Kogi BBQ Truck chef Roy Choi was featured this week in the new annual CHOW 13 list of foodie innovators, entrepreneurs and trendsetters.
The chef did more than just steamroll Los Angeles’ use of food trucks; he and his team essentially redefined the mobile food industry (and the Los Angeles restaurant world) by using Twitter to reach out to hungry fans and successfully combining two ethnic cuisines into a single delicious taco.
Choi sees his responsibility as a chef beyond the confines of the kitchen (or truck):
“… I’ve learned that there’s nothing more important than seeing the expression on somebody’s face when you hand them food, directly. How great would it be if the best chefs in the world brought their food to the people? I don’t mean the people who can afford the food. I’m talking about…[k]ids in Queensbridge projects or South Central LA, who may never get the chance to eat great food from the hands of a master like an Eric Ripert or Daniel Boulud. Imagine if they brought that food down to the people? If we made that fundamental shift in the industry, it would change the framework of who we are as humans.”
Kudos to Roy Choi on his success! Read the rest of the interview directly on CHOW.
