Roy Choi

“A lot of times in television, you don't get the opportunity to show real life because we're brainwashed to believe the propaganda that these things aren't marketable, that these things don't sell.”

“When you come out of the ocean after surfing all day, loco moco is the best thing you ever tasted.”

“I'm just trying to cook good food, and I'm not afraid to do whatever I need to do to keep the food evolving.”

“I translate Hawaii as a place where people make sure I'm having a great time, eating terrific food, without any expectation of anything in return. It's a place for people to be happy. It sounds corny, but in Hawaii, it's not; it's uncorny.”

“I went to high school in Orange County.”

“Kogi changed what a generation eats, introducing people to fermentation and different vegetables and flavors.”

“I don't have many hobbies or talents other than cooking, but I've always been good at figuring out a city.”

“I have a tendency to trail off in conversations. I don't look up at people sometimes when I talk or cook, and those are all pretty bad no-no's being in front of the camera.”

“Straight up, Oreos, sodas, chips, salsa dips, egg white omelets, yogurts, breads, ketchups, mustards, barbecue sauce, frozen pizzas, hot pockets, ice cream, all these things that you eat in your normal life - I think if chefs got more involved in that, then it could be better. Because we're the ones that know flavor.”

“I make food as affordable as possible.”

“A-Frame was a real, pivotal moment because that's where I really got to channel a lot of emotions.”

“I know a lot of artists and chefs don't talk about this, but sometimes you just don't get to the finish line. That honesty and tenderness is something we're kind of not supposed to express.”

“There is no typical day, not when there are so many people out there that I care about that can't access good food in their neighborhoods.”

“My parents worked and sold and hustled; they were gone from the morning, and I pretty much took care of myself. But in a Korean household, you're always eating with your family no matter what, and you're always cooking. And our food is not one you can just open a package and eat right away; a lot of our food takes time to develop.”

“Korean food is primarily based on herbs and shoots and sprouts. There's no pasture land in Korea; we eat like Hobbits.”

“Myeong-dong in Seoul is an area that is crazy at night, just packed.”

“The Korean taco was a phenomenon... It just came out of us. We didn't really think about it.”

“For us in Asia, fermented, bubbly, creamy things are just the norm.”

“I dream like a shaman.”

“Oh yeah, the 'Chef' movie was awesome.”