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nickscoby's review against another edition
5.0
First, let me freely admit my bias: I love books about multi-cultural LA. Also, I was in a bit of a reading drought when I picked this one up, so I was craving a good read. L.A. Son definitely delivers. This book could've been hella wack. Thankfully, the writing fully captures Choi's voice and aesthetic. The book truly is a memoir with some recipes. Choi reflects upon all of the cultural experiences that make him truly a L.A. native. Definitely a nuanced portrayal of Asian American masculinity, and it complicates the Model Minority stereotype. I know that I may be grading on a curve here, but this book is a winner!
veronicasainz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
3.5
vanessasafie's review against another edition
4.0
I love the memoir aspect and cannot wait to test the recipes.
theandreajones's review against another edition
3.0
Roy Choi tells the interesting story of his life juxtaposed with the recipes that define the different chapters. Written in a conversational tone that makes it feel like you're sitting down to a meal with the man himself.
charsiew21's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the irreverent style, and Choi's clear-eyed retelling of his chequered past. The recipes aren't bad too!
jvillanueva8's review against another edition
4.0
Not totally a memoir, not totally a cookbook, but a great glimpse into what makes Roy Choi who he is. Fascinating story with some great recipes along the way.
nabisteph's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
k_whatsit's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating life story of Roy Choi, who started the upscale foodie food truck trend with Korean tacos in LA. I had no idea he was classically trained at Culinary Institute. Peppered with recipes throughout, I'll have to go back and search through them, when I read it the first time I saw them as props to where he was in that point of his life.
arisa9290275's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
3.5.
L.A. Son is part cookbook/memoir of Korean-American chef Roy Choi, mastermind of the Kogi truck. The story follows his childhood growing up in L.A. to getting in trouble with gambling/street life before his ultimate transition to chefdom.
I had first picked up this book after eating an opulent meal at Best Friend in Las Vegas. The vibes of the restaurant was Korean fusion with the interior decorated like a Korean bodega. Intrigued, I read up more on Roy Choi and was excited to read his book.
I enjoyed the memoir sections of L.A. Son more than the cookbook sections, which were scattered and grouped in no particular order other than to their connections to his life story at the time. Choi's recipes lean restaurant (decadent and Americanized), and there weren't many included that I would want to try making at home myself. What bothered me the most was the the lack of consistency in the Romanization of his Hangeul-- every time he quoted "sohn-maash" I died a little on the inside.
Memoir-wise, I was surprised to read that he trained at the CIA, came from a hotel-chef background before starting Kogi and even worked under Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin! Roy Choi's relatively easy-going experiences were a big contrast to what I read from Fatima Ali's memoir, which I found interesting.
Otherwise, an entertaining read. Lots of beautiful pictures and Roy Choi's distinct writing voice shines through. Towards the back end where the necessary ingredients are listed he describes doenjang as "you can call it miso just like you can call a girl a ho: that is, you can't." Need I say more?
L.A. Son is part cookbook/memoir of Korean-American chef Roy Choi, mastermind of the Kogi truck. The story follows his childhood growing up in L.A. to getting in trouble with gambling/street life before his ultimate transition to chefdom.
I had first picked up this book after eating an opulent meal at Best Friend in Las Vegas. The vibes of the restaurant was Korean fusion with the interior decorated like a Korean bodega. Intrigued, I read up more on Roy Choi and was excited to read his book.
I enjoyed the memoir sections of L.A. Son more than the cookbook sections, which were scattered and grouped in no particular order other than to their connections to his life story at the time. Choi's recipes lean restaurant (decadent and Americanized), and there weren't many included that I would want to try making at home myself. What bothered me the most was the the lack of consistency in the Romanization of his Hangeul-- every time he quoted "sohn-maash" I died a little on the inside.
Memoir-wise, I was surprised to read that he trained at the CIA, came from a hotel-chef background before starting Kogi and even worked under Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin! Roy Choi's relatively easy-going experiences were a big contrast to what I read from Fatima Ali's memoir, which I found interesting.
Otherwise, an entertaining read. Lots of beautiful pictures and Roy Choi's distinct writing voice shines through. Towards the back end where the necessary ingredients are listed he describes doenjang as "you can call it miso just like you can call a girl a ho: that is, you can't." Need I say more?