Arnold Myint: Thai Cuisine and Southern Roots

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
So I have my thai flavors
in southern American sensibilities
in terms of technique. Also, I use local
stuff. You know? So for me,
authentic time might be a question Mark, but
for me, it is authentic in the sense
that I am basing it on my regional
inspiration.

(00:27):
Behind every amazing flavor is an amazing human
who has perfect their craft.
While comes of flavors unknown, a series of
inspirational
conversations with renowned culinary leaders.
To discover how their cultural identity shapes their
creative process.
With your hosts in emmanuel.

(00:49):
Welcome
another episode of the flavors and unknown podcast,
where we dive deep into the culinary world
and uncover the story behind the flavors you
love.
I am your host, Emmanuel La roche.
I have been in the food industry for
more than 20 years both in Europe and
in the Us. And every other week, I

(01:09):
have genuine conversations with a claim chef's, pastry
chefs and mix from around the country. And
today,
we have a special guest who truly em
embark the fusion of tradition and innovation in
the kitchen.
Joining us is Chef Arnold mint
from the international market in Nashville.

(01:30):
Chef Arnold Mint is not just a celebrity
chef, he's a dynamic force in the gene
scene,
known for his modern take on thai cuisine
and his vibrant personality.
From being a contestants on top chef
to being recognized as a semi finalist of
the prestige james be a best chef Southeast

(01:52):
in 20 24,
Chef Arnold Mint has made a significant impact
in the full world.
In this episode, he will share with some
Kin tips, local full recommendations and personal and
professional stories
that have shaped his journey.
We'll explore how we continues his mother legacy
in Nashville,

(02:12):
the misconceptions people have about thai food, and
his contributions to the
Lgbtq plus community in Nashville.
Stay tuned as we welcome Chef Arnold Mint
to flavors are unknown.
Hi, Chef. How are you? I'm Well Emmanuel.
How are you? I'm very good. I'm very

(02:33):
excited to have you on on the podcast
flavors are unknown. Thank you for having me.
Is, you know, when you close your eyes
and you go back into childhood worry, What
Are like the first
flavors or aroma,
smell, you know, that that comes to mind
and that you remember.
Oh my gosh. 1 of my first aroma
and smells. I'm gonna give you a couple

(02:54):
of them. The first 1 is
as a child, I would wake up to
my father,
caramel onions in a skillet
I love savory breakfast, and he would make
me
caramelized onion potatoes with fried eggs for breakfast.
As a child... As as a very young
child.

(03:15):
And I remember loving the smell of black
pepper in my scrambled eggs.
And then he... I just remember those those
were the flavor profile is a scent of
black pepper
and the smell of caramelized onions in a
lot of real butter.
And then
and growing up in the restaurant, my number

(03:36):
1 memory is back in the day, we
had these huge drums of
salt sugar and
Msg.
And I remember as a kid, I would
dip my finger into the Ms msg and
lick it like it was funded.
And I didn't know why the sugar tasted
so savory. Yeah.

(03:56):
And so that would be my fond memory
then, but soon after
we no longer had that tub of Msg.
But I... I remembered just walking by and
trying to understand what this was. It wasn't
salty and it wasn't sweet. But it was
delicious. Okay. So you you mentioned your father
connected to, you know, yeah, the experience of
breakfast.
And in a restaurant, was it then your

(04:17):
mother. Because I remember when, you know, we
met at your restaurant
international markets in in Nashville that you mentioned
that is kind of like and celebration of
the memory of your of your mother and
and the influence that she had, you know,
new. So that's why you're taking restaurants, So
I'm thinking. Oh, that's his mom.
Yes. It's definitely my mother's food that I'm
inspired by... My father was actually a professor,

(04:39):
a university professor. So he and I had
the same schedule since I was a child
student.
So when he would wake up in the
morning and he would start his day before
I got up, and my mother would still
be asleep, and he would get me off
to school. So really, It's interesting. It's interesting
that my food base
and training comes from the restaurant, but really
my palate came from growing up and eating

(05:00):
my dad's food at home. Okay.
So we are going to get to it
because obviously talking about your mom, your... We
have to talk about, you know, thai, you
know, influence.
And then
the and then you grew up in, you
know, in Nashville. So you have always this
dual, you know, influences
you know in your world. So how this...

(05:22):
Do you think inference you are style of,
you know, making food and cooking?
Wow. That could be a whole... Our conversation
in itself couldn't it. B, v... You know,
I can't change where I was born and
raised. And and I definitely have evolved into
under standing my heritage a little bit more
as I've been getting older. I definitely live
in a very big bubble of ethnicity city

(05:42):
and world world travelers and people around me
that it's, you know, very very prone or
exposed to international cuisine. My mother and father's
restaurant were right by music row where a
lot of music executives entertainment people would travel
in. So she had an audience of those
that actually appreciated and knew what she was
doing, even though for the majority, it was
still a struggle or very new flavors at

(06:04):
the time, which was the seventies. It was
still, like, she had a comfort zone knowing
that there are some people that have been
in a bigger city or have travel. I
understand what she was trying to do. So
back in the day for her, it was
a means of survival. Right? So I was...
I I too learned flavors through her that
I never got at school cafeteria that I
never got at my friend's

(06:25):
parents houses. When I went over for dinner,
I was, like, why don't we have roasted
chicken. Why don't we have spaghetti? And my
mom was like, we do. I was, yeah,
But ours has chili and thai basil. This
is weird. Like, I wanna eat, like, the
western and she's, like, never really discourage me.
I remember going out to eat maybe once
a week, somewhere to just learn food. We
would always get dressed up and always go

(06:45):
somewhere like a steak house. Or back in
the day, food was very limited anyway. Right?
So especially in tennessee. But then I also
would come home and try to recreate stuff
with what ingredients I have, and my pantry
didn't have parsley, my pantry had Cilantro. So
it's a little weird, but I still got
to play with food all the time. Right?
But, I guess,
Growing up in Nashville,

(07:06):
1,
I had to learn
food that me and my family didn't understand.
Southern cooking, things like that. But also growing
up in Nashville national. I know new... I
know I knew no different... But also growing
up in Nashville national. I knew no difference
in what my reality of ingredients were to
play with. Right? So
I mean, it kind of has translated into

(07:28):
the... The the way approach thai cooking or
cooking in general now with the evolution of
food, it's definitely
translated into how I approach my restaurant how
I cook thai food in the south today.
If that makes any sense. Okay.
Can you give us an example of something
that you have, like, maybe me on the
menu at international market? That's pretty that? Yeah.

(07:51):
For sure. So something, again, in the evolution
of paying homage to my mother, I don't
think she wanted me to
stay stagnant or just continue to do what
she did. Again, like I said, back in
the date ingredients very limited. She would travel,
a lot of stuff came from pans or
preserves,
and we don't do that at my restaurant
anymore. Something as a chef sen ability that
I've applied is that every everything is regionally

(08:14):
and regionally responsible in various sustainable, Meaning I
use a lot of local vendors. Our menu
is quarterly based on the season, which I
think is the most authentic you can get
when you think about any type of cuisine,
but in my in my reference, in thai
cuisine. You don't just eat thai cuisine in
general. There's regions. There's a beach. There's mountains
in the mountains, there's fermentation and a lot

(08:36):
of Stew and curries, you know, a lot
more warmer climate, more colder climate stuff. In
the... On the beach challenge you get acids,
and you get seafood and things like that.
So I take that into consideration with my
cooking now.
For example, we're in the middle of summer
for this interview and my stuff my stuff
is not that we don't offer curries or
anything cream based, coconut milk based currently. I

(08:57):
save all of my herbs and stuff for
the winter. Where I make my paste and
stuff through the summer, and then I give
you your premium
more comforting warming basis in the wintertime. What
you're gonna get now lime or, citrus. A
lot of light grilled things are in my
menu now. But that being said, I use
a lot of southern techniques. You know, I
believe when I met you, I gave you

(09:18):
by southern take on fried chicken. Yeah. And
when I and when I say southern fried
chicken, I mean, the fried chicken comes from
the southern region of Thailand.
From an area called Hot, which ironically when
I say southern cooking and fried chicken being
in Nashville.
It's... It's kinda... It's pretty cool that I
could tie the 2 words literally together, are
southern in both ways for me, Tennessee and
Thailand.

(09:38):
For me it's a gluten free fried chicken.
We use local chickens or amish rays are
not processed.
I'm very proud in the fact that when
you make your reservation at the restaurant. You
also reserve your chicken. So, you know, that's
kind of cool. Also, also, my beef stuff.
You know, a great, bright acidic salads and
stuff like that in thai food. And my
beef salad, we actually do a technique called

(09:59):
bra, smoking and barb,
which is very big in the south. So
instead of doing instead of doing grill meats,
we do a slow tech technique of bra
using dark soy and 5 spices, a very
traditional thai dish, but then I take into
the next level, and Apple would smoke it
on our smoker. And when it comes time
to make the salad, it's almost like a
ball apart brisket it deep salad. So I

(10:21):
have my thai flavors
in southern American sensibilities
in terms of technique. Also, I use local
stuff. You know? So for me, authentic time
might be a question, Mark, but for me,
it is authentic the sense that I am
basing on my regional inspiration. Okay?
What unique experiences like,

(10:41):
can, you know, diner expects at the international
market?
I think the most unique experience for the
diners is that it's not the predictable experience
when it comes to thai food. I really
pride myself on perhaps using my guests or
making them think.
A little bit. You can't just be sitting
in an office and I can't just go
hey, emmanuel. Coupon number 2. I've ordering type.

(11:02):
What do you want. You can't just say,
I wanna green Curry number 3. You're not
gonna get that at this restaurant. You actually...
You actually have to read
ingredients.
You read the title
you take your brain to that reference point
of what you know of that dish in
most
western thai restaurants and then you wait to
see what comes out in my version.

(11:24):
No. So and he's delicious for sure. And
thank you. You know, we do have a
couple of classics on the menu, and we
always joking,
you know, call them the the the pumpkin
spice dishes of typing food, or the pumpkin
spice latte up the of the thai world.
And I don't... And, you know, and we
lot we joke a lot about and I
get frustrated a lot about it. Mainly because

(11:44):
I've curated a menu
where I want you to be exposed to
new flavors you never had before in an
approachable way that you understand. Right? So, you
know, getting to the point of, like, people
are understanding fish sauce at this point. But
now I'm now I'm pushing shrimp paste. You
know? And and and I'm giving you an
interest... I'd like the gateway, the thai restaurant

(12:05):
flavor, if you will. But what what did
you say that it's kind of frustrate you?
It's frustrating because when we do
present, like, a... We have a 30 minute
a 30 item menu, which... You know, in
some scope are law are small, but entire
most high restaurants that small. I put my
first 29 items, I've curated very, very carefully
at number 30 as pot thai. And sometimes

(12:26):
I get a table,
where we're encouraging families style dining, eating together,
and we get a table of 8 people
ordering pod thai.
And I just kind of, like, you know,
we... And the server spends so much time
creating their
presentation. We spend so much time working with
media and marketing all the other exciting things.
And, yes, the pod tie keeps the lights
on, but in my... In my world, I'm

(12:49):
I'm here. I... I work to give you
a world beyond that. Okay.
And what do you think that for most
people and American people, what's like there's some
of the common misconception that their people have
about thai food.
You know, it's interesting. I just went to
James Beard Awards, and I was able to
see all these beautiful speeches. And I think

(13:09):
1 1 was very po. I can't remember
who what who it was, but she was
an Asian American chef that won, and she
wanted it... And she thanked the James Foundation
for opening eyes to making... To letting... Putting
light on Asian American food as not being
cheap Chinese takeout.
You know? So I think the biggest thing
for me is that
we
we have a lot of integrity and technique

(13:31):
and and work and history behind our work
and it's not just a 2 dollar dumpling.
Going back to the memory of your mom,
so how how how do you partner and
continue your mother legacy through, like, the work
that you are doing? You know in in
the Nashville itinerary scene?
Well, I mean, she's always been an advocate
for helping the community and paying things forward.

(13:53):
So we consistently help organizations that we feel
resonate within our personal life.
I support an an organization called
National launch pad on a weekly basis. We've
done it since my father passed away shore
For my mom passed actually. And it's an
organization that that shelters
and keep basically street free living for

(14:15):
Lgbtq plus youth in Nashville.
They get a grant. And honestly, I try
to find organizations. Right I know, Like every
dollar that I put towards it goes to
someone. There's a there there's a there's... It's
small. Right? They start off very humble we
do lack... I mean, literally 30 meals a
week, and we've been doing it for 5
years, And it's nothing on us. My staff
plans if they pick it up, they get
to give them food and figured by doing

(14:36):
something like that. They can use the money
that they would buy for a meal, which
ended up being, I think they tallied, like,
28000 dollars and saved. From our 1 meal
a week this year. They can use it
toward buying computers or laptops or helping someone
get haircuts or, you know, things like that.
So I think it's brilliant or I'm helping
to subsidize somebody's rent or something, you know?
And for us, it's just cooking them meal.
I mean, literally, it's all we do.

(14:59):
My mother was a person to really help
with starving artist and students as well. She
luck everyone in traditionally. So if you didn't
have a dime chair name, you definitely have
some food that night for sure, Ge Speaking
k, my mother. So in in in in
working this way just locally as much as
I can, and other organizations too fundraising and
whatnot. I think that keeps her memory alive

(15:20):
in a way that she would want us
to do that. But also,
as in honoring her every day is for
breath. At the restaurant. She... Her spirit lives
in the restaurant space that is there. I,
you know, I work
I didn't really have a thai culinary voice
until after she passed away. I was a
French trained chef teaching French culinary in Los

(15:42):
Angeles,
you know, trying to pursue this jack ball
trades kind of field. And my...
Ironically, you know, as we say these nothing
to sound so elevator, so Bo, my manager,
my talent was, like Arnold focus on on
your roots. And I was, like, what? And
I was like, oh my gosh. And never
since that that happened, it was a light
bulb, and it just came so second nature
to me and and that is her voice.

(16:04):
It was my mother's voice. So every day
I have... I I cooked through her spirit
and her memory. And have you kept like
on the menu? Or do you put in
the menu something that is really,
you know, her fingerprints that maybe you didn't
tweak too much you know, with your own
experience?
Luckily,
the auntie is in the kitchen that we're
working with her before I was born. So
it's still work they still work in my

(16:25):
kitchen.
So it's they've known me for over. They've
known me longer than I do. Have The
guardian.
They're the guardians because they... I've I tried
to fire a couple of them many time.
They still show up the next day. They
don't want money. I do pay them, Guys
still right. But but they... But they just
based at the year, the gatekeepers of the
stuff. So during the day, the concept is
still 100 percent my mother. You know, we

(16:45):
have a steam table or thai, it's a
it's a a type of eating called Ka,
which basically means rice, with, like,
other things. Almost like an asia... An Asian
meat 3. Right? So you go through the
line, you get rice, you can see these
pre hu and stew, and it's a... It
was very inexpensive back in the day. My
mother... It's still quite an inexpensive relatively

(17:07):
today, the way we do it, and it
still gives the people that remember my mom
from yesterday year a taste of what the
old international market was. And then at nighttime,
anything that is originally her recipe. It still
says og g buy it. So anybody that
still wants or misses my mother's food can
still have those items of... Okay. Very good.
So... And beside your mother, you know, who

(17:28):
and what are some of your biggest source
of inspiration?
Wow.
I would say just the...
I guess it's my world. I guess the
increase of
Asian Cuisine on the global market being a
more general
American

(17:48):
food. Right. Yeah. Being as you're part of
American food culture.
And being able to connect with my like,
second generation asians that are working within their
families restaurants or businesses and taking things over.
It's been really inspiring.
Through social media, believe it or not to
connect on a national level with other people
that are like, oh my god, your story
is just like mine. You know, and I've

(18:09):
been able to connect coast to coast. I've
been able to... I've been able to work
now with the thai tourism authority and with,
you know, the royal thai consulate. Actually, I'm
working with them a lot more these days
and kind of celebrating,
celebrating thai food and culture within our American
community.
So the inspiration for me is not only

(18:29):
just to keep my doors open and be
able to pay my mortgage. It's more so.
It's more so to spread the word. I'm
the gospel if you will, of what thai
cuisine has become and evolved to be in
America. Okay? And these are specific, you know,
maybe ingredients that inspire you more at the
moment, something that you know, you said, 0II
want to experiment with. Yeah. I... Like I

(18:50):
touched earlier, I, you know... You know you
you kinda go from an evolution of what
you think soy sauce is and then realizing
that we don't use soy sauce that way
in thai cooking. And then going... And then
introducing fish sauce to a customer that at
1 time was allergic and need tell until
you say, you know anchovies or seats are
salad, and they're okay with it. So, you
know, try to, like, try try to explain
and gateway these things are very important to

(19:12):
me. And right now, I've gotten to a
place of trust with my with my followers
and with my beautiful loyal streamers. We've gotten
we've gotten to a place where non I'm
introducing fish... Non I'm introducing shrimp paste to
them in dishes. There's 1 dish that I
love very, very much. Called Ka ko, which
is a d shrimp paste rice. You basically
cook it in funky shrimp paste, and a

(19:34):
surrounded by like sour mango and dried chilies
and pickles and things like that. And at
the table, you mix it all together and
it's a big flavor and texture explosion,
people order it you know, at first, I
posted online and and and other ties are
like, wow, I can't really serve that in
Nashville. And I'm like, I serve it because
I can't get it anywhere else.
I have to eat it... I wanna eat

(19:54):
it too. And then all of a sudden
people are ordering it for the table that
and I'm like, wow. This is really in
fact they love it. So for so for
me, just slowly
upping the with this funky ness and the
palate, you know, and also seeing, like,
a resurgence of big northern thai food be
really making a mark, like Nissan food or
even Be flavors coming in, it's very exciting

(20:16):
because it it excites me. That's how I
like to eat. So Okay. So can you
give me some example of the Bur flavor?
That you're referenced to? Yeah. Again, like, it's
just a lot of fermentation, A lot of
fun ness. You know, I really love
just using a lot of more of the
Indian influences, the mod address, the curry the
turmeric, the spices,
you know, and then bringing in kind of,
like, the cooking down and the jamming of

(20:38):
tomatoes, and just simple ingredients, but really extracting
with flavor. I mean, an Egg curry for
me, Bur Egg curry from me. I all
1 of my ultimate favorite comfort foods. And
it's so easy to make, but not not
much
lord or celebrated.
Yet. And the and the shrimp pace that
you are talking about, This is something that
you make at at the restaurant, or
or this is something that's even, you know,

(20:59):
for me being just a foodie another chef,
I can, you know, buy and you recommend
1 specifically?
You can definitely buy shrimp paste. There's all
kinds also crab paste as well. Mh. Just
go to your local Asian market and look
at the shelf and see. I don't really
use this specific 1. I'm still trying to
navigate. Okay. Okay. What what I like. I
I personally don't re tie. So the all

(21:21):
the labels trying to trick you. They all
kinda look the same.
But but the, you know, the fun is
definitely there. My secret is you have to
keep it triple triple
ziploc locked and away and in an in
a jar once it opens, I mean, my
staff complains about it when we with it,
but the customer's level when they eat it.
So... Okay.

(21:41):
So can you tell us some of, like,
the the
signature dish that best represent, you know, your
style? So
you started to talk AAA bit about it
when you're you mentioned, you know, the season
and so. So maybe you take an example
from like, the the spring summer and then
maybe full winter?
Yes.
So

(22:02):
let's say, A dish that I love very
much in the springs summer in Thailand is
is a non cooked dish actually. I mean,
who wants to eat anything you have to
cook when you're sweating. Right? And I guess
that's all the time in Thailand. But 1
of my favorite dishes is a dish called
chen bra, which is basically a raw shrimp
on which chile. Okay. Right? For the... For
lack of better. I'm sorry. Of,

(22:22):
which is essentially a raw shrimp Es.
Okay. So basically, what that means it's kind
of, like a raw shrimp that's kind of
been cleaned and a little bit of baking
soda and
sparkling water or club soda to clear clear
up impurities, and you make the Ceviche, basically
with with with acid and all the great
flavor profiles. The way it's served in Thailand
is on cabbage with bitter,

(22:43):
and then you do just raw garlic,
spices, with lime, fish sauce and chilies.
And you eat the whole thing as you
just raw shrimp, and it's the most beautiful
sweet, text thing. I've loved it ever since
I was little, which is kind of strange
to say, because I was never chicken tenders
kinda boy. But I translate that for my
market here, my audience here in Nashville by

(23:04):
doing it basically, like a crude. You know
based
Yeah. So whatever fish I can find whatever
be it, we bring in some sea b
or we have
salmon or even sc. Whatever I can find
it would not, I'll was poach I'll lightly
poach them shrimp and I smoke cut fish
actually. And I and I make it together
with the same stuff. So basically, it has

(23:25):
cilantro,
fresh bright tight chili, raw garlic lime juice
fish sauce, and then I I'd like to
add a little bit of dill in there
too. So it's a it's a it's a
fun take on the dish. I think more
approachable for mass consumers.
In that in that way that I present
it. So that's a really... That that's a
lovely summer dish for me. I also work
with a local mushroom. Dealer. I say joking,

(23:46):
but he is my mushroom dealer.
And we do a lab dish, which normally
is a mince to meet our gaming meat
kind of pot poached
citrus salad, but I do it with roasted
mushrooms. And so we do roasted heir balloon
mushrooms,
and we mix it with toasted rice. Powder.
Again, I mines plant based, so I use
a fish sauce alternative,

(24:07):
pickled garlic, thai chilies and things like that.
Which is also the flavor profiles that a
lot of plant based diners don't always get
to experience.
But in my restaurant and my walls, you
do. Okay. Yeah. That summer. Yep. In winter,
you know, I have...
I love bra stuff. So, like I talked
on earlier. We do a local meat that

(24:27):
we bra in 5 spice, mu spices, and
whatnot. And I turned that into a
squash, like a k squash and root vegetable
curry
that has the smoke from the braised meat.
So instead of just being, like, slices of
beef thrown into something it actually does feel
like it's taken hours and hours and hours
because it has to stew into a curry.

(24:48):
Yeah. And is this beef then you said
you're... That would know. That would be that
would be beef. That's. It's Okay. Yeah. But
it's but it's a lot more... Because of
the smoke is, it is as of the
next level and text
when it falls apart It's almost like you're
getting a beautiful short rib.
So, obviously, you know, you you accomplished quite
a lot in your

(25:09):
in your career. So when when you look
back at at the journey,
what do you consider to be your most
significant personal and professional achievement?
Yeah, I guess my my most significant personal
accomplishment
would be
recently, I became a father.
I never really thought that I would be
in a place where I felt personally adults

(25:31):
enough to provide something or have enough to
want to share
with someone. Right? Our child. I definitely knew
I wanted to be a father, but I
didn't really know what that would mean.
My parenting journey is interesting because I've done...
I did the solo. You know, I'm a
single gay man that wanted to have a
child. And
And when you consider that many factors in

(25:53):
terms of personal
relationships
came into play and the want for a
child kind of
over road any other
focus in terms of my personal growth. And
so I've spent many years trying to figure
out how to do it.
About 5 years, a lot of finances, and
I finally have a child that's my own.
A lot of other

(26:13):
her name
Hen. Yes. Her name is Hen.
She's named after my dad's favorite Poet, William
Ernest Hen. Her middle name... Her name middle
name is Ans chan, which is a thai
flower, butter butterfly p
flower,
and then her last name is mint. So
her initial s Ham, HAM
So she's my little ham, and luckily, she's

(26:35):
a little chunky right now, so she's living
up to the name.
But she's adorable. How did she... It was
a she is currently 8 months. Wow. Okay.
She is... Everything I could have I've ever
hoped for in in that respect.
Thank you. Thank you. I think, you know,
now it professionally, you know, there's a lot
of things to celebrate, and I think there

(26:57):
are certain things that seem very
kind of land landmark that you can time
state. You can... There are time stamps in
my life that were very significant in terms
of building my career.
And I and I think all of it
is a culmination to where my career has
come to now.
I wasn't from a family of
R Carlton

(27:18):
restaurant chefs, and I wasn't from a family
of people that really knew how hospitality and
deep pocket investors were We didn't have a
wine seller in our basement.
I was raised in Nashville with a very
casual Asian restaurant as my
as my reference point. And, luckily, 1 meal
a week. I could eat something fancy

(27:38):
and kind of see the world through the
eyes of what my parents wanted me to
learn by being in America.
So for me, getting my foot in the
door was a 1 man struggle or 1
man hustle. If you will. And I say
struggle
ironically
because I was always frustrated growing up, like,
I see other people getting shout outs and

(27:58):
accolades
sitting here, Like, I feel like I have
the cloud and just as good, but I
just don't have the
the connections. Yeah? So everything that I've done
has been shameless.
It's been very.
Mom mom and dad didn't know what a
P marketing budget was. She made an egg
sold an egg roll. You know? Yeah. The
joke was... She was like, Gina know how

(28:19):
many egg rolls mommy has to pin pay
for for you to do this. And I
was like, yeah, 40000. Please make 40000 egg
rolls. So I can go to culinary school,
that kind of thing. So the the push
for me was very self motivated and that
I knew I had to
give myself the chance by putting myself out
there in any way possible.
I e going on top chef. I. E.

(28:39):
Luckily. I'm not stage fright. So I was
willing to put myself through those kind of
things to get visibility.
But with that, you know, not everybody, I
will take you seriously by being a Tv
chef or being a drag between the cooks.
It's... But, you know, so luckily, I feel
my proudest moment now is that in the
evolution of
food where I really feel all eyes are

(29:00):
in food culture,
the food speaks for itself, and that I'm
having a moment that I can actually work
within the industry
I can open up doors for myself with
organizations, like, the tourism authority of ti, the
thai consulate and things like that. Where the
food is what matters and the conversation around
that food is what I have to offer.
So right now, I'm proud that I'm working

(29:21):
a lot. I have opportunities I have opportunities
to speak on podcasts like this, which I
don't think I would have had a couple
years ago. So I'm... My my proudest is
achievement right now is that I'm busy.
I'm busy, and I and I'm very grateful
for the... For being busy.
Okay. So let's switch to what to the

(29:42):
rapid fire your questions now. So,
you know, you and I are going on
the tasting tour in Nashville. So When I
like the 5 spot that you are going
to take me to. Of course, outside of
the, you know, that your place.
Oh my gosh. 5 spat. Now that now
all my friends are gonna cancel me for
30 the 5. I will say for a

(30:03):
consistent
feel good guarantee meal.
I would take you to City house.
My friend, Tan Wilson grew up in Nashville.
We have been each other's cheerleader leaders for
a very long time.
He, I think was best chef southeast, a
few... A few deck... A decade or so
ago. Very humble man,
beautiful
location. It's very comforting, Italian, I guess you

(30:25):
could say, but it's a point of view
in perspective that he's had ever since he
first opened his restaurant that he hasn't deviate
from. And all I know is whenever I
go there, I... Know what I'm gonna get.
I know I'm gonna love it, and I
know not gonna feel good about what Ate
and when I leave.
So... Yeah. I will take you to
ss guy,
which is my east National counterparts, rival fried

(30:47):
chicken joint. They do Chris and Emma, they
just started about a maybe 2 years ago,
and they have a little kiosk in this,
like, food
incubator space. Like, it's, like, little, like, like,
container homes. Right? Little, like small, but they
are about 5 this little space called the
wash, and they do a thai fried chicken
and a thai
grilled chicken, like a cold grilled chicken cold

(31:09):
grilled, and it is...
That's 1 of those things that I close
my eyes, it transports me back to Thailand.
I mean, it's 1 of the things that
I pick up for my staff to eat
as a as a gift even though we'd
serve pretty much the same thing. It's done
and executed so well. They don't have much
put the chicken on their menu, but really,
when you eat that good, Why do anything
else. Right? So I would go for chicken

(31:30):
any day. Bam is absolutely delicious.
Else would I say?
I'll take you for a burger. I would...
We're gonna go to Browns diner. I grew
up with Browns diner even though it's little
double wide trailer
beer bar with with a lot of mis
and musicians, but, again, my mother fed them
also, so why not have be part of

(31:50):
that fix as a kid. Right? So we
go in there. We get this grid grid
burger, this little flat grid burger
that,
you know, maybe the secret is an hasn't
been the grill hasn't been cleaned. It's just,
you know, it's 1 of those things that's
like, that's the starter every day. But it
a guilty pleasure of mine, and it's just
ultimate comfort and probably 1 of the best

(32:11):
burgers.
Okay. Arguably I've ever had anywhere, not just
in Nashville national.
2.
2 more. My gosh. It's gonna get tough
now. I will say
corner from where I live currently. There's... I
mean, I in a very near
area palm Ledge houston stand. It's... You know,
we... It's by the fair ground right I

(32:32):
used to come and do minority naughty things
as child, but now it's very fancy.
But the... There's a place called Eds, and
they make fresh pasta, and it's just a
lot of... I mean, we have a noodle
vendor that makes our noodles as well at
the restaurant, But but their pasta is in
their approach is... I love something that's so
niche where there's, like A7I8
item menu. You know, and it's just una
ap. But also it's not just a traditional

(32:54):
Italian. Like, 1 of my favorite jj is
like, a creamy Oo. Okay. Pasta with crap
But but really, but really their selling point
for me is there a bread. They do
a house b. They pipe in. I mean,
it's garlic bread, but they do this little
cross section
you know, wedged little roll, and inside they
pipe in this garlic cream cheese, and then
they bake the B. So when you pull

(33:16):
it out, it's like this really
crave cheesy monkey bread full of glut, but
it's so elevated,
but technically, it's just garlic cream cheese.
Is brilliant. Yep. And then
Number 5.
You know, I talked about food all day
long Eat food all day long. And, oh,
I will say this. Okay. There it was

(33:36):
Vet restaurant that I love. So it's... It
was back. Yeah. So I go to this
pacing called Os or Off. I'm not forgive
me. And it's it's a little mix between
Turkish and, you know, a little bit, but
they have a beautiful menu. It's it's very
in my mind for about but I would
expect traditional
their breads are beautiful.
They have a dish that's called Hell mini,

(33:58):
which is kind of like a dump, like,
a ravioli.
That they do, and it's just comes in
a light broth with sour cream. But really
my favorite things there are they're salads. They
have a beet salad and a potato salad
that tastes almost russian to me, you know,
with little ground meat and pee and small
dice Okay. Things like that. And it just
reminds me when I was an ice skater
touring with my fellow Russians doing these kind

(34:20):
of like, quick salads and things, and it
just is really something that I don't really...
A world that I don't understand
much of, but I really appreciate and love
what they have the from. So that... So
so that's a nice. That's a nice switch
in my daily routine up eating as well.
I think it's a a nice gamut of
of food that you can discover in national.

(34:41):
If there's like someone that you dream of
collaborating with when it comes to cooking.
Who.
You know, it'll be really cool. I when
I started my culinary journey in New York,
I cooked jean George. Oh, yeah. I I
didn't We are, you know, we're given our
first assignment, our first day of school, like,
write a report about someone who resonates with

(35:01):
you in the culinary world. And I picked
him mainly because of his ties to the
royal family and cooking in Thailand at a
young age and whatnot. And ironically, I'm working
with his son, Cedric coming up soon in
the fall at at the tin building, but
I've never worked with John George or... I
mean, I've worked for him, but I've never
worked next to him directly. So

(35:23):
Let's... It would be it would be lovely
to have a moment. Okay. Cook with him
and then also get his endorsement. That would
be great. Yeah. Absolutely.
Yeah. I'm going to tag you when we
do the promotion, And I and I'll tag
him as well. So...
Okay.
Yeah. We're doing something with High select actually
in high console in September, and it's with
Cedric. Okay his son at his his face.

(35:45):
Yeah. So, I I like to ask that
question as well because, you know, there's always
a lot of people to give
wonderful advice, you know, in your life, and
you hear sometime advice given to others and
you're like,
so
what's maybe the worst advice that you have
seen or heard given in the hospitality industry?

(36:05):
The worst advice?
Do whatever they want
to make them happy.
I think for the longest time,
Or actually, I'll say this or the term,
the customer is always right. Yeah. It has
come to bite everybody in the ass in
a world of entitlement and lack of better
words, Karen, and consumers. Mh. Because at this

(36:27):
point,
we...
There's 2 types of hospitality.
In my in my world, I can't give
you everything you want because I don't do
everything.
I can give you what I do well.
And I... It's been taking it's taking a
lot of time. Even my mother's client, even
my mother's
even for my mom's patrons to now, you
know, I still hear often, what Patty would
have done it. Mh. And the servers are

(36:48):
like, yeah Arnold doesn't do that.
And then... It's like, what kind of review
are we gonna get now because of that.
You know? So, like... But I know what
I do.
So I think that's the worst thing
in all of hospitality is ever claiming Whoever
dubbed that, the customer always right, is is
was... Has never worked in the restaurant industry.
Okay, Chef.

(37:08):
I think I were are going to end
up on that 1.
Was a good 1.
Yeah. Okay. Thanks. Thanks thank you so much,
Jeff, you know, for your time. And your
little 1
did not disturb. She's still probably sleeping. So
Yeah. She's... She... I gave her a bottle
of water. She's fine. I I would... I
would love to say 1 more thing though
before we end this. If if there's any

(37:29):
way, another accomplishment of I really fun accomplishment
it mine as well is back in the
eighties, my mother wrote a small
handheld,
almost like a pamphlet Cookbook of her recipes
to archive stock She is not chef trained.
She doesn't have chef language, but it looks
like 1 of those little short stack books.
You know, it's kind of covid it into
half. And she sold quite a few copies.

(37:49):
So after she passed away, so many customers
were showing the notes and personal things that
she wrote in the books to them, and
it was a 4 dollar 95 cent
template. That said, this is 1 my first
of many. Well, she never got tried another
1, but I did get a book deal
to write in her honor So, I have
a... Yeah. So I... So I have a
book that I've signed Abrams publishing,

(38:10):
and it's... The book is called family ties.
And I'm submitting the final recipes this fall,
and hopefully, it will drop in fall of
2025.
Very nice. It on it honors her recipes
the stuff that she had in the pamphlet
is in the book as well as our
family stories and my growth to how I
cook now. Hopefully, it'll be ready to go
fall 20 25.
And

(38:30):
we'll see what happens after that. I mean,
you know?
Yeah. After that, you have to promote the
book and, you know, the book signings.
Yeah.
It's pretty interesting because we're doing it. It's...
I think it's being published in multi languages.
So I'm very optimistic and getting it out
there. Oh, my gosh. That's fantastic.
Because it's it's not easy nowadays to have

(38:51):
a book deal. So so congrats. Yeah. It
was a long time coming, and I'm glad
to do it to honor
not only my high heritage, but obviously my
mother, so I'm excited to see how it
was gonna come out.
Chef, Thank you so much. Thank you for
being on the show. I Am really, you
know, glad that we are we're able to,
you know, to make it happen. Yes. Thank
you. I'm glad you got to taste my

(39:13):
food so you can back up what I
say.
And I'm glad we really got to connect.
So thank you very much for letting me
share as well.
Thank you for tuning into this episode of
the flavors and on webcast with our amazing
guest Chef Arnold mint
of the international market in Nashville.
I hope you enjoy our deep dive into

(39:33):
his culinary journey, his creative process
and the unique stories that makes his cuisine
so special.
If you found this episode it's pairing,
please share it with other foodie and food
and enthusiasts,
and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter
on flavors unknown dot com to stay updated
with the latest episodes.

(39:55):
I am emmanuel La roche,
It has been a pleasure bringing you another
episode of the flavors and on.
Until next time, keep exploring the wonderful world
of flavors
and stories behind them. I see you in
2 weeks and until then, remember that people
who love to eat are always the best
people.

(40:15):
Thanks for listening to flavors unknown. If you've
enjoyed this episode, give us a follow on
Instagram at flavors unknown.
Visit us at flavors unknown dot com.
Don't forget to leave us a 5 star
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