WEBVTT
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Today on Voice4Chefs we're speaking with a very special guest, chef Steven Leung.
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He began his culinary career in his family kitchen in Hong Kong at age 12 from helping feed the family.
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He went on to train at Cordon Blue, LA Cordon Blue.
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Cook in top Las Vegas kitchens, including the Mandarin Oriental, Guy Savoy a Michelin star restaurant, and he was the executive sous chef at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.
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Now he has started a new and exciting chapter in his life in entrepreneurship.
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Chef Steven story is one of resilience, hard work, and mastering the fundamentals from flipping burgers.
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To leading high pressure stations in luxury hotels.
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He brings his experience, passion for food culture, and the love of mentoring others to Voice4Chefs as our co-host.
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Please welcome Chef Steven.
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Wow.
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Thank you so much, Michael.
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Hello everyone.
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Very pleased to be here.
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I'm very thankful as well.
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Today is the first day of Chinese New Year, so it was a bunch of celebrations, so.
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I mean the, the New year, new me mood and love it.
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Thank you so much, Michael, for the brief introduction.
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And fortunate, very lucky to be in the city of Las Vegas where we're exposed to a lot of celebrity chefs, a lot of good restaurants that just basically built my foundation of the culinary career.
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Oh my gosh.
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I love it.
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And your story is so unique and interesting, and I just love having you be part of Oyster for Chefs.
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And I, I'm really glad that you're back and.
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I know everyone's missed.
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You tell a little bit of your story and kind of help people understand a little bit about who you are, what you're doing now.
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But the thing I thought I would start out with is how, how we met,
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of course.
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And so my perspective might be slightly different than yours, but I remember.
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Joining Food is Religion back in 2020.
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2021. I think it was 20.
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Well Pandemic.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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It was beginning or, or kind of in the middle of the pandemic a little bit.
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Yeah.
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And Chef Mimi Lan, who's a good friend of both of ours.
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I was new to Food is Religion and she was excited about the podcast.
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I was doing the ideas, but also connecting me to Food is Religion at the time.
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Yeah.
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There was about 5,000 people.
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Yeah.
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In the Food Is Religion Club, and we were hosting, or other people were hosting meetings all day every night, 24 7.
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Lots of topics on food and the culinary arts and mental health.
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And you were hosting a room.
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And she said, I want to partner you up with Chef Steven.
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I was nervous.
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Now I'm like four and a half years later after podcasting.
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I'm not nervous.
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I'm excited, but
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yeah.
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But at the time.
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I knew nothing.
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I
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remember that.
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Yeah.
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Walked into that room and you made me feel so good.
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You made me feel so confident.
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And I came up on stage with you on the virtual stage in Clubhouse.
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It's an audio only app for those that are curious, but, and we had such a great time.
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And I was listening to you talk about food and deep dive into food and food culture.
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Yeah, I remember that.
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Yeah.
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And I remember being in many rooms with you and loving that journey.
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And that's kind of what kicked it off for me.
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But maybe you have a different perspective.
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I'm kind of curious what your perspective was.
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I think the perspective was pretty close with you because very new myself as well.
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Again, at the time, clubhouse was the thing, right?
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You have to get invited to, to actually join the app.
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I entered the app without expecting, I didn't know what to expect for, and I first impression was.
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Of course, I, I choose rooms that are related to my background, which is food.
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Mm-hmm.
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And I landed, I believe in one of Mimi's room.
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Yeah.
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And then I think because the app lets you chip in, right?
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Mm-hmm.
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Once you're directed to, to say something.
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And I felt like it was, it was fun because like before the pandemic, well, when I just landed my first management job, it was at the Mandalay Bay.
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Yeah.
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I was a sous chef.
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And I could cook, I could create recipes, I can manage, I can do everything in a kitchen wise kind of job.
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But every day I would be so nervous for one part of the job is to preshift the staff because Really?
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Oh my gosh.
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Okay.
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I get it.
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I get it.
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Yeah, because I was not a.
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Nobody was a good public speaker before.
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Right.
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They actually trained for it, or they have a passion, but some people are extroverts as well.
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When you take the MBTI test, I'm like completely introvert.
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I,
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oh,
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I like whenever I can be alone.
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I like to be alone.
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But wow.
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I would public speak for the purpose of the job or for socialized reasons or for whatever reasons I would be very social.
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Sure, but I do not gain energy from crowds.
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Wow.
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I gain energy from myself,
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and I'm the opposite.
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I gain energy from crowds.
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Well, actually the funny part for me is that I work in technology, right?
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Mm-hmm.
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So I work with a bunch of introverted people, and that has caused me to become more introverted.
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But at the same time, one of my strengths is being an extrovert.
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So I'm an ambivert, which I, kind of delve in both worlds.
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Hmm.
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But it's very interesting to hear you say that 'cause you went the opposite in clubhouse.
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Yeah, and I went the opposite in Clubhouse and I started to become more of an introvert.
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But there's strengths in both to to recognize and I think it's really good.
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But so Clubhouse was a great experience for you?
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So long story short, got into Food is religion.
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I got into the club and then at that time I felt like all the topics of each rooms are super interested and they're super valuable.
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To people that are in the industry or they're mostly, eye openers for people that are not in the industry.
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Mm-hmm.
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Which is also very valuable.
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You get the insights and whatnot, and then.
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Chef Mimi called me on the phone.
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I mean, she, she reached out on social media.
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I got my number.
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Mm-hmm.
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Called me on the phone, gave me the small talk and the, uh, vision mm-hmm.
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In the whole club, like where she's trying to go and what value that brings to people that are in the industry or not in the industry.
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And she felt like I could be part of posting some topics of some rooms.
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I was very hesitant at first because.
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I did not like to be the voice of the room.
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My whole life.
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Right.
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And, and she said, no, it's easy.
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Mm-hmm.
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It's, I mean, she's, she told me she was the same, right?
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Yep.
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She, she was the same.
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Mm-hmm.
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And she got a little hook into some of the other rooms and she thought, why don't we just kind of organize our own thing?
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And she wants me to be part of the ride.
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I gave her.
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A long list of disclaimers, right?
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Yep.
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Right.
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Don't expect anything and blah, blah, blah.
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I forgot because it's been five years now.
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I know.
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It's been a long time.
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Yeah.
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And then, but it was fun.
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It was fun.
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Mm-hmm.
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I actually, because Michael, you always say, I gave you the comfort, the confidence.
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You really
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did.
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Yeah.
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I think it, it was the same thing.
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It was just mm-hmm.
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Happened to be, because I think I, I wasn't, I was new in hosting rooms and I'm always a follower more than a, leader most of my life, I can.
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Cooperate.
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I can do co-hosting.
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Mm-hmm.
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I can be a co-pilot or whatever.
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Right.
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I was nervous and then I think mm-hmm.
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We were both nervous.
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Mm-hmm.
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And then we were trying to be very professionals in our corner.
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Right.
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It's just kind of the charisma happened and then I gained confidence from that.
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Because your words, Michael, you really lift people up as well, because people
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tell me that.
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Yeah.
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And then I think it worked and then we both got getting confident and I mean at the end of the day, we were really trying to bring out the value, the knowledge.
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I think I'm trying to help the listeners.
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Understand something or open their eye on something that I experienced or I fought the way of making things right.
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And if my conclusion can, the wisdom, if you call it can help some other people in the field, I think that would be good for the whole picture because.
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Sure
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I worked in different hotels and then I see the same problems.
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Yeah.
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Different settings.
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Yeah.
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So, and we talked about those problems too.
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There were a lot of amazing rooms in food as religion, and I remember Maria.
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Was hosting one that was really about the culture of hospitality and the struggle of hospitality.
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I can't remember the title of it, but that was incredible.
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Yeah.
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That was another one, but there were so
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many, a lot.
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There's so many, uh, incredible.
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There's a lot of them.
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Yeah.
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Mm-hmm.
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One specific time, and I was so angry that I missed this.
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Room.
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And that was your room, the cooking.
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And it was January 29th, 2022.
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Oh, you got the exact date.
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Remember?
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Do you remember?
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I looked it up.
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I thought it was so amazing and somebody I know was making beef chow fun noodles.
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And that was your room.
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Can you tell me what happened?
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What did that feel like?
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Because that blew up.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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I was surprised as well because
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mm-hmm.
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I, a little backstory, I, I have a, a little cooking demo, I would say club locally, so I started doing cooking demos on the weekends.
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I mean, my weekend when I was working in the kitchen locally.
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Like at somebody's house.
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Like the, the owner of that house really liked to host a lot of different parties.
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Cool.
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And we met and he asked if I can, do some, you know, cooking demos, it'll be Mm-hmm.
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It's people of all backgrounds and professions have a connection.
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They like food.
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That's awesome.
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So I started teaching like Michelin caliber stuff.
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Wow.
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Which is amazing to the crowd, but it was not too valuable for them.
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I found out because they would be like, wow, just like, what?
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How, how you, that's
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great,
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but I'm not
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gonna do that.
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Right.
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Right.
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Like it adds not no value except for part that they Wow.
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The factor.
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Right.
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I kind of, my kind of recipes and.
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The way of cooking for people, because a lot of people that comes to the cooking demo is they're home cooks.
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Mm-hmm.
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Or they're not even a home cook, but I'm trying to get them to cook at home.
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Yeah.
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So I have to make everything simplified.
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Right, right.
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So, I think I went through the classical way of cooking, so I understand theory, in theory.
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What's the, what's the right, let's say order or right direction to approach an ingredient.
00:11:59.977 --> 00:12:00.067
Mm-hmm.
00:12:00.397 --> 00:12:06.617
But there's also a, I, I don't like to put the word shortcut because I don't like people taking shortcuts, but
00:12:06.977 --> 00:12:07.307
yeah,
00:12:07.697 --> 00:12:08.747
a lot of people, they.
00:12:09.826 --> 00:12:10.456
More efficient.
00:12:10.607 --> 00:12:11.267
More efficient.
00:12:11.267 --> 00:12:11.507
Way
00:12:11.747 --> 00:12:13.007
more efficient way.
00:12:13.307 --> 00:12:15.977
Because you have to understand like the chemistry of that Yes.
00:12:15.977 --> 00:12:17.117
Particular ingredient.
00:12:17.357 --> 00:12:17.537
Yes.
00:12:17.567 --> 00:12:20.897
Because there's not always one way to do one thing.
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There's different ways when you understand the chemistry and understand the recipe.
00:12:25.907 --> 00:12:30.797
So my point is, I, I took those like part recipes.
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Mm-hmm.
00:12:31.487 --> 00:12:32.147
And I simplified them.
00:12:32.687 --> 00:12:32.927
Okay,
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I would, I would give an example, French braised beef dish.
00:12:36.716 --> 00:12:36.807
Mm-hmm.
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It takes a long time, right?
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You have to make the stock, you have to, reduce the stock, right?
00:12:40.357 --> 00:12:42.697
You have to caramelize your onions, you have to
00:12:42.697 --> 00:12:43.057
mm-hmm.
00:12:43.112 --> 00:12:47.897
Cook the meal product, cook everything down, wine and everything until you get.
00:12:48.512 --> 00:12:49.262
The perfect dish.
00:12:49.262 --> 00:12:49.562
Right,
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right.
00:12:50.102 --> 00:12:57.032
But for home coke, yeah, they, they like the recipe and they like how it tastes, but they will never do it because it, it's so many steps.
00:12:57.032 --> 00:12:57.122
It's
00:12:57.122 --> 00:12:57.902
too complex.
00:12:57.902 --> 00:12:58.367
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:58.502 --> 00:12:58.802
Yeah.
00:12:58.802 --> 00:13:26.701
So I'm not promoting any brands, but if you find some organic canned soups where there's not a lot of, weird stuff on it, just the most natural, can soup, you could find some french onion soup that is more natural and then you can go to Organic supermarkets to get vegetable juice, just like the V eight vegetable juice, but without the, all the additives and all the chemicals and stuff, but like the more natural ones.
00:13:26.942 --> 00:13:35.732
So what you do is you get a can of French and soup, some vegetable juice and some wine, buy 'em together and make that same sauce.
00:13:35.852 --> 00:13:35.942
Nice.
00:13:36.451 --> 00:13:36.692
Oh,
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I get that right for the beef.
00:13:39.152 --> 00:13:42.002
And that saved you maybe two hours.
00:13:42.002 --> 00:13:42.451
Right?
00:13:42.502 --> 00:13:46.282
My point is, I, the backstory is I started the cooking demo.
00:13:46.312 --> 00:13:46.402
Mm-hmm.
00:13:46.642 --> 00:13:52.341
And I added the value because I simplify someone's everyday test and I felt good about it.
00:13:52.341 --> 00:13:52.432
Right.
00:13:52.732 --> 00:13:58.042
So in that channel, in, in the beef ch and episode, yes.
00:13:58.042 --> 00:14:00.512
I, yeah, I went into the same technique.
00:14:00.836 --> 00:14:01.127
Okay.
00:14:01.232 --> 00:14:01.562
Yeah.
00:14:01.802 --> 00:14:08.897
So I, I. Because I don't just simplify for the task purposes.
00:14:09.107 --> 00:14:09.227
Mm-hmm.
00:14:09.527 --> 00:14:11.086
You have, it also has to taste good.
00:14:11.777 --> 00:14:20.387
So I kind of started speaking about the foundation of beef sheen, like what aspect that you have to have in there.
00:14:20.387 --> 00:14:20.397
Mm-hmm.
00:14:20.956 --> 00:14:25.297
But how you, how you can do that at home, like very, in a simple way.
00:14:25.302 --> 00:14:25.902
That's really cool.
00:14:26.402 --> 00:14:27.782
And so I think.
00:14:29.362 --> 00:14:31.792
Like a quarter towards the, the session.
00:14:32.482 --> 00:14:32.632
Mm-hmm.
00:14:33.862 --> 00:14:37.341
One of the, more influential person in Clubhouse.
00:14:37.341 --> 00:14:37.402
Yeah.
00:14:37.402 --> 00:14:40.672
I think she heard the value that's in the recipe.
00:14:40.732 --> 00:14:40.822
Mm-hmm.
00:14:41.062 --> 00:14:42.412
And she pulled a lot of people in.
00:14:43.102 --> 00:14:44.302
So how many people?
00:14:44.302 --> 00:14:48.862
Because in general we might have maybe 20, 30 people in a room.
00:14:48.862 --> 00:14:50.482
Sometimes a little bit more than that.
00:14:50.902 --> 00:14:51.201
Right.
00:14:51.201 --> 00:14:52.102
How many people showed up?
00:14:53.677 --> 00:14:55.206
I don't remember the numbers correctly.
00:14:55.387 --> 00:14:55.716
Big,
00:14:55.716 --> 00:14:55.987
maybe.
00:14:56.107 --> 00:14:56.347
Yeah.
00:14:56.347 --> 00:14:58.027
It was like 600, right?
00:14:58.267 --> 00:14:58.956
Yeah.
00:14:59.107 --> 00:15:05.137
That's biggest room food is religion ever had, so congratulations for that.
00:15:05.142 --> 00:15:05.977
That was pretty cool.
00:15:06.187 --> 00:15:06.787
That was cool.
00:15:06.817 --> 00:15:06.997
Yeah.
00:15:07.002 --> 00:15:07.201
Mm-hmm.
00:15:08.512 --> 00:15:15.081
And so the FI think one of the founders showed up and they brought a bunch of people and that was pretty powerful and I missed it.
00:15:15.081 --> 00:15:15.142
Yeah.
00:15:15.232 --> 00:15:18.442
Oh God, I would've loved to be there with you and celebrate, man.
00:15:18.472 --> 00:15:18.922
Yeah.
00:15:18.922 --> 00:15:20.632
I really wish I had been there.
00:15:21.052 --> 00:15:23.451
It's just a good, great like validation of
00:15:23.451 --> 00:15:23.872
mm-hmm.
00:15:24.772 --> 00:15:31.282
Not just my skill because I want to add value in a way of simplifying people's life.
00:15:31.461 --> 00:15:31.792
Right?
00:15:31.852 --> 00:15:34.461
I think with that thought, it validates it and
00:15:34.461 --> 00:15:34.701
yeah.
00:15:34.701 --> 00:15:35.242
That's awesome.
00:15:35.572 --> 00:15:35.932
Yeah.
00:15:36.022 --> 00:15:38.091
Drive me to keep doing more.
00:15:38.872 --> 00:15:52.112
What we wanna talk about is right now, what you're doing now, so how did your journey into food and entrepreneurship truly begin, and when did it become more than just job?
00:15:53.362 --> 00:15:53.872
Food.
00:15:55.222 --> 00:16:11.637
I think I mentioned it before, it was never a job for me because I, I remember I start out at the Mandarin Oriental as a cook and a lot of my peers, they, I would say, I wouldn't say a lot, but there was, there were a few peers mm-hmm.
00:16:11.922 --> 00:16:19.542
That went from back of the house to front of the house because they saw how many, how much tips or, you know, oh yeah.
00:16:19.932 --> 00:16:20.352
Money.
00:16:21.162 --> 00:16:26.287
These, uh, servers, runners, or, busers can make mm-hmm.
00:16:26.567 --> 00:16:27.127
Compared to a cook.
00:16:27.187 --> 00:16:27.607
Mm-hmm.
00:16:27.692 --> 00:16:31.032
Because we're all, I think at the time, we're making $18 an hour.
00:16:31.422 --> 00:16:31.722
Yeah.
00:16:32.112 --> 00:16:33.792
And it was nothing after tax.
00:16:33.792 --> 00:16:34.062
It's like.
00:16:34.211 --> 00:16:35.081
Two grand.
00:16:35.862 --> 00:16:36.222
I know
00:16:36.701 --> 00:16:43.242
a server easily at a five star hotel, they would make five, $600 in tips per night.
00:16:43.602 --> 00:16:44.622
Oh, that's insane.
00:16:44.862 --> 00:16:46.692
You have to go through that mentality.
00:16:46.692 --> 00:16:47.022
Right?
00:16:47.352 --> 00:16:51.912
I keep on saying to myself, Hey Steven, you're not just looking for a job.
00:16:52.032 --> 00:16:54.461
You're kind of building a foundation for a career.
00:16:54.522 --> 00:16:54.822
Yes,
00:16:54.822 --> 00:16:54.831
yes.
00:16:54.882 --> 00:16:58.782
Because to I say to myself, A job can always be replaced.
00:16:59.362 --> 00:17:03.142
Technology can replace a career is it's more sustainable, right?
00:17:03.147 --> 00:17:03.297
Mm-hmm.
00:17:03.591 --> 00:17:09.041
I fought through that time to not thinking about just making money at the moment.
00:17:09.281 --> 00:17:10.031
Sorry, the question.
00:17:10.211 --> 00:17:11.771
Food was never just a job.
00:17:11.951 --> 00:17:16.541
It was more of a career, more of, I would say it, it was more of a identity.
00:17:17.172 --> 00:17:17.471
okay.
00:17:17.831 --> 00:17:20.291
Because I, I trained seriously, right?
00:17:20.426 --> 00:17:24.777
I put in the sweat and then I became an executive chef.
00:17:25.346 --> 00:17:28.201
I. Push through, high pressure kitchens.
00:17:28.741 --> 00:17:33.721
And for a long time I thought, success meant me mastering techniques.
00:17:33.811 --> 00:17:37.442
Of course, earning titles, that's, I mean, that's normal for a lot of people, right?
00:17:37.711 --> 00:17:42.102
Mastering techniques, something people don't know you can do, something people cannot do.
00:17:42.701 --> 00:17:44.037
And then earning the title right?
00:17:44.037 --> 00:17:50.051
But over time, especially, we were talking about the pandemics, I realized something that.
00:17:51.777 --> 00:17:57.626
The thing is you can build your entire life on a platform that you do not own.
00:17:58.436 --> 00:17:58.676
Mm.
00:17:58.676 --> 00:17:59.696
That's what I realized.
00:18:00.236 --> 00:18:00.626
Okay.
00:18:01.196 --> 00:18:07.376
Because in the old Chinese saying, there's saying that as long as you work hard, you won't starve.
00:18:08.006 --> 00:18:12.686
But when the pandemic happened, every hotel on the strip closed.
00:18:13.376 --> 00:18:13.916
That's right.
00:18:14.636 --> 00:18:17.426
So what about working hard because mm-hmm.
00:18:17.756 --> 00:18:19.346
When there's no platform for you to work hard, didn't
00:18:19.346 --> 00:18:19.736
matter.
00:18:20.111 --> 00:18:20.682
Didn't matter.
00:18:21.371 --> 00:18:23.381
You can build your entire life on a platform.
00:18:23.381 --> 00:18:24.521
You do not own that.
00:18:24.521 --> 00:18:25.361
That's what I learned.
00:18:25.361 --> 00:18:25.391
Okay.
00:18:25.481 --> 00:18:30.636
Because restaurant, they close contracts will end and system changes the time.
00:18:30.856 --> 00:18:31.276
Mm-hmm.
00:18:31.356 --> 00:18:38.291
So the pandemic was a wake up call because that was time that I realized it's scary not to have control over something.
00:18:38.831 --> 00:18:39.071
Yep.
00:18:39.081 --> 00:18:39.951
That was a wake up call.
00:18:40.001 --> 00:18:44.201
So my journey shifted from being just excelling in the kitchen.
00:18:45.567 --> 00:18:50.787
I turned into building systems and relationship outside of the kitchen.
00:18:51.326 --> 00:18:51.446
Hmm.
00:18:51.476 --> 00:19:02.547
So entrepreneurship, community building, and then for me to understand money a little bit more, and sustainability
00:19:03.146 --> 00:19:03.386
mm-hmm.
00:19:03.746 --> 00:19:06.151
Of career or my life in general.
00:19:06.686 --> 00:19:10.716
I started to ask, myself bigger questions because now.
00:19:12.037 --> 00:19:14.706
I mean, food is still my foundation, but ownership.
00:19:14.706 --> 00:19:14.736
Oh
00:19:14.736 --> 00:19:14.916
yeah.
00:19:15.606 --> 00:19:16.026
Leverage.
00:19:16.031 --> 00:19:16.581
It's in your soul.
00:19:16.692 --> 00:19:16.981
Yeah.
00:19:17.101 --> 00:19:18.756
It's in, well, you can't get rid of that,
00:19:18.966 --> 00:19:21.396
but ownership, leverage, and long-term thinking.
00:19:21.426 --> 00:19:21.516
Mm-hmm.
00:19:21.756 --> 00:19:23.356
I mean, that's kind of the evolution.
00:19:23.716 --> 00:19:24.106
Okay.
00:19:24.346 --> 00:19:25.067
Fantastic.
00:19:25.096 --> 00:19:25.276
Yeah.
00:19:25.726 --> 00:19:30.916
What did entrepreneurship expose about you that you weren't prepared for?
00:19:31.006 --> 00:19:33.256
Like I said, I had to learn more about money.
00:19:34.067 --> 00:19:34.336
Right.
00:19:34.396 --> 00:19:34.516
Okay.
00:19:34.576 --> 00:19:38.146
And I think exposure was,
00:19:38.146 --> 00:19:39.976
did you feel vulnerable about anything?
00:19:41.057 --> 00:19:43.006
I actually had a talk with.
00:19:43.547 --> 00:19:50.456
One of my friend that I haven't seen for a long time, I, I just met him at the restaurant and we were like, Hey, long time no see, blah, blah, blah.
00:19:50.516 --> 00:19:53.966
And then I told him I left the job, I'm doing something on my own.
00:19:54.146 --> 00:19:54.236
Mm-hmm.
00:19:54.476 --> 00:19:56.516
And then he's also a chef as well.
00:19:56.846 --> 00:20:58.596
And then he, he told me, oh, how the hell, I'm so proud of you, I envy you, because now you don't have a set schedule.
00:20:58.596 --> 00:20:58.686
Mm-hmm.
00:20:59.046 --> 00:21:01.571
We would say normal nine to five, but we're not nine to five.
00:21:01.631 --> 00:21:03.276
But you don't have a set schedule.
00:21:03.426 --> 00:21:05.376
You're, you have freedom, blah, blah, blah.
00:21:05.646 --> 00:21:06.932
And I told him, like, me and you.
00:21:07.791 --> 00:21:08.391
Or both.
00:21:08.511 --> 00:21:10.611
Imagine that we're both lions, right?
00:21:10.911 --> 00:21:13.101
With a job, you're kind of in a zoo, right?
00:21:13.491 --> 00:21:15.531
You get fed every day.
00:21:15.801 --> 00:21:15.891
Mm-hmm.
00:21:16.131 --> 00:21:17.661
No matter what as a lion, right?
00:21:17.781 --> 00:21:18.261
In a zoo.
00:21:18.741 --> 00:21:19.011
Sure.
00:21:19.311 --> 00:21:25.671
And compared to entrepreneurship, you're a lion in the wild, you're free, but nothing's guaranteed.
00:21:25.851 --> 00:21:26.751
You have to hunt for it.
00:21:27.201 --> 00:21:31.641
So that sense of vulnerability, I think comes from the un unstable.
00:21:32.932 --> 00:21:33.261
Right?
00:21:33.386 --> 00:21:33.807
Mm-hmm.
00:21:33.951 --> 00:21:38.871
And before you reach the light, it's like before you reach the light, you're, you feel lost, right?
00:21:39.081 --> 00:21:40.281
Am I doing this correctly?
00:21:40.731 --> 00:21:45.442
Am I setting myself up correctly for, the success that I wanted?
00:21:46.942 --> 00:21:48.111
And then so forth.
00:21:48.171 --> 00:21:48.442
Yeah.
00:21:49.192 --> 00:21:52.101
Was there anything, was there any kind of catalyst that.
00:21:53.616 --> 00:21:57.696
Made you pivot from being a chef to truly being an entrepreneur.
00:21:57.756 --> 00:22:01.416
Was there something like a defining moment, anything that happened?
00:22:02.557 --> 00:22:09.966
To you that you said, that's it, I'm making this move and I'm, I'm leaving and I'm gonna, I'm gonna make this move full-time.
00:22:10.026 --> 00:22:10.326
Yep.
00:22:10.506 --> 00:22:11.286
It's health.
00:22:11.796 --> 00:22:12.666
That's what I thought.
00:22:12.666 --> 00:22:13.026
Yeah.
00:22:13.086 --> 00:22:13.476
Yes.
00:22:13.626 --> 00:22:16.536
Mental health and also, physical health because mm-hmm.
00:22:16.542 --> 00:22:24.666
When I was working at my last job, I filled in the spot for executive chefs of the restaurants mm-hmm.
00:22:24.906 --> 00:22:25.926
That are inside the hotel.
00:22:26.076 --> 00:22:26.256
Right.
00:22:26.256 --> 00:22:30.666
No matter if it's the turnover rate, if it's the applications.
00:22:31.821 --> 00:22:33.781
So I pop in, different restaurants,
00:22:33.781 --> 00:22:38.251
so you're like floating from different restaurants, so you have to pivot right on the fly.
00:22:38.281 --> 00:22:38.821
Wow.
00:22:38.971 --> 00:22:39.241
Yeah.
00:22:39.241 --> 00:22:41.791
That's even more intense than just being a chef.
00:22:41.791 --> 00:22:42.271
That's, oh my God.
00:22:42.271 --> 00:22:44.731
So when you put it on fires kind of here and there, right?
00:22:44.731 --> 00:22:44.821
Sure.
00:22:45.091 --> 00:22:47.011
So, little backstory.
00:22:47.011 --> 00:22:57.701
During New Year's Eve morning, we had an in Italian restaurant that never serves brunch because finite restaurants mostly just operate, nighttime.
00:22:58.736 --> 00:23:02.756
So that, morning they decided, oh, this year we're gonna do brunch.
00:23:03.386 --> 00:23:07.146
But the Italian chefs, European chefs, they're very hands-on.
00:23:07.536 --> 00:23:07.626
Mm-hmm.
00:23:07.866 --> 00:23:12.476
They're not the expo that you see in most, American style restaurants.
00:23:12.926 --> 00:23:15.746
They like to touch the food, taste the food, which I think I agree with.
00:23:15.956 --> 00:23:17.696
But Vegas is such a high volume.
00:23:17.701 --> 00:23:18.101
Mm-hmm.
00:23:18.236 --> 00:23:21.146
That you have to be quarterbacking a lot of stuff.
00:23:21.146 --> 00:23:23.696
You have to be the general of the ship.
00:23:24.446 --> 00:23:26.096
So at.
00:23:27.611 --> 00:23:35.621
On, on New Year's Eve morning, we, we had I think, three chefs that are scheduled to do the brunch.
00:23:36.341 --> 00:23:38.442
Two sous chef and the main executive chef.
00:23:38.891 --> 00:23:46.076
And I thought everything would be handled right because you have three chefs there, but they're still not used to the brunch kind of.
00:23:46.676 --> 00:23:47.156
Flow.
00:23:47.756 --> 00:23:48.086
Oh wow.
00:23:48.086 --> 00:23:50.216
So I walked by trying to say hi to everyone.
00:23:51.416 --> 00:23:53.276
I thinking everything would be okay.
00:23:53.276 --> 00:23:53.636
Right?
00:23:53.876 --> 00:23:58.796
And then the runners was like, chef, can you stay here where it's going down?
00:23:59.336 --> 00:24:00.026
I was like, what?
00:24:01.226 --> 00:24:04.516
So I was pulled in and then I had to, organize everything.
00:24:04.606 --> 00:24:07.817
So my point is I was putting out fire and.
00:24:08.896 --> 00:24:10.876
I would say I'm a very responsible person.
00:24:10.876 --> 00:24:13.781
I don't just work and then, oh, it's time to go home.
00:24:13.781 --> 00:24:14.182
Mm-hmm.
00:24:14.266 --> 00:24:17.896
I still think about my job when I'm off work and stuff like that.
00:24:17.986 --> 00:24:23.746
So I would say every time I really get a day off, I would feel like my whole body like.
00:24:24.511 --> 00:24:30.031
When I wake up the morning of my day off, right, I, I felt like my whole body is like oxidating.
00:24:30.481 --> 00:24:33.731
I'm about to get, the pre fever kind of feeling.
00:24:33.791 --> 00:24:35.682
Your throat kind of feels slimy and
00:24:35.682 --> 00:24:36.461
mm-hmm.
00:24:36.467 --> 00:24:38.951
Your whole body feels like sore and
00:24:39.161 --> 00:24:39.701
Oh yeah.
00:24:40.001 --> 00:24:46.961
Your, every part of your cell is attacked by different free radicals and then oxidizing,
00:24:47.321 --> 00:24:49.692
and you're not, you're not motivated to do much.
00:24:50.396 --> 00:24:50.726
Yeah.
00:24:50.756 --> 00:24:52.166
Because you gotta go back to work.
00:24:52.346 --> 00:24:52.706
Yeah.
00:24:52.796 --> 00:24:53.036
Yeah.
00:24:53.041 --> 00:24:57.236
And, and so you, you just wanna lay down and you don't really get time to relax.
00:24:57.416 --> 00:24:57.656
Yeah.
00:24:58.466 --> 00:24:58.676
Yep.
00:24:59.096 --> 00:24:59.216
I can
00:24:59.216 --> 00:24:59.486
relate
00:24:59.726 --> 00:25:01.557
that one day I was like, yeah.
00:25:01.886 --> 00:25:04.286
So I would, I would recommend, side income or not.
00:25:04.346 --> 00:25:09.246
Because if you don't have savings or, financially support.
00:25:09.921 --> 00:25:11.192
Supportive, sources.
00:25:11.281 --> 00:25:12.121
It's hard to pivot.
00:25:12.991 --> 00:25:14.401
Yeah, that makes sense,
00:25:14.461 --> 00:25:14.731
right?
00:25:14.731 --> 00:25:18.511
Because entrepreneurship, you do not make any money until you make money, right?
00:25:18.961 --> 00:25:19.051
Mm-hmm.
00:25:19.381 --> 00:25:20.221
It takes time.
00:25:20.281 --> 00:25:20.701
Yeah.
00:25:20.701 --> 00:25:21.601
Yeah, it takes time.
00:25:21.841 --> 00:25:24.601
So you've built businesses beyond the kitchen.
00:25:24.781 --> 00:25:30.121
What is your definition of success in what you're doing now?
00:25:30.121 --> 00:25:31.531
What makes you feel successful?
00:25:32.341 --> 00:25:37.771
I think, uh, like I said earlier in my career, success was titles.
00:25:37.771 --> 00:25:38.011
Right?
00:25:38.016 --> 00:25:38.076
Right.
00:25:38.131 --> 00:25:41.761
Titles are, are validation because, and recognition, right?
00:25:42.031 --> 00:25:42.121
Mm-hmm.
00:25:42.361 --> 00:25:46.861
And, and being the, the best, the most knowledgeable, the best cook in the room.
00:25:47.251 --> 00:25:51.456
I think now, as you can tell, success is freedom, right?
00:25:51.557 --> 00:25:51.976
Mm-hmm.
00:25:52.136 --> 00:25:58.621
Freedom of time, freedom of decision, freedom to choose who I work with and.
00:25:59.356 --> 00:26:06.886
So honestly, success also means building something that doesn't collapse if I step away for a week, right?
00:26:07.276 --> 00:26:07.307
Okay.
00:26:07.546 --> 00:26:11.926
I, I think because chefs are trained to grind, right?
00:26:12.136 --> 00:26:15.766
We're trained to be proud of the, uh, exhaustion, right?
00:26:15.826 --> 00:26:16.067
Mm-hmm.
00:26:16.426 --> 00:26:18.406
But long term, that's not sustainable,
00:26:18.826 --> 00:26:19.156
right?
00:26:19.456 --> 00:26:22.096
So my definition of success matured.
00:26:22.981 --> 00:26:25.981
From hustle to structure.
00:26:26.161 --> 00:26:26.491
Right.
00:26:27.061 --> 00:26:28.831
From talent to systems.
00:26:29.491 --> 00:26:29.971
Mm.
00:26:30.451 --> 00:26:30.631
Okay.
00:26:30.631 --> 00:26:32.551
So from survival to strategies?
00:26:32.971 --> 00:26:33.631
Mm.
00:26:33.841 --> 00:26:34.351
Yeah.
00:26:34.591 --> 00:26:35.192
That's brilliant.
00:26:35.371 --> 00:26:35.521
Yeah.
00:26:35.551 --> 00:26:36.061
Okay,
00:26:36.061 --> 00:26:36.071
great.
00:26:36.211 --> 00:26:36.331
Yeah.
00:26:37.501 --> 00:26:40.651
As you step into this next chapter with entrepreneurship.
00:26:41.626 --> 00:26:46.126
You're also coming on as a cohost with Voice4Chefs again.
00:26:46.156 --> 00:26:46.486
Yes.
00:26:46.486 --> 00:26:48.076
I'm so excited about seeing
00:26:48.076 --> 00:26:48.557
Excited.
00:26:48.557 --> 00:26:49.006
Yes,
00:26:49.036 --> 00:26:49.906
very excited.
00:26:50.026 --> 00:26:56.866
So what excites you most about that and what kind of impact do you wanna make through these conversations that we have with chefs?
00:26:57.317 --> 00:27:05.206
I think what excites me would be these conversations, creating more depth.
00:27:06.301 --> 00:27:12.901
Because we do not want to surface level chef interviews that everyone will know the answer of.
00:27:13.051 --> 00:27:17.611
We wanna talk to chefs that are working on sustainability.
00:27:17.942 --> 00:27:18.031
Mm-hmm.
00:27:18.571 --> 00:27:26.281
Because sustainability is be beyond a trendy buzzword because it's really being responsible.
00:27:26.281 --> 00:27:28.951
Like in in your heart, you want to.
00:27:30.091 --> 00:27:31.021
Make a change, right?
00:27:31.351 --> 00:27:31.471
Mm-hmm.
00:27:31.711 --> 00:27:35.641
So these conversations would be very exciting and valuable.
00:27:35.911 --> 00:27:36.241
Cool.
00:27:36.932 --> 00:27:37.381
Very cool.
00:27:37.771 --> 00:27:50.311
We interview with some chefs that are also entrepreneurs, so get an insight of what ownership really looks like because a lot of chefs, unfortunately, a lot of chefs, they open restaurants and fail because True.
00:27:50.311 --> 00:27:55.531
They just want to put showcase what they, their talent is, they don't think about the numbers.
00:27:55.531 --> 00:27:55.831
They don't
00:27:55.896 --> 00:27:56.136
mm-hmm.
00:27:56.276 --> 00:27:59.192
Do the data analysts.
00:28:00.376 --> 00:28:02.086
And then it's a business, right?
00:28:02.146 --> 00:28:09.946
Having conversations with chefs that are entrepreneurs can really give insights of what ownership really looks like, right?
00:28:10.246 --> 00:28:18.856
And I think also chefs can, you know, kind of learn, or they can hear how they can protect themselves financially, right?
00:28:18.861 --> 00:28:19.261
Mm-hmm.
00:28:19.561 --> 00:28:24.856
And maybe how food connects to the community and eventually leaves a legacy for it.
00:28:25.591 --> 00:28:27.451
Them as a in individual, right?
00:28:27.991 --> 00:28:32.881
So there are so many talented chefs who never learn business structure like say mm-hmm.
00:28:33.121 --> 00:28:36.061
And then there's entrepreneurs who don't understand craft.
00:28:36.631 --> 00:28:41.041
So if the podcast can bridge the gap, I love it.
00:28:41.221 --> 00:28:42.001
It's powerful.
00:28:42.031 --> 00:28:42.692
It's powerful.
00:28:43.561 --> 00:28:53.221
With you being our co-host, you're gonna hold me accountable to that, which I absolutely love because I can learn a lot from you, just like you can learn a lot from me.
00:28:53.221 --> 00:28:53.311
Same.
00:28:53.371 --> 00:28:53.821
Yes.
00:28:54.001 --> 00:28:54.331
Yeah.
00:28:54.331 --> 00:28:54.751
It's so we're
00:28:54.751 --> 00:28:55.651
bridging the gap already.
00:28:56.221 --> 00:28:56.881
I love it.
00:28:56.942 --> 00:28:58.321
Oh my gosh, I love it.
00:28:58.741 --> 00:29:01.801
And the energy and the positivity that we can put out to the world.
00:29:01.831 --> 00:29:02.171
Yes, yes.
00:29:02.192 --> 00:29:03.121
Inspire people.
00:29:03.121 --> 00:29:03.511
Agreed.
00:29:04.171 --> 00:29:05.192
Is powerful.
00:29:05.551 --> 00:29:10.171
So 10 years from now, what do you hope people say about Chef Steven?
00:29:10.171 --> 00:29:12.031
Not just professionally but personally?
00:29:13.276 --> 00:29:17.896
Honestly, I want 10 years from now, I think even one year from now.
00:29:17.956 --> 00:29:26.146
I just want to build structures and systems where people can be successful and they don't need to mention about me.
00:29:26.236 --> 00:29:29.956
I can be the ghost because I, I think, uh.
00:29:31.786 --> 00:29:34.996
Expectation and repetition comes with responsibility.
00:29:35.146 --> 00:29:40.606
It's not saying I don't like responsibility, but being free Uhhuh life.
00:29:40.696 --> 00:29:48.856
I think it's more, I wouldn't say internal life as in going to Hawaii or The Bahamas every day, but like I mentioned before, the freedom to choose.
00:29:49.366 --> 00:29:51.076
You can say no to a lot of people.
00:29:51.466 --> 00:29:54.586
You don't have that responsibility to obligate.
00:29:55.442 --> 00:30:01.261
I think true everyone's life is, at the end of the day, it is short-lived when, when you get there, right?
00:30:01.291 --> 00:30:01.381
Mm-hmm.
00:30:01.621 --> 00:30:11.611
And then you just, you don't want to, you know, sacrifice time with family and, and your loved ones and maybe new interests that freedom can bring.
00:30:11.971 --> 00:30:12.151
Mm-hmm.
00:30:12.421 --> 00:30:14.791
I think, uh, I hope 10 years from now.
00:30:16.021 --> 00:30:31.051
Not to care about what they say about me as a person, but if I left a legacy for other chefs to also really realize life is more important, I think that would be a major milestone.
00:30:31.051 --> 00:30:31.411
Right.
00:30:32.251 --> 00:30:34.801
Maybe we can do some of that on the podcast together.
00:30:34.831 --> 00:30:35.221
Yeah.
00:30:35.821 --> 00:30:37.261
That would be powerful.
00:30:37.471 --> 00:30:37.741
Yes.
00:30:37.746 --> 00:30:39.571
And pur and purposeful, right?
00:30:39.721 --> 00:30:40.231
Yeah, I think so.
00:30:40.291 --> 00:30:40.591
Yeah.
00:30:40.651 --> 00:30:41.041
Cool.
00:30:41.551 --> 00:30:44.192
So as we move on, we're gonna do a lightning round.
00:30:44.192 --> 00:30:46.682
We haven't done that before, but I thought this would be fun.
00:30:46.861 --> 00:30:47.192
Yes.
00:30:47.251 --> 00:30:47.821
Are you ready?
00:30:47.942 --> 00:30:49.381
Take a drink and get ready.
00:30:49.442 --> 00:30:49.771
Yep.
00:30:50.041 --> 00:30:50.521
Alright.
00:30:51.091 --> 00:30:54.361
One word that describes your leadership style.
00:30:54.932 --> 00:30:55.501
Sympathy.
00:30:57.031 --> 00:30:57.331
Okay.
00:30:58.321 --> 00:31:00.091
The biggest risk you've ever taken.
00:31:01.261 --> 00:31:02.161
Entrepreneurship,
00:31:03.091 --> 00:31:03.932
I can tell.
00:31:04.471 --> 00:31:04.771
Proud.
00:31:05.131 --> 00:31:05.851
Proud of you.
00:31:06.031 --> 00:31:07.081
Very proud of you.
00:31:07.741 --> 00:31:09.481
A mistake that made you better?
00:31:09.631 --> 00:31:11.131
A mistake that made me better.
00:31:11.701 --> 00:31:16.261
That I moved out here to Vegas from, from the Bay Area.
00:31:18.211 --> 00:31:19.201
Away from my family.
00:31:19.351 --> 00:31:19.442
Yeah.
00:31:19.682 --> 00:31:20.791
Ah, okay.
00:31:21.451 --> 00:31:23.521
Something that's non-negotiable.
00:31:23.911 --> 00:31:24.781
Non-negotiable.
00:31:24.781 --> 00:31:27.511
In your kitchen or in entrepreneurship,
00:31:28.921 --> 00:31:29.761
in honesty.
00:31:30.601 --> 00:31:31.081
Love it.
00:31:31.201 --> 00:31:31.771
Love it.
00:31:32.761 --> 00:31:33.511
One habit.
00:31:34.216 --> 00:31:35.956
In your life that keeps you sharp,
00:31:37.246 --> 00:31:39.976
just being on top of the trend.
00:31:40.096 --> 00:31:42.196
Something chefs don't talk about enough
00:31:42.256 --> 00:31:42.916
mental health.
00:31:43.756 --> 00:31:44.176
Love it.
00:31:45.106 --> 00:31:47.116
If you weren't in food, what would you be doing?
00:31:47.236 --> 00:31:48.061
I would probably be a singer.
00:31:49.156 --> 00:31:49.936
Oh wow.
00:31:50.086 --> 00:31:50.776
Awesome.
00:31:51.166 --> 00:31:53.626
Okay, and then finish this sentence,
00:31:53.836 --> 00:31:56.146
legacy means to guide.
00:31:56.416 --> 00:31:56.656
Okay.
00:31:56.956 --> 00:31:57.676
Fantastic.
00:31:57.676 --> 00:31:59.896
Any last words about this episode?
00:31:59.896 --> 00:32:03.296
Any last words you wanna say out to the world of Voice4chefs?
00:32:03.317 --> 00:32:04.396
'cause we're now global
00:32:04.486 --> 00:32:05.626
understanding Kitchen, right?
00:32:05.626 --> 00:32:07.396
The intensity, the ego.
00:32:07.696 --> 00:32:07.966
Yep.
00:32:08.236 --> 00:32:08.896
The craft.
00:32:09.286 --> 00:32:10.546
But I also understand.
00:32:11.057 --> 00:32:15.016
Business models now ownership and long-term positioning.
00:32:15.106 --> 00:32:19.036
I would be very excited if in the future we can interview more chefs.
00:32:19.096 --> 00:32:25.246
That brings conversation for listeners to actually learn in the kitchen.
00:32:26.057 --> 00:32:31.576
What leverages, what is the possible risk when you own a restaurant?
00:32:31.636 --> 00:32:31.726
Mm-hmm.
00:32:32.146 --> 00:32:35.746
And are they building something scalable or just sustainable?
00:32:37.471 --> 00:32:39.601
Are they building income or just equity?
00:32:39.692 --> 00:32:55.111
I care a lot about, when we bring up the word legacy, it's not just what dishes are we known for, but what are we building that actually would last and brings us freedom to actually live our life?
00:32:55.291 --> 00:32:57.356
I think that kind of lens.
00:32:58.336 --> 00:33:02.057
It's something I naturally would bring into every conversation.
00:33:02.266 --> 00:33:06.436
Well, chef Steven, thanks for being our guest, but also thanks for being my cohost Yes.
00:33:07.036 --> 00:33:11.776
Partner in crime and I'm so excited about moving forward with this.
00:33:11.807 --> 00:33:12.616
Very excited.
