Calvin Bui - Best Ever Food Review Show & FKN Deliciousness Host | S2 Ep 7

The most difficult man to nail down for an interview is finally on Seven Million Bikes! Chef and Restaurateur Calvin Bui of El Camino and Dos Amigos Taqueria.

A California native born of parents who escaped the fall out of the Vietnam war, Calvin has lived in Saigon for 10 years now and gone from a Wall Street Banker to owning and running successful restaurants in Saigon. Most notable for his fusion of Korean and Mexican food.

Calvin and I talk about his love of feeding people, Trip Advisor Reviews and the state of the food and beverage market in Saigon at the moment and why customers need to support local businesses if they want to see them thrive and stay in Saigon. 

• Owner and Founder at El Camino
• Owner and Founder at Easy Tiger
• Gin Bar, chef / owner at Dos Amigos Taqueria :: Tacos • Burritos • Craft Beer 
• Owner and Founder at 20twenty Kick-Ass Bia Hoi

Instagram; fkndeliciousness

How not to treat your customers;

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Transcript

spk_0:   0:10
Welcome to Episode seven off

spk_1:   0:14
seven Million Bakes season To thank you to all the regular listeners, I hope you're enjoying this season. If you're a new list now, please go back. Cheque out seven million banks. Don't call me anywhere you can get. Podcast. Listen to the previous episodes I interview people who live in Saigon who have interesting storeys to tell like everyone does when we talk about one of the back storey other than the doctor, what they do know when we find out they're gone as well. Today my guest is a chef. A restaurant tour is the owner ofthe El Camino, which is celebrating its second birthday very soon and also does amigos, which is the news addition to this one. Tweet for this in an Audi. And so my guest today is Calvin. We thank you very much for coming on the show. Thank

spk_0:   0:59
you for having me. How's your day been? So far? It's been a media frenzy. We just finished a interview with etcetera before this. So it's definitely fun to see how much media's in Vietnam right now. It's definitely different than what it was 10 years ago. Um, but I'm happy to be here. Finally, we have time to sit down together. Yeah, I was going to say

spk_1:   1:21
so. Calvin has Bean the wildest Elson get attained to sit down and have an interview with have actually been trying t. Calvin on the show since season one. We've been a couple of scheduled interviews, and things haven't gone on both of our parts. It's really difficult. He's a very busy man. I'm quite busy as well, so I'm glad that we finally get down. Sure,

spk_0:   1:40
sure decision. And it's

spk_1:   1:41
interesting when you see the media scene inside, going has really, you know, developed, developed, and it's good to see you. Beverage is a big part of that, right? Definitely.

spk_0:   1:51
Definitely. I think the number of restaurants over the last 10 years has increase incrementally. Um, you know, Vietnam is still young on the food map in Southeast Asia, but the cost to create a restaurant here is a lot less than a lot of restaurants elsewhere. And I think that young entrepreneurs, young individuals who you know, that's what they say. They have something that they want to share with the the restaurant world. They're coming out with pop ups and they're coming out with restaurants on all different scales. It's a really science had to be in Saigon right now, so I'm really excited. Teo, be part of this big push when it comes to F and B.

spk_1:   2:49
You're in early in this scene, right? And that's something we've talked about this on the body. That's not just in terms of F and B. In terms of comedy. The artery of Team Teigen is such a new kind of fresh canvas for many of the different scenes. It's good that you can get in l. A. And you could do a lot right you may be, couldn't it? Yeah,

spk_0:   3:08
yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I think for the most part, the young side Ghani's there really open to seeing what we have to come up with, and it's really exciting to see them come and enjoy and experience just the arts on all different scales. Whether you talk about fashion and talk about filmmaking, you're talking about a comedy that you mentioned earlier even restaurants, you know, it's really a city that opens its arms and accepts all of us in that that's really cool. And

spk_1:   3:46
what feedback that I've always been given is that creative scene. I think it's the same in the food and beverage team because I've seen it. They also poor each other, right? There's obviously some competition, but it's no more of a friendly competition and everyone will help bring each other. I agree.

spk_0:   4:02
I think that, you know the city is only so big and we're all a CZ individuals and are as artists is trying to make people happy. And there's no time for individuals who there's just no time for any of that hatred. You know, we're all here to work together and help one another, and I think that on this day and age in 2019 were definitely able to do that.

spk_1:   4:34
I have to give a show. I was. Well, we're talking about different scenes. Broadcasting seemed floated this year. I started in me and I looked about the scene and there was the siding near podcast and then no long after that, there was this sexy meet my cast, which is Mark Gustafson from the path along with Josh, and then from then there's a new one just started, which are terrible. The name's escaping me, but that's again that's interviewing creative people. And then there's another one from Dina Drea Horse who have had some dealings with. And she's an awesome person. She's doing one creatives in Saigon and specifically interviewing creative people. Sure, having Saigon. So it's like going from before I started. I only told one of the past, and then oh, there's five more. I mean, all the beautiful podcast is yet I'm there specifically for food and beverage.

spk_0:   5:28
You have the matter on my

spk_1:   5:30
not making? No. Yes, I listen to that regularly.

spk_0:   5:33
What drove you to make podcasts? I

spk_1:   5:35
am Oldham. Boredom is good. No, Isa Big. Just like we were saying before we started recording was a big podcast man, really loved the medium, but and and do the dishes in the gym be driving? So I was actually doing the dishes one day. Ana, I have Sundays off and my wife is working and I needed something to do and was like, but that seems easy. And then the name seven million Bates came to me and my friend Louis, who always give massive credit to you, said you wanted to handsome making some music from my life in music. He's like, Yeah, I'll do it your music but yourself. And then nothing came of that. Nothing came about it was about, had already recalled it a couple of episodes and was about to try and find some royalty. Free music show on there Suddenly got a message from seeing. How does this sound? One. Listen, I was like, Oh, my God, this is amazing. And

spk_0:   6:26
has it changed your life being a podcaster on? I guess so, Yeah. Also,

spk_1:   6:34
I think, um, friendships for one. This is one of the things I'm just being interviewed on another broadcast of the blue, which is actually predominantly interviewing Vietnamese people to interview some English speaking people. They interviewed me, and I said, You know, most of the best I've had on my show I've become pretty good friends with them afterwards, which has been amazing. Most of them, I don't know before, or even like yourself. You know, I knew of you. We have interacted very friendly with each other, but we don't have a

spk_0:   7:04
chance to sit down and, you know, talk to each other, really just talk and

spk_1:   7:09
losing. Kim, who are one of the first episodes, are two of my closest friends here and the storeys that I shared with them on the broadcast. I never knew about them. Surely it was so funny and so interesting. So that for me being good and then just, you know, it's just been a really good buzz. There's been good interacting with people like that. Let's talk about you, not me. This is not

spk_0:   7:29
a podcast. Oh, I was trying to flip it around about you

spk_1:   7:33
flip it back. So, Calvin, the first memories I have of you I was doing teacher training during the sale. Just off a boy. Vienna. On routine. Yeah. My memories of your walking by san chose. And you just kind of yelling at somebody in Vietnamese, like many people, when they come here, Foster like, Why's that guy yelling? Is somebody? Why is he so angry? But then you realise that you know these people when you're speaking Vietnamese. It

spk_0:   7:57
sounds like Lucy and Desi auguring with Why not there but true actuality. I'm a very nice guy. Yeah, probably never yell at anybody.

spk_1:   8:07
And now, obviously, then you realise, Oh, he's not just some crazy guy in the street just talking to someone at the station. But I always used to love going to san chose. You are always very generous. Thank you. Thank you. You think it was good to you? Used to be you. The chef of the I was a chef

spk_0:   8:21
and owner of San Chose and way back then And you know, we're looking to create a very, you know, just a dive bar atmosphere that served good Mexican food and three years of owning that place. We moved on from there, I think 20. Hi. It will be what, like early 2018 17. It was when we we moved on. And then we opened up El Camino, and I was away from the kitchen for quite a while when I was at San Jos. And I really want to get back into the kitchen and create something though. You know, it was a little bit against the grain was a little bit, was definitely different. We took approach and we made ah, Korean Mexican fusion. We did so in the space that used to be a storage room. So we my wife and I created El Camino on. We wanted a place. You know what? Whatever key principles for any restaurants that are bars that we open is we want something that is non pretentious. We want something that is definitely knew. And again, I use the term going against the grain very often, like cooking and and what we do. But we wanted something that wass for the Saigon ease people who brave the traffic. They braved the air quality, They brave all these things. And I wanted to do something that was special for them. I wanted friends and family to come in town and say, Hey, I have a place take you It's called El Camino. They do this crazy rendition of Mexican Korean fusion tacos and I want the I wanted the guests to go back to their hometowns and say, You know what? We just had this, you know, incredible experience. And it was in Saigon and no one would believe them. Because who would ever think that there would be a Mexican Korean taco place in Psych on and has

spk_1:   10:42
a C on the trip? Advisor reviews. Have you achieved that?

spk_0:   10:46
Yeah, I think I'm a pretty fortunate, pretty lucky into advisor. Um, so we're number one right now under Mexican food. And it's so crazy because what I do is completely opposite of Mexican food shuts out to those who do authentic Mexican food. Here in Saigon, it was just never my We didn't set out to do something really authentic. Heroes wanted something that was us. That was very Ella. Ask where from? It was just a hodgepodge of all these different types of cuisines mixed together into one restaurant. And El Camino is just not just a restaurant. It's almost like a lifestyle. It's it's how we live. It's it's treating others fairly and treat others with respect and giving out a price that we really firmly, really believe in, and doing it at a price plane that allows everybody to come in and enjoy what we what we offer.

spk_1:   11:50
Well, you know not just saying this because you're sitting in front of me. You know, I'm a pretty regular customer community. You've done an amazing job. The food there is incredible what made you choose, then Mexican on DH. Korean food.

spk_0:   12:02
Yes, that's always a funny storey. So I think every chef is classically trained in French cuisine, and I was that Ah, long time ago, and I've worked my ways through San Francisco's kitchens. There was one restaurant that I was working at and I used to make their master stock. Um, you know, talking, you know, big vat of oxtail. And we would make their stocks every week. And it was my job as chef to create a staff meal. So there are some days I would try to create some really extravagant things for the kitchen in the front of house staff. The one thing that all the staff always loved was my oxtail tacos and had a lot of deep flavours of fun in there, such as how I got my beef stock. And I remember one day this is like 2000 and 40,005. It was my cook something, and I was kind of behind the ball, so I took all the oxtail meat. Andi, I just been a little taco stand for all the staff. And lo and behold, they ate every last morsel and my chef kind of joking. We said to me, said, You know, I think one day you're gonna open up a taco shop. I said, No way, dude, I worked too hard to Ah, you know, be good at what I do. And you know, I am doing this French California cuisine where it's like, you know, French techniques but California seasonal ingredients. And back then, that wasn't even a term. And he's like, No, I really think that one day you gonna open talking shop. I just kind of put it behind me. I guess you fast forward. You know, 15 years are 13 years, whatever. And here I am, making tacos for everybody. So I think it's I think it's kind of cool things where you just I just cooked food that I enjoy cooking and I cooked food that I want customers to appreciate and I'm not. I'm definitely not everybody's cup of tea. I definitely use flavours that, you know not everybody is accustomed to, but But then today I put my heart, you know, on that menu and I work and I really try to create something that people can enjoy, you know, the gallop, their phones, the instagram and they just focus on the food and find them. Hopefully some people enjoy it.

spk_1:   15:02
That why el Caminos so dark so people can use instagram?

spk_0:   15:05
Yeah, it's exactly the reason. So during two years ago, the whole Instagram phase was going around with the hashtag instant food and my wife and our like, if they spend all that time taking photos, the food's gonna get cold and that food's not gonna be good and they're going to complain. So we purposely used Edison bulbs well, purposely made it so dark that the photos come out so ugly. So, uh, I got

spk_1:   15:38
bad news for you. This I saw a commercial for the victory For big pictures and almost complete darkness. You can take a picture of the night sky and capture the stars something. So once that you must treat the market you're gonna have to think is that we have to do the

spk_0:   15:54
dumping the way definitely wanted our place to be, Ah, joint where just people talked over good food,

spk_1:   16:05
Good hangers. Well, I like it. It's like you said to me, I think before you even knew it was gonna be like a speakeasy. Doesn't speak easy

spk_0:   16:10
style somewhere you go through someone else's bar and then you go through a secret glass door. Turn left for those who've been there. There's on ly one sign a gin. You have to get inside to actually see the site. Ege. I

spk_1:   16:25
know you know that busted my when I Honestly I think I know the duel

spk_0:   16:29
is a speakeasy. That's like it's

spk_1:   16:31
easy, way of kind of like confusion. Whether you go do we know what? Maybe I don't know. Then you walk in and you're, like, wait for his right there, Yeah, front house right there on the It's always good when you walk.

spk_0:   16:44
It definitely is an experience, you know, We we definitely want it. People too look differently at what food could be and what restaurants could be. And we try our best to always ask ourselves that is actually a question, you know, what do we want to be known for? What's our message? And we always tryto keep pushing ahead.

spk_1:   17:04
So what's the worst complained you had on the most Ridiculous Trip Advisor Review Review that you've seen?

spk_0:   17:13
Yeah, so we gotten like too bad reviews to one star reviews, But could I take him really with the great assault? I listen and I read out, read what they're saying, which we don't always try to create. Something better from that So the one review that I was really, really was unjustifiably all wass a review that said it was too busy They had to wait 20 minutes for food on DH. I think it was just like the fact that it was just so hard to find. And I was just like, you know, great adviser, because they let the restaurant ters have the less last say so we have to get chance tto speaker my tie. I wrote probably a dissertation and said, You know, I apologise that it took 20 minutes. The little punk ass bitch. You didn't. I did. You all can read it. If you have to advisor and

spk_1:   18:21
find them, we're gonna put it in the show. Will you

spk_0:   18:22
please? Yes. I just said, you know, I'm sorry. Took 20 minutes inside that you couldn't. You couldn't find a seat because we only have 38 seats. I just I'm sorry, but I said it. I made sure that people knew that Hey, good food takes time. And there's no reason why you should, uh, go to a restaurant and rush anything. It's it's an experience. You should go and have a drink and look around and smell and do whatever you do. But rushing is the last thing you want to do when you dine out. But I find that I think the trend these days of restaurants or of customers coming in and demanding certain things, you know, you come into my house. I'm trying to feed you with everything I got. Why don't you try to just take it on and try to understand and appreciate what you're experiencing? Versace. Hey, this isn't authentic. And that I asked him what is authentic. They showed me a picture. Taco Bell. It's Ella. You know what you are, you little punk ass bitch? But this is what you're saying.

spk_1:   19:43
That ties. And I'm not just sound like this. The oldest man in the world, right? Like this is this is like the generation nowadays. This is the again. I don't want to reference all previous episodes, but we talked about, like, tinder and how you know, dating has become so disposable for people on with uber eats and grab food and everything faster, quicker that ties into someone complaining about waiting 20 minutes way. We're

spk_0:   20:08
busy. And you know what? That's what happens when you had a busy restaurant. Wait, What wholesome dreams. You could sit down, have a beer, have a

spk_1:   20:14
casher, there's no rush to have like you're in front of you.

spk_0:   20:19
I think it's Trip Advisor is great. But when individuals become keyboard warriors really effects our livelihood way put a lot of money and time and ourselves into thes businesses, these restaurants and to judge so quickly, Remember, then you comes out, you get to read through the whole menu. No one rushes you and you choose the items that you think our best suitable for you. The food comes out, and whether you like it or not, I think you should go in with an open mind. If you didn't like the food, tell somebody I spend half my time in the dining room going from table to table to make sure that everybody has a good time. And if they don't, they I'd be happy to comp it. You gotta tell me instead of going online and doing so, Um and you know, people have had their opinions. When I had my restaurants in San Francisco, even though when I got when I got reviewed by The Chronicle they still came three times and they ordered they would always come with a partner. They were always order two different things and the person who is critiquing your food critic in your service and everything about it. They have done this all their lives. When you work at that level as a food writer, I think you go. You go into a business and go into a restaurant, and you really want the chef to tell his or her Storey instead of coming there and having predisposed ideas of what food could be or should be. And then when it doesn't come out to what you think it is, you write that review and I can speak. Teo. I can speak for a lot of the restaurant terms and shops in town. You know, if you don't like it, don't come. I got a lot of restaurants and I don't like it. I just don't go there ever again. I think that's the easiest way of dealing with it. But if you go somewhere and you have ah, hair in your food or your steak was overcooked, our chicken was a little bit pink around the edges. Whatever it is there's a manager on duty. Social media makes it so easy to reach out. Everybody knows who the chef is at these restaurants and knows the owners. Are you Just write a letter to us and say, Hey, yo, I didn't like what you were cooking. Uh, I'm sure one of us, Why should all of us will come back and say, Hey, I'm really I'm really sorry you didn't have a great meal. Kitchens have bad days. They have good days. Or maybe that was one of our bad days. How about we try to make this wrong or right about? We bring you over and I'll personally cook the meal for you. Maybe, Just maybe, I can change your viewpoint on how this food is and we can make. We could be friends about

spk_1:   23:43
it. Yeah, I don't understand. The rush to the keyboard came. Nothing like because I've had it before. Worth something. Maybe no bean, Right gently. But you're saying you bring into someone's attention to chat to them, and it will be sorted and you leave on a high and you will come back. You know I want to sell your old

spk_0:   23:59
man right now also. But, you know, my parents taught me two Tony manners and one things they taught me was, if you have something to say, say somebody's face, don't do it behind their back,

spk_1:   24:15
which is for online reviews on

spk_0:   24:17
that's what they are. And some people find that big, they get listened to on these platforms, and they feel important. But in reality, punk ass pic I

spk_1:   24:30
do like the on food isn't Saigon. The rule is that you have to bring it up with the restaurant before you post on. That doesn't always happen. But more often than know, I think if you have something to

spk_0:   24:40
say, Listen, we're here to listen to you.

spk_1:   24:45
I have a funny storey to that used to live in Wellington and New Zealand. And there's ah, burger place out Burger Van called Come. I'm going to call them out because it was on the national news. Rafe and their burgers. Well, and ask some of the best records you've ever trying your life all these different. Unbelievable, right? So the owner names make the name income is make backwards,

spk_0:   25:08
has old public.

spk_1:   25:09
So no, I'm not naming and shaming anyone someone sent him Nice message on Facebook, publicly saying this way we're in a restaurant. Three screen Joe off. The message was shield. It was super nice. Just like, you know, my kid got maybe got food poisoning. They've been sick. The rest of our party will faint. I just wanted to bring your attention. We think it may have come from your recipe. Oh my goodness, E, I think was we steeds about Nate? It's like it's Saturday night and he went on this brand he's calling out, basically, like every category of these customers, often with those. It was like a businessman that come in the mum with the kids like this. That and the next thing like Justice Victory. A Lea ran because he's like this. One woman said she got food poisoning here, and so it blew up. I remember waking up one like a Sunday morning all over my news feed. What's happened? You find that you find the source of the storey and blah, blah, blah makes the national news. They're interviewing them, nor a repentant like at all didn't take the chance to take it back. You know, You know what? Having a bad day just keeps going at it and he owned you want and I'm not kidding. We never went back because of that because he was just today we were like, Okay, we're not gonna go back. Malik doubt shows here we'd be really sabotaged his own restaurant, which was, if you got a Wellington, actually do go and try embargo because it's insanely good. But the guy

spk_0:   26:36
you know, you look at you look at sports athletes and you know they are. They are the magnifying glasses on them. 24 7 baseball because the World Series in America just finished. It's so it's really tough when you're a chef or your restauranteur because all eyes are on you and you have a plenty of friends who support you. Report what you do. Then there are individuals out there who, if they really want to just tell you down. So imagine a year there's 365 days. I try to stay open 330 days of the year and every single thing that I put out with these two hands my hands are up right now for those onto podcasts. Um, I I'm getting judged upon that every single day and now everybody's pal. It's the same. I don't have the same power as you or anybody else, but that's what makes us different. I think that people don't enjoy dining out anymore. I think that dining the going out dining scene has become something that individuals look at and say, Oh, I gotta get my bike. I got to get a car. I gotta go and eat.

spk_1:   28:12
Yeah, I'm sorry.

spk_0:   28:16
You know, When I was young, I had to get three A's. That's 50% Get three A's on my report card that comes out every semester just to get taken to, you know, the local sizzler. I don't know you have sister back home, but since there is not that good, and we used to enjoy every single minute of going out because we would put our best our best clothes on, it meant we didn't have to each enemy's food that night. It met with you have to do dishes it met. I could eat honey mustard, you know, in the eighties because honey mustard was so cool. And these days, people what what they want now you so owe 41 day

spk_1:   29:08
when I'm 37. Well, just like that way. We're tongue that calm way. Just like with think misty eyed about the good old days. And anyone listening to this very day? Yeah. Let's let's move away from the rest of you. Talk about your background to you via cue. Yes. Your ball In California appearances from Vietnam? Yes. How did they end up there now? How did you end up in California? I guess,

spk_0:   29:35
uh, you know, my parents swore broke people went over in 75. And how it came about was probably good. Six pack and a little bit of love in. No, But my parents had me in the late seventies, and we grew up in small city called Huntington Beach in Southern California. They caught Surf City USA, and you know, me growing up, it was great. America was a really cool spot. You know, we grew up a few blocks on the beach, so there were lots of bonfires at night. A lot of barbecues in our in our backyard. We had a little neighbourhood gang and we traded baseball cards, read comics, things that probably no one does anymore. And, um, I didn't start my career in the culinary field. I was actually a Wall Street banker on DH. I did that for a number of years. When 9 11 happened, I moved out of New York and back to California. And instead of going back to Huntington Beach this time around, I moved to San Francisco. And I think in 03 I started my culinary education and I've been hitting the kitchen ever since. Then,

spk_1:   30:58
did you lam looking from your period?

spk_0:   31:01
No, My mom's a horrible cook. I think I started. I tell a lot of the media is I used to love spaghetti and meatballs. I was like my jam back back then, and one day my mom didn't have any tomato tomatoes in the house. There's tomatoes. There's no middle pace. There's just catch up. So my mom made spaghetti out of ketchup and she put in front of me and it looked like spaghetti. It's Mel kind of sweeter, but it's like spaghetti ad. So I took a big mouthful of that and she thought nothing of it. She thought, catch up his bed of tomatoes. So what's wrong with you? And when I when I ate it and I had to finish it because, you know, I think that's 83. No one didn't finish their food and you didn't finish it that night. It would go into a box like old margarine box and go in the fridge and will be served to you tomorrow. And if you don't finish it, then I promise you the next day you would have it. The next day she would somehow find a way to put it into other foods and surprise you because spaghetti with ketchup is there. So ever since then, the joke around the house is you know, when the holidays come around, I cook everything and I always say, You know, I don't want you making catch up together any more. I don't trust you.

spk_1:   32:31
That's all of them. And to your appearance. They talked much about coming from Vietnam. Now, no,

spk_0:   32:38
no, my parents would wouldn't speak a lick of enemies to me growing up. I think that's why my accent to this day is so so hereditary bad. It is horrible. Um, I didn't learn any of enemies until I got to Vietnam 10 years ago, and I learned enemies like everybody else does I learned enemies by watching television and, you know, you put on TV and there's they're acting and they have a certain way of speaking on television and I find that my enemies sounds like there's So they always said I'm over dramatic when I speak Vietnamese. Well, that

spk_1:   33:19
ties into what I said about the first time. I

spk_0:   33:21
That's right at the end, then That's right. You're a Wall Street banker. All It sounds really cool. But I was just doing what I was. I did what I did. I loved what I was doing. I was doing more respect securities, and I was good at what I was doing. I need a 23. I sold my first company at adult travelling, and when I came back, um, I I would dine out a lot in San Francisco. It was live in New York and L. A is just a lot. People buy nice cars, they vice nights, watches. I just buy food. And I remember sitting in a restaurant. Probably she doesn't have to, and it was a restaurant called Towns and in San Francisco. Hopefully you're still around. Shut down two towns in, and I was you know, I would frequent there and the mission he would come out and they would say, Hi, Calvin. And somebody would come out and say I have this new wine. It's really good The chef would send out an intermezzo dish and I was like, Oh, restaurants seem so cool And this is the time that Food Network was coming about. So there was a Malagasy Bobby Flay. There was Rachel Ray and I remember sitting there and I looked into the kitchen and there was the spread chef in his whites. Yet his brigade and I thought to myself, Man, if if it's this cool sitting at a restaurant on this side, imagine how cool it is to be in there. Little did I know at the restaurant world is so painfully it's so painful. And the first time, my first restaurant gig and I was just like in there chopping vegetables and peeling potatoes. I kept looking for that French chef. It was in town. Say it was another restaurant, but I can't thank you myself. I'm gonna have this French chef and he's gonna be named Pierre. He's gonna love me and fucking he's gonna take me to France and he's gonna show me fucking all these sauces and I'm gonna become his top chef. And no, my my first chef was named Jose. Not to be, you know, racist. But his name was Josey was Mexican and he taught me so much of how to be just clean and be tight. He used to say something to me. If you can lean, you can clean and I'll And ever since then every time I had, like, two minutes, I would state wife something down. So But he was here, the first chef, and we didn't wear any nice whites. I think I would like an extra extra large because that was all that was in the laundry basket. People in the restaurant world know that that's it's all a show and that the real reality of it is it takes so much heart two to do what we do. And so have, you know, just trying people happy. It's definitely something an orchestra. What's

spk_1:   36:42
bean? Your biggest challenge.

spk_0:   36:44
Uh, their biggest challenge to me has been trying to find my own voice in the culinary world. Uh, cooking something that was that was near dear to me something that I really believed in, something that was different than what the trend was going right now, Um, the hardest thing for me was to do less to my food and to simplify what we do and really fine quality ingredients. I think anybody can mask itself with salt and sauces, but yeah, for you. Try. Do something without that, the those those mask and you'll realise that cooking is hard.

spk_1:   37:32
I want to get your opinion on this. Someone said to me recently that the best Vietnamese food in the world is in London. I looked at him and walked. What you talking about? We live and say Go on, Show the best funeral will surely hear anyone. No, because the freshest ingredients the best ingredient in London using Adam Best beat me in London. What's your opinion on? All right, So

spk_0:   37:54
for those who know me back in the S F days, they know that I started my career at a restaurant called Slanted Door. Slammed door is pretty much the godfather at the centre of what Vietnamese farmer table seasonal is all about. I mean, Charles man, my chef is really helped mould me in my career. He's the one who told me said, Hey, you're gonna wanna tackle shop One day I just said, Hey, man, dude, clone Um and you know, hey took farm to table. He took of enemies recipes. He used the best ingredients he possibly could find from the farmer's market. From the the beef purveyors, everybody just seafood purveyors. He created what I think Vietnamese elevated could be. But what is the best, right? So everybody has different palates. I like Tio eat food that's mohr rustic. I like to eat food that's more regional. I like to eat foods that there's a storey behind it. So eyes Vietnamese food overseas better because of the ingredients. I think ingredients do play a big part, but it's up to the chef and his his or her team to create something phenomenal. So I grew up. I grew up. I was taught from Charles and my years, a slammed door to take basic ingredients and making the making them the very best. That's my style cooking. That's how I cook. That's how I've always cooked. I just take of the most simplest things, and I tried my best to do something to them to make it good. But if you're using, you know Wei gu or you're using for Gua. Are you using all these ingredients that are not native to Vietnam? It's hard to call it Vietnamese food. So I'm sure what they're doing in London with enemies food is extraordinary. Um, but if they had to buy ingredients the way we buy ingredients from the markets from our purveyors, I'm sure they'll have a hard time. But hey, to each their own again. You gotta put your heart out there. You gotta put yourself out there and you gotta make people happy. So

spk_1:   40:46
And food safety is obviously a big concern in Vietnam And where you get your ingredients, of course. So what? Whether you get your ingredients. So

spk_0:   40:54
I've been buying from a local market here in Saigon and do one, um, and I've been buying from the same woman for less like seven years. So I remember before she was pregnant, when she just got married and that everybody got pregnant. I remember when her baby came out, I were holding her baby. I remember her baby going to school, and now her child is like six. And it's so great to see um, just that family and I still go every morning to the markets with my little red basket and a coffee and head, and I buy all my veg for the day. So a lot of the veg coming into Saigon these days, most of us from the love and that's all we buy, I don't care. The price point is, I bide a lot because I know the farmers are growing, you know, locally, no hyper local, but local enough. But because there's such a huge demand and there's so many people here in Saigon, they start to import stuff from China, saying it's good or bad. It's just that I prefer to buy my vegetables locally. Um, we still get our meats from Australia, and we I know a chicken lady and D for who sells me really good quality chicken and then all the pork products come from my wife's her family's farm. I know that recently there's been a big outbreak of African swine flu, and that's a big thing that a lot of us take for granted. But, you know, I mean good restaurants. They source well on DH. You know, a lot of you guys always look for that cheaper price item. You know what? Cheaper doesn't mean better. I run a business. I'm a businessman. I got to make sure that what I buy in is of good quality. And I need to still make money. So we're in a race now where there are new restaurants popping up every day. I was talking to a friend of my brother's yesterday, but the amount of people is not increasing. And so a lot of restaurants now open and, you know, props to them. But they're not thinking about what's gonna happen in six months. They're trying to cut their pricing to get market share. But the honesty is, no one works for free. I don't now. You don't work for free either. I'm sure nobody was for free. So support your small businesses, support what we do, you know, it costs some money. You know, no one's forced you to come to our restaurants. The menu states the price, don't come in and then say, Oh, well, so and so does it cheaper. Well, it's so and so gonna be around six months, a year's time

spk_1:   44:13
Saigon's famous. Or that I'm not just a team average just popping up and disappearing right? Cold steel bars. Lately, I've just seemed to spring up and

spk_0:   44:21
disappear, the only people who make money in this city. You quote me on this, our landlords and contractors, because the amount of properties that are being flipped and turned and the amount that these landlords want from us to rent their space. It's just I mean, if you guys knew what we pay for Red, you guys might really give us a break sometimes because we pay rent, we pay utilities, we pay our staff, we pay our purveyors. And if there's any money, look at the end of the day. That's what we bring home. And, uh, you know, I mean, I come up with a fair product. I don't think I'm cheap by any means, but I

spk_1:   45:07
just saw your post yesterday. You put your price down. Yeah,

spk_0:   45:09
Yeah. I had to bring prices down after

spk_1:   45:11
I eat here. Israeli. Well, we were there on Sunday walk and I thought it was too expensive.

spk_0:   45:18
I mean, in this day and age, I think a lot of us have tto ri look at our strategy and I was talking to somebody and I said, Hey, you know, you create a craft product and it's so well priced He you know, he said to me, Yeah, I have to. The market is so It's so competitive now that I need to re examine What is that? I do. And so for Dos Amigos, Taqueria. We did just that. I want to feed people. I want to see plates come back clean. That's the reason why I put it in the 70 hours. It's not about the money, some of the same. It's not about any of that. It's when they walk in and they sit down. Did I feed them? Are they happy? And is every last morsel of that plate finished? That drives me. So, um, we lower Two items are Burritos are now 100,000 from 150 are breakables are 1 35 from 1 65 Seems

spk_1:   46:31
drastic. When I saw you, I'm not joking. We were there on Sunday night show. It's not the price. Sure didn't think anything of it when I saw your poisons like we want. It's a massive job.

spk_0:   46:42
Yeah, it's something we have to do. But luckily for us, we own other businesses that kind of take the hit. We make sure that it goes the way it goes around all three businesses. So we all took a piece of it. What? I rather feed people than to have somebody tell me, Hey, that it happened. Hey, I don't want to pay six bucks for a burrito, because back home, it's six bucks.

spk_1:   47:12
Is that what was happening?

spk_0:   47:13
Yeah, Yeah, I had someone. I had something come in and say They said, Hey, Chipotle is six bucks and so are you. And I said, Why should I be any lesson? Chipotle? And by giving you a great product, did you eat every last bite on your plate? Yes, but I think you should charge less. And I said, Why, man, why should I charge less? But this is really about The people are going back to why we build restaurants. You didn't just listen to one. No way really thought it out. We want to make sure that people are fed. And if it means that dos amigos makes a little bit less, then so be it. I'm not trying to cut the market. I'm going. What I think is an average rate. If you go out and eat, you want to spend 100,000 150 would be nice. But let's just say you want 100,000. All right, So I now know that there's a threshold for the market and I guarantee the price of 100 will be there forever. But for the immediate future, if I can make people happy that I could get people fool, then you know what? I hope you guys really take advantage of what we do right now. And when we raised the prices up slightly or back to what the original cost is, I don't hear people telling me that. Oh, I'm paying more. Now consider this. You know, us being really friendly to the audience. Let us also being very fair about, um, who we are. So you're going to start seeing that dose Amigos is gonna be a little more self serve. How about I need less staff and what we're doing in them by doing so is we're going to lower the prices because my overhead eyes a little less so I'm gonna pass along the savings to the customer base. Did you come go to the counter order, sit down, be a little patient with us, and we're going to try a different approach. We're going to try to doom or self serve restaurants, and we're going to lower the price. But we're going to try to do so with you. Everybody's help. We need your help with volume. We need your help with being patient and we need to tell a friend that's on Li Wei. We're gonna be around next year, the following year and the year after. We need people going out there and enjoying restaurants again.

spk_1:   49:55
Do you think I've talked about this in terms of you? You think one of the challenges in terms of praise is because you can go and get by me for 10,000 people know that they say that lead all this delicious. It's a food truck, and I think the beer industry has the same challenge that I can go and buy a Saigon special 15,000 spine. All I can spend 150,000 same size Beale. Obviously the quality is infinitely better, but it does the same job do you think because of Vietnam this such the difference between races? I don't think he exists in many other places in the world. We could get something so cheap and then the sea might. And so expensive. Is that what's part of the challenge for the racing? I want to

spk_0:   50:36
be very straight up right now, and you can quote me on this, the days of it not being cheap. They're long gone. You can live us any lifestyle you want, you can live and Sun bin you can eat. But me, you could drink site on special. I saw you. That's how you want to live your life. But it cannot. A person's life styles are choices cannot drive a market. My market that I go after is definitely not those individuals who want to find a cheaper lifestyle. If you that's what quality you guys should think about the individuals who created for you to enjoy it, because if you don't support it, we close our doors down and we go somewhere else, and this city is going back right back where it was 10 years ago, when there are only five restaurants. So it's up to the consumer start thinking about Do I want this? You know, handcrafted small batch, beer, chin, What have you or a burrito or taco? Um, if everybody is gonna live that old lifestyle that I was living 10 years ago, you're going to see all of us Packer bags and say, Hey, I think of the soul Korea didn't go to Tokyo. You go to Taiwan, I could do the exact same thing I do here and make three times as much. And people will appreciate us. So if you don't appreciate craft, maybe don't appreciate what you get in Vietnam, somebody else will copy us. They won't do the exact same level that we can create. Do

spk_1:   52:31
you think that that needs to be marketed more The way you're talking there about being handcrafted, you know, locally sourced. I don't see that in the marketing people scared to do that because it's two hips there is too cool. It's like people are gonna be turned off by that. I

spk_0:   52:47
think everybody has their own style marketing. I'm sure you know you guys follow me. I have my definitely my own style of marketing. But I've always been trying. I've always been transparent and what we do. And we've always tried to serve the very best that we can, you know, within a certain price range. I tried my best to create something that was good. Um, yeah. You know what? If if consumers who flocked to Vietnam think that living here, they can make 2000 month working and they don't want and they want to horn all that money and they don't want to reinvest it into this into society, there's There's gonna become a day where none of us want to do what we do because we don't have to. We do this for the people I thought the way around. I think that a lot of Restauranteur Tze and a lot of people in this industry do not want to say that. But I'll go on the record and say it. We do this for the people of We're not appreciated. I'll close up tomorrow and I'll go somewhere else and I'll reopen and there will be individuals who come and enjoy what we do. What I do. What? I have missed you. Support support, small businesses support. Uh, what we do if you want to eat Popeyes. You want to go eat McDonald's, that's on you, and I mean does all the time. So I'm not going to say they don't want them.

spk_1:   54:23
So I feel like you're talking to right now, though, is it?

spk_0:   54:28
I've talked to everybody. Yeah, I expect

spk_1:   54:31
Applies to Vietnamese Vietnamese. Middle class is brewing so fast and you go to any of these any, like, restaurants are blooming right now and save on what I have talked about this before. What I was thinking so refreshing and so many Vietnamese people that it's amazing. Tracy. It's not last area taped off. It's just all wealthy act that all these Vietnamese people enjoying all this expensive, would you every jeez, things like that. You don't think that that market is here for that? They

spk_0:   54:58
want the markets there. I mean, a lot of us have have a hard time cracking that market. There's a few of us in the inn town. I think lousy, and what Chris is doing is like, tremendous. What aircraft are doing is tremendous. What Quince and Tommen, Tito and Soaker are doing is tremendous octo fresh catch coquette. All the people that I'm so close, Teo and who have supported me from my early days? You know, we're all trying to break the Vietnamese market, but yeah, you know, if you want, you want to call it out. Expats who come out here, I think one of the one of the PPC words that you can buy on Google is cheap Vietnamese lifestyle. And that goes for a good about of my four per click. Why should they not be cheap? Why should what we do? Uh, me as as as affordable as come from because what we do is not coming up.

spk_1:   56:04
But this came up in season 11 of my questions I asked was, What's the biggest misconception? Vietnam War of Saigo in his will and one of the answers they came back, which I hadn't thought about was evil overseas. Perceive it to be chief. Think of conical hat, farmland, war torn country. People who live here say that you know, that's what my friends and family think it's like back on. Then they explain like, Oh, no, it's like a big modern city, a great Modernising. So I think people do all during that click looking for cheap being on lifestyle. I was probably one of the three years ago when I first came and I was too,

spk_0:   56:35
10 years ago. So I'm not saying that I didn't live that lifestyle for so many years. I was so poor for so many years. I'm just less poor. Now. You know, you can choose whatever you want to eat, and you can choose, however you want to live. But if you want. If you want to see what Saigon is in this day and age, go out there, I promise you, when you look at a menu of, say, my favourite restaurant, it's quits. Shut out to Julian P. And they're all crew out there. If you look at his menu, his starters run 8 to $12. You go to L. A. San Francisco or New York. Beer is 12 bucks. What are their stars is 18 to 27. Things cost and we can't as restaurants is that we can't take that out of our pocket. We're trying to give the consumer something that is seriously good, and if you want to support it, you want to enjoy it a night out. One person at a really nice restaurant, Runje 60 70 bucks in and out burgers. It's like 45 bucks for a meeting. A few friends not too long ago. Give me that. The comparison can be made.

spk_1:   58:07
The beauty ofthe venom is Sunday night went dos amigos. Fantastic meal paid full price. I was okay with that bloody lip. You know, today, this morning I had about me $10,000 for breakfast. I'm heading out on a dove in Cannes and just pour on the seafood street. You live cheaply there. Show. I love the dichotomy in the diversity of being able to do that. You know what I mean? And I agree. I

spk_0:   58:32
I love the fact that I could have a great meal at any time for any price point. I think that's when the best things about living of it now is that work. We have that option. But please keep in mind that everybody has to make money. The come from lady is going to raise their prices suit. And don't don't argue about it. Don't go there and tell people. Hey, Mike, come from Lady and Food unit 17,000. You're 35. 40. You have a choice. Where you want to eat that, stop yelling and start appreciating what people do.

spk_1:   59:15
Feeling those TripAdvisor reviews us on to get, you

spk_0:   59:17
know it's hard being number one number. One way

spk_1:   59:23
we're getting move on, we're gonna wrap up. No, I find this and I've said this before. I feel like the saying of good podcast episode for me, anyway, is when there's more to talk about on. We've been talking for a while now, and I feel that we could keep talking. Sure way we'll have to wrap up just for that reason. But I think that the same good efforts would. So we're going to end with the same question that I asked at the end of every episode in season 27 million baked over seven million bait in Saigon. What can a baby you drive? Howdy do Saigon.

spk_0:   59:57
I drive 100 cub. Um, and how do I deal the traffic being in for 10 years? Traffic wasn't this bad before hand. I think if you want to live in a big city, traffics and you deal with, there's no way around it. Um, I think that if everybody just took five fucking minutes and let somebody ahead of them go in. We would We wouldn't be in this, you know, madness every day. But now the city is 13 million plus strong right now. When I moved here 10 years ago, it was only nine million, and it only continues to grow. So if you don't like Tio, you don't the traffic. Well, then walk. Walk.

spk_1:   1:0:46
What's the hardest thing you've seen on a bike?

spk_0:   1:0:49
Uh, there was one time I saw five monkeys on a bike. So I think it was when I used to own Sanchez on boo them. And just this guy had five monkeys on his bike. He was driving down, and there are sitting so politely, and I It was just crazy. Yeah, I

spk_1:   1:1:15
saw a great one. Just yesterday was this massive bait was coming behind me after here over to me and was, like, almost a bat Mobile bay. The massive big guy with tats on Just a little violin on the back. There's no expecting that. You know, you got 24 hours off away from the restroom. Nothing to do 24 hours inside going. What do you do with yourself?

spk_0:   1:1:37
Um so I think I start breakfast with something from the from the central region. I would say Be quiet and then I didn't have any work. Huh? I would go into pans out and do it on centre. I think that's really cool. Get a massage. I probably Mew Mew. I do a great set lunch around town, and there are some extremely good set lunches. You can follow my food log fucking deliciousness for more great tips on where to, either. But I think my top, you know, five Ah, fresh catch has an incredible, uh, set lunch Stoker Toma, Tito, Octo. And if I had to choose 1/5 set lunch that I eat really often Oh, you know what? There's a spot called Gunman duck and do one and the cafeteria style Vietnamese food. It's really homey, and it ain't cheap, but it's really good. But that would be like my go to spots for lunch and then catch a movie. Because movies here are insanely cheap for the quality of theatres that you get, Um, another crack about crack a bottle of vino, have some beers, just enjoy life. But don't do it cheap. Just don't just just spend somebody guys. You You

spk_1:   1:3:10
want to do what you

spk_0:   1:3:11
want to do

spk_1:   1:3:13
24 hours off you relax. You know, Got a week to explore all of Vietnam. Where the Yugo.

spk_0:   1:3:19
Uh, so I've been here 10 years, and I've been around a couple cool spots. Um, I'd like to go off the beaten trail. So Ninh Binh, it was really cool because they have a grilled mountain. Go to all the vegans and vegetarians out there. I'm sorry. Um, I enjoy places down south, like Yah. And, um, con DAO is really nice a week off. Where do I go? I mean, if it was me, I would just stay in Saigon and just eat my brains out. That's all I would do. I don't need to go see anything, but there's a lot of great great places in this country. I love Hanoi. Love Danang. Yet Jang a lot. I love it. I love it now. I've been a pro advocate of it now for so many years, and I still continue to be a private event. Um, it's a great place to be at. It really has supported my career. And I hope that 10 years of being here. I have given back just a little bit. Ah, because because their numbers give me everything.

spk_1:   1:4:31
What you thinking of? That's Sunday sentiment. Thank you. Tying into all the amazing places that you knew inside. Go on. Do you have a hidden gem you can share with the list?

spk_0:   1:4:46
Yeah, I think there's one place that really speaks. Speaks wonders. I think you know the better off for so long. I really like secret garden, fifth floor, walk up. You know the sign it just small. But you know what you get when you rooftop dining, great food, great pricing. Write everything. I think that's a place that I take a lot of my my guests who travel through. We eat there twice a month, but the food's good. I think the food's good. O tio

spk_1:   1:5:25
Tio. My wife? Yeah. Amazing. This is I have to give a shout out to my wife who support this massively gives me the time and this beast to make this cello tio Edy Lopez.

spk_0:   1:5:40
Since we're in the shout out mode shouts of my wife to Jang, Thanks for they're being there and they start supporting my crazy dreams of aspirations and Thank you for putting your your life aside. Um, to help me get where that mean that

spk_1:   1:5:59
freeze behind every good man is a better woman. Like the more you meet that better women, you know, I'd be useless. Yeah. So to wrap up, tell us what's going on with you. What's next? What's exciting? What's happening? Tell everyone s o.

spk_0:   1:6:14
We just opened up a gin bar called Easy Tiger. And it's 24 w. It's in an alley. There are some female masseuse in the front of the alley. Don't mind them. We're not a speakeasy because we have a sign and I wanna be very clear about that. We're not a speakeasy, but it's a gin bar. And I currently carry 33 of I think, the best jin's that we have in the market right now that knob drinks start 95,000. A gente is 95. There's no reason not to get drunk. Where again? Going to the market, Giving the consumer something that's very fair, very fun. Very different. You know, when you walk into easy tiger, I hope you can find it. 24 w go straight down on the right hand side, you'll see a metal door. That's where we're at.

spk_1:   1:7:17
You know what you

spk_0:   1:7:19
think you know There's there's on ly so many seats and we're not trying to be Ah, big bar Get a drink at the bar Final wall to lean on How the conversation talk to a stranger Talked to two strangers Get off your phones and enjoy what we do And there's a little hot tip on there. Ah, we do truffle popcorn. And I think that's going to entice a lot of people. Hopefully it does. So come on down and come kick it with us

spk_1:   1:7:55
being soon for sure when you said and El Camino is gonna say combusting next, Dio el

spk_0:   1:8:00
Camino Uh, yes, 2nd 2nd year DOS Amigos Taqueria is in Tout in. I think there's gonna be a lot of moves from from our group next year. Stay tuned. I have a few bets on the market on what the next trend is gonna be. So we're going to hopefully be first in that and set that trend and yeah, I think next year's gonna be really exciting for us because we're in this thing really incredible things. I think I've got

spk_1:   1:8:35
an idea about 10 days. But I'm not gonna see it on you.

spk_0:   1:8:39
What a tease.

spk_1:   1:8:40
Thank you so much. Austin has been what? The way? As I said, in the beginning, we have taken a while to get us together. But I'm glad you've come on and be amazing chatting with you. Really? Deal some insight into the industry. I truly hope you don't go anywhere because your food I'm not just business. You know, I think your friends are meeting. Do a wonderful job. I'm definitely definitely I'm Scottish. Me, you put your place is down. I'm coming in More

spk_0:   1:9:03
tell a friend Tell a friend that's all we ask. I

spk_1:   1:9:05
was going to see that earlier. Is that something that I brushed with me often with restaurants, with everything The CIA, or can you leave a review online? And you know, I was here to see I'm not gonna leave a review. I just don't know. It just can never be bothered. I will tell somebody, and I think that people people forget about the good old world of mouth. Like if I have a good time, I'll be messaging my friends with General. I just went Teo Amigos. It was amazing. That's so much more valuable than just throwing a review. That that's

spk_0:   1:9:29
how we we've always worked. You know, we're a small business. We tried to touch every everybody's somehow someway and yeah, people ask for reviews. I never asked for a review. I I Honestly, the best thing you can do for me is eat all your food and, you know, leave a tip for your servers because it's nice to give them a little something something. But tell a friend Come back. That's all I can ask for. I don't need any online reviews for the best

spk_1:   1:9:59
thing to do is get become on the seven million by broadcasting just from or all your businesses.

spk_0:   1:10:04
What is your viewership? I heard its nine million subscribers something

spk_1:   1:10:08
like that again. Congratulations. Thank you so much. I'll definitely be senior. I'm gonna go eat cheap. Thanks for listening to this episode of seven million bakes a Saigon podcast with Calvin. Thank you very much. The Calvin for coming on. Great to get in and say again into the food and beverage scene in Saigon. Thank you. As always, to Louis, right? For composing the theme music on Lay in Wind for helping me design the cover Art The podcast that I forgot the name off in the beginning of the episode is called Falling Jackfruit. Apologies to falling Jackfruit forgetting that they're the news podcast on the scene have just had the second episode come out So cheque them out. Thanks for listening. I hope you can cheque out other episodes of you haven't helped them You can go to seven million bakes dot com All listen anywhere you get your podcast If you can please leave or of you go to Facebook Good apple podcasts give the Facebook page like you can even get on Instagram But I'm not too active on Instagram But go on there and give us a follow as well. So thanks again and I hope you can tune in for future represents Cheers