The meez Podcast
Josh Sharkey (Entrepreneur, professional chef, and founder/CEO of meez, the culinaryOS for food professionals) interviews world class entrepreneurs in the food space that are shifting the paradigm of how we innovate and operate in our industry.
The meez Podcast
Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong of Fish Cheeks, Bangkok Supper Club and now Bubs Bakery on Thai cuisine and how to actually make good gluten free baked goods
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#137
Josh sits down with Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong, co-founders of 55 Hospitality, recorded at Bangkok Supper Club. Chat learned to cook in his father's restaurant in Thailand before the CIA and Colicchio & Sons. Jenn opened her first restaurant at 22 and watched it fail. The two met managing a Thai restaurant group in Hell's Kitchen, then built Fish Cheeks, Bangkok Supper Club, Fish Cheeks Williamsburg, and the allergen-free Bub's Bakery. The thread through all of it: do fewer things, do them with intention, and trust people to run them.
Jenn and Chat explain why Fish Cheeks opened with under twenty items and no pad thai, even after friends asked if they were stupid (pad thai, Chat notes, was pushed by the Thai government and is something most Thai people eat once a year). They get into refusing to dial down the spice, why sourcing is the only real moat once recipes leak, and why the stigma against machines in a kitchen is both shortsighted and bad for keeping good cooks. The back half turns to Bub's Bakery, born from her husband's intolerances and a seventeen dollar chocolate truffle at the green market, built with Chef Melissa Weller (Per Se, Bouchon, Sadelle's) on one rule: taste good first, allergen-free second.
Links and resources 📌
Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com
Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez
Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en
Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/
Follow Jenn Saesue on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenn-saesue-7794341b3/
Visit Fish Cheeks: https://www.fishcheeksnyc.com
Follow Fish Cheeks on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fishcheeksnyc
Follow 55 Hospitality on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/55hospitality
Visit Bangkok Supper Club: https://www.bangkoksupperclub.com
Visit Bub's Bakery: https://www.bubsbakery.com/
Timestamps
00:00 Parenting, reward systems, and life with young kids
03:15 The origins of Fish Cheeks and Bangkok Supper Club
06:20 From CIA and Bouley to Per Se and Noma
13:20 Why Fish Cheeks refused to serve Pad Thai
18:05 The philosophy behind authentic Thai flavors
24:10 Essential Thai ingredients and sourcing challenges
28:50 Building Bubble Dogs and pairing champagne with hot dogs
34:40 Grower champagne and what makes it special
40:10 Opening a gluten-free bakery that actually tastes good
50:15 Technology, AI, and the future of restaurant operations