Roy Choi is a legend in LA. He was one of the first chefs to start cooking out of a food truck, and one of the first to mashup different cuisines in the way that’s become so popular. His Kogi korean beef taco truck was a sensation in LA when he debuted it in 2008 -- it later inspired the movie “Chef,” starring Jon Favreau. Roy wrote a bestselling cookbook and memoir, LA Son, in 2013, and now he has a new cookbook, The Choi of Cooking. In some ways, it may seem like Roy’s success was preordained, like all this was destiny. But as you’ll hear, for many years it wasn’t clear he was going to survive, let alone thrive.

The Sporkful production team includes Dan Pashman, Emma Morgenstern, Andres O’Hara, Kameel Stanley, Jared O'Connell, and Giulia Leo. Production help from Kimmie Gregory. Publishing by Shantel Holder.

Interstitial music in this episode by Black Label Music:

• "Brute Force" by Lance Conrad
• “Dream Houses” Hayley Briasco
• "Kenny" by Hayley Briasco
• “Sun So Sunny” by Calvin Dashielle
• “All Black” by Erick Anderson
• "Hip Hop Slidester" by Steve Pierson
• "Twenty 99" by Erick Anderson
• "Pong" by Kenneth J Brahmstedt

This episode contains explicit language.

Photo Credit: Bobby Fisher. 

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