> 00:46:34,855 And shows like the bear really showing the, the spectrum of it, you know, 895 00:46:35,245 --> 00:46:39,655 and seeing as in you, they're really showing the post traumatic syndrome 896 00:46:39,655 --> 00:46:44,734 stuff that happens, this industry was built off of a militaryistic system. 897 00:46:45,185 --> 00:46:48,085 So any of those things that come out of the military is part of it. 898 00:46:48,605 --> 00:46:52,965 So PTSD coming out of like, coming out of like the pandemic, it's true. 899 00:46:53,610 --> 00:46:56,660 There's a lot more chefs dying, you know, like it's crazy, you know, 900 00:46:57,380 --> 00:46:58,850 like we're not saving lives here. 901 00:46:58,850 --> 00:47:00,780 We're not like doctors or anything like that, right? 902 00:47:00,780 --> 00:47:05,250 We're not in the middle of gunfire, but people are still dying, you know? 903 00:47:05,310 --> 00:47:08,960 And the one thing I really wanted to end up happening is really putting 904 00:47:08,970 --> 00:47:13,540 the chef industry or the hospitality industry in the professional realm. 905 00:47:13,700 --> 00:47:16,610 You know, we want people to think of it as a profession now, instead 906 00:47:16,610 --> 00:47:18,310 of it just being a passion project. 907 00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:23,740 Because with passion comes with, with passion comes neglect sometimes, you know, 908 00:47:24,110 --> 00:47:27,910 you try to treat people lesser than what they are because you think you have more 909 00:47:27,910 --> 00:47:29,849 passion than them, you know what I mean? 910 00:47:30,150 --> 00:47:35,909 So I feel like if we work harder and put the hospitality industry in 911 00:47:35,910 --> 00:47:39,485 a place where they can take care of people, they can, you know, Give people 912 00:47:39,485 --> 00:47:44,985 opportunities to be successful and I think that's been our only job as chefs 913 00:47:45,285 --> 00:47:50,105 as craftsmen and this whole thing is give the space better than how we got it. 914 00:47:50,734 --> 00:47:53,785 And Rene Redzepi told me that before I left 12 years ago. 915 00:47:54,735 --> 00:47:56,764 Sandra P.: I think those are such profound words when you 916 00:47:56,764 --> 00:47:58,735 said with passion comes neglect. 917 00:47:58,885 --> 00:47:59,895 I think across. 918 00:48:00,285 --> 00:48:05,055 Any industry, I think you can see people who just drill themselves 919 00:48:05,055 --> 00:48:07,045 into the ground because of passion. 920 00:48:07,105 --> 00:48:07,425 Right? 921 00:48:07,435 --> 00:48:09,545 And so I appreciate that you called that out. 922 00:48:19,585 --> 00:48:21,364 Look, Haro, thank you so much for joining us. 923 00:48:21,385 --> 00:48:25,924 And one of our questions we like to ask every single one of our guests, and I 924 00:48:25,934 --> 00:48:30,905 would love for you to share is, what does your AAPI identity mean to you today? 925 00:48:31,785 --> 00:48:32,145 Chef Harold: Hmm. 926 00:48:32,145 --> 00:48:36,935 You know, I didn't really identify Filipino until maybe eight years ago. 927 00:48:37,245 --> 00:48:38,655 To tell you the truth, that's real. 928 00:48:39,245 --> 00:48:41,685 I was black and Chinese for a long time. 929 00:48:42,905 --> 00:48:45,745 And, and that's how, you know, that's how I got all the girls back in the day. 930 00:48:45,745 --> 00:48:47,985 But anyways, that's another story. 931 00:48:49,130 --> 00:48:54,060 But I think AAPI identity now, I feel like I'm just a spoke in his 932 00:48:54,060 --> 00:48:55,060 wheel, you know what I'm saying? 933 00:48:55,610 --> 00:48:59,600 I'm just here to keep this thing going, just to help it go and just get it 934 00:48:59,630 --> 00:49:01,569 ready for the next generation, you know? 935 00:49:01,580 --> 00:49:04,890 Like, I think that's my identity, it's this legacy part. 936 00:49:05,440 --> 00:49:08,079 And I think that's where I'm focused on now, is how can 937 00:49:08,079 --> 00:49:09,830 I leave something for a kid? 938 00:49:10,440 --> 00:49:13,740 You know, so you can be somewhere in a good space, but also leave something 939 00:49:13,740 --> 00:49:17,860 for our culture and for the people that came here with us and be able 940 00:49:17,860 --> 00:49:20,210 to leave that kind of legacy behind. 941 00:49:20,580 --> 00:49:21,510 Minh V.: I appreciate that. 942 00:49:22,040 --> 00:49:24,430 Where can our listeners find you? 943 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:29,460 Do a, do a little plug for how to stay connected with you or, and you mentioned 944 00:49:29,490 --> 00:49:31,420 in September, we should be on the lookout. 945 00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:32,040 Chef Harold: Yeah, definitely. 946 00:49:32,070 --> 00:49:35,940 I'm on Instagram, Chef Harold De La Rosa, YouTube, Uncle Harold's TV. 947 00:49:36,550 --> 00:49:41,750 And then September, hopefully, we're opening OKO, O K O, on 6th Street in 948 00:49:41,750 --> 00:49:44,510 Medina, at the old Ah Sing Den Space. 949 00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:47,120 It's gonna be a full blown Filipino restaurant. 950 00:49:47,650 --> 00:49:50,680 So we're gonna have a lot of smell good stuff coming out the 951 00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:51,670 kitchen, you know what I'm saying? 952 00:49:51,870 --> 00:49:52,700 Just expect that. 953 00:49:53,089 --> 00:49:55,639 We're super excited to introduce it to the community. 954 00:49:56,160 --> 00:49:59,610 We're super excited to be on that side of 6th Street, and be able to represent 955 00:49:59,610 --> 00:50:02,650 that so we can really, you And it feels like it's gonna be a good block, you 956 00:50:02,650 --> 00:50:06,200 know, Sweater is on there, Kanji is on that block, you know what I'm saying? 957 00:50:06,200 --> 00:50:08,830 So I think Sixth Street might be, you know, might be a 958 00:50:08,830 --> 00:50:09,960 nice little block here soon. 959 00:50:09,960 --> 00:50:10,270 So 960 00:50:10,320 --> 00:50:10,830 Minh V.: yeah. 961 00:50:11,130 --> 00:50:12,720 Getting some good culture over there. 962 00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:13,639 Chef Harold: You know what I mean? 963 00:50:13,690 --> 00:50:14,619 Like the culture block. 964 00:50:14,619 --> 00:50:15,029 You know what I mean? 965 00:50:15,029 --> 00:50:15,439 Yeah. 966 00:50:15,750 --> 00:50:19,190 And I'm really talking about this, you know, this block party situation. 967 00:50:19,250 --> 00:50:19,740 Minh V.: Yeah. 968 00:50:20,110 --> 00:50:21,100 Chef Harold: That sounds like a lot of fun. 969 00:50:21,110 --> 00:50:22,850 Minh V.: We'll, we'll definitely be on the lookout for that. 970 00:50:22,850 --> 00:50:26,270 I think that that'll be, I think a lot of Austinites will really 971 00:50:26,570 --> 00:50:27,950 be drawn to something like that. 972 00:50:27,950 --> 00:50:28,359 Yeah. 973 00:50:28,360 --> 00:50:28,410 Yeah. 974 00:50:28,630 --> 00:50:28,690 Thank you. 975 00:50:29,485 --> 00:50:32,475 Minh V.: We wrap up our episodes with a little rapid fire. 976 00:50:32,545 --> 00:50:35,515 So first thing that comes to mind, we got three questions for you. 977 00:50:35,865 --> 00:50:38,135 What was one of your favorite Asian snacks growing up? 978 00:50:38,750 --> 00:50:40,780 Chef Harold: Oh, uh, uh, Tahoe? 979 00:50:41,410 --> 00:50:44,710 It's a tofu snack with caramel and boba. 980 00:50:45,800 --> 00:50:46,910 Minh V.: Alright, let's go. 981 00:50:46,960 --> 00:50:49,160 I haven't tried that yet, but that sounds really good. 982 00:50:49,630 --> 00:50:52,390 Where do you like to have fun so far in Austin? 983 00:50:52,430 --> 00:50:55,089 What parts of Austin have kind of spoken to you? 984 00:50:55,219 --> 00:50:56,129 Chef Harold: Man, let me tell you something. 985 00:50:56,319 --> 00:50:59,049 Any Fleet Coffee location, I'm having fun. 986 00:50:59,830 --> 00:51:01,770 I got, gotta love Fleet Coffee. 987 00:51:02,140 --> 00:51:02,740 I love it. 988 00:51:03,150 --> 00:51:03,390 Nice. 989 00:51:03,390 --> 00:51:04,240 I drink so much of it. 990 00:51:04,670 --> 00:51:04,850 Yeah. 991 00:51:04,850 --> 00:51:07,250 Wherever, whatever location they're at, I'm having fun. 992 00:51:08,510 --> 00:51:09,510 Minh V.: That's, that's really good. 993 00:51:09,510 --> 00:51:09,650 Yeah. 994 00:51:09,650 --> 00:51:10,070 Yeah. 995 00:51:10,379 --> 00:51:11,589 And last question. 996 00:51:11,589 --> 00:51:14,760 What does self care look like for you? 997 00:51:14,980 --> 00:51:18,150 What's like an example of how you treat yourself, I guess, especially 998 00:51:18,180 --> 00:51:19,500 with all that you've got going on. 999 00:51:20,280 --> 00:51:20,450 Chef Harold: Yeah. 1000 00:51:20,450 --> 00:51:25,540 I think coffee, a good movie at Alamo Drafthouse, and then 1001 00:51:25,570 --> 00:51:27,180 a dinner at some random place. 1002 00:51:27,790 --> 00:51:32,180 Some new, some new place, random place, something new that I just want to try out. 1003 00:51:32,290 --> 00:51:34,200 So I think that that's a good day. 1004 00:51:34,910 --> 00:51:35,560 Minh V.: That's awesome. 1005 00:51:36,010 --> 00:51:36,300 All right. 1006 00:51:36,300 --> 00:51:39,150 Well, Chef Harold, we really appreciate your time being with 1007 00:51:39,150 --> 00:51:40,830 us and sharing more of your story. 1008 00:51:41,110 --> 00:51:42,120 What inspires you? 1009 00:51:42,120 --> 00:51:44,250 It's been really great getting to know you a little bit more, man. 1010 00:51:45,260 --> 00:51:46,120 Chef Harold: Thank you so much, guys. 1011 00:51:46,120 --> 00:51:47,210 I'll see you, uh, I'll see you in Austin. 1012 00:51:56,900 --> 00:51:59,710 Sandra P.: We talked about this extensively on the episode, but I just 1013 00:51:59,720 --> 00:52:06,340 love, it just fills my heart and my cup to know that individuals that do move to 1014 00:52:06,340 --> 00:52:11,259 Austin really want to give back within the communities that they kind of live in. 1015 00:52:11,620 --> 00:52:19,280 Move to, and I think it's really admirable that Chef Villarosa has focused on also 1016 00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:23,760 creating a lot of these educational programs for students and into schools 1017 00:52:23,760 --> 00:52:27,880 and learning about where their food comes from, because I think that's just an area 1018 00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:32,054 of interest for me lately, thinking about getting your little frozen pizzas and 1019 00:52:32,054 --> 00:52:34,500 your mozzarella sticks and all that stuff. 1020 00:52:34,500 --> 00:52:37,320 Like, we have no idea where our food comes from. 1021 00:52:37,380 --> 00:52:40,620 And to even think about that while I'm in grade school. 1022 00:52:40,620 --> 00:52:43,690 You know, you're 10 years old, you have no idea what you're consuming. 1023 00:52:44,120 --> 00:52:49,659 And it's kind of wild to me of how much processed stuff is just 1024 00:52:49,670 --> 00:52:53,350 built into that or, you know, longevity and all this other stuff. 1025 00:52:53,350 --> 00:52:56,855 But anyway, I just really love this concept of teaching kids 1026 00:52:56,875 --> 00:53:01,635 of like, being able to actually grow the food, see it, eat it. 1027 00:53:02,065 --> 00:53:06,184 And I think us just as an adult and just culture, things are really shifting 1028 00:53:06,185 --> 00:53:10,484 where we're really curious about where, what we're putting inside of our bodies. 1029 00:53:10,604 --> 00:53:14,195 So I love that these programs that he's building up and continues 1030 00:53:14,195 --> 00:53:15,885 to invest in is important to him. 1031 00:53:16,535 --> 00:53:19,975 Minh V.: Yeah, I think having that type of education or having the things that 1032 00:53:19,975 --> 00:53:21,924 Chef Harold was bringing to his community. 1033 00:53:22,155 --> 00:53:23,425 would have been super helpful. 1034 00:53:23,425 --> 00:53:26,895 And hopefully there's more of that to come in Austin as well too. 1035 00:53:26,895 --> 00:53:31,165 But the other thing that I think is really cool that we touched on is just thinking 1036 00:53:31,175 --> 00:53:38,105 about a new way to have a safer and more conducive environment in the kitchen. 1037 00:53:38,304 --> 00:53:45,265 Talking about The old school way of this kind of militant, yes, chef type 1038 00:53:45,265 --> 00:53:51,195 of thing and seeing how there's other ways to work in the kitchen and build 1039 00:53:51,195 --> 00:53:56,134 culture, build teamwork and do really great work still, but maybe doing it a 1040 00:53:56,134 --> 00:53:58,725 little bit more mindfully, I suppose. 1041 00:53:59,315 --> 00:54:00,285 Sandra P.: Yeah, absolutely. 1042 00:54:00,285 --> 00:54:05,645 I think it's a great space to think about mental health and taking care of yourself. 1043 00:54:05,665 --> 00:54:06,875 And I love that again. 1044 00:54:06,875 --> 00:54:11,745 Chef Harold's really is also emphasizing this and thinking about when he and 1045 00:54:11,745 --> 00:54:15,725 intentional when he's thinking about building teams and his staff that he 1046 00:54:15,725 --> 00:54:17,385 emphasizes that with them as well. 1047 00:54:17,395 --> 00:54:18,915 So kudos to him. 1048 00:54:19,855 --> 00:54:23,314 Minh V.: Well, we're looking forward to seeing how this new venture and 1049 00:54:23,314 --> 00:54:28,775 concepts goes and yeah, it's always good to see more Asian representation 1050 00:54:28,775 --> 00:54:30,715 on the east side as well too. 1051 00:54:30,724 --> 00:54:32,494 So thanks for listening y'all. 1052 00:54:32,794 --> 00:54:33,405 Sandra P.: See y'all soon. 1053 00:54:33,585 --> 00:54:33,885 Bye. 1054 00:54:34,495 --> 00:54:34,845 Minh V.: Bye.