Roy Choi

Roy Choi – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Discover Roy Choi’s journey — from Seoul to L.A., from hotels to food trucks — and how he reshaped street food culture. Dive into his philosophy on food, community, and life, along with his most inspiring quotes.

Introduction

Roy Choi (born February 24, 1970) is a Korean-American chef, restaurateur, and food activist whose work helped usher in the gourmet food truck movement in the United States. Known for his “food that isn’t fancy,” Choi blends Korean, Mexican, and Southern California flavors with a conviction that good food should be accessible, culturally rooted, and socially conscious. His influence extends beyond the kitchen — he’s also a TV personality, author, and advocate for food equity and community.

Early Life and Family

Roy Choi was born in Seoul, South Korea, to parents Soo Myung Choi and Jai Nam Choi.

His upbringing involved many small family businesses: the family ran a liquor store, a dry-cleaning shop, and for a time operated a Korean restaurant (Silver Garden) in Anaheim.

During adolescence, Choi had challenges: he struggled academically, struggled with drug use, and was sent to a military academy (Southern California Military Academy) in his teen years.

Choi’s path to a culinary life was not linear: in his mid-20s, he was inspired by watching Emeril Lagasse on TV and decided to enroll in culinary school, eventually training at the Culinary Institute of America.

Culinary Career & Achievements

Early Steps & Hotel Work

After his training, Choi worked at various hotels and restaurants, gaining experience in classical kitchens including interning at Le Bernardin during his CIA studies.

Kogi & the Food Truck Movement

In 2008, Choi co-founded Kogi Korean BBQ, a fusion Korean-Mexican taco truck, with partners Mark Manguera and Caroline Shin.

His groundbreaking work with Kogi earned him the distinction of being named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2010 — the first time a food truck operator achieved that honor.

Restaurants, Media & Community Projects

Beyond Kogi, Choi expanded into brick-and-mortar operations. Some of his ventures include:

• Chego! — a rice bowl–centric restaurant concept.

• LocoL — a fast-food concept co-founded with Daniel Patterson, focused on bringing healthier, community-driven fast food to underserved neighborhoods.

• Best Friend — a Las Vegas restaurant opened in 2018 at Park MGM.

In media, Choi co-hosted (with Jon Favreau) The Chef Show on Netflix, and hosted/produced Broken Bread, a TV series exploring food justice and culture. Broken Bread earned a James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Host.

He also published a memoir-cookbook, L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food, combining stories of identity, Los Angeles, and his culinary journey.

Time magazine has recognized Choi multiple times, listing him among the Time 100 most influential people.

More than restaurants and media, Choi is known for activism and community-minded approaches: he advocates for affordable access to better food, respects street food cultures, and often uses his platforms to highlight food inequities.

Philosophy, Personality & Style

• “Food without pretense”: Choi often stresses that cooking need not be “fancy” or elitist.

• Community and roots: He views food as a connector between culture, memory, place, and social justice.

• Embracing failure and risk: Choi has said he does not see failures as absolute — setbacks feed into future projects.

• Respect for street and immigrant food traditions: He honors how food evolves in immigrant communities, weaving fusion while not forgetting origins.

• Voice beyond cooking: He sees chefs as community voices and agents of change, especially in social media age.

Choi is known to be candid, energetic, and emotionally transparent in interviews — mixing humor, urgency, and sincerity.

Famous Quotes by Roy Choi

Here are some quotes attributed to Roy Choi that reflect his worldview and craft:

1. “Cooking is not a craft to get into for money. The money may come, or it may not. But you must get into it for the craft and the culture.”

2. “It’s so easy to produce food, throw it away, and watch people starve. It’s so hard to produce food mindfully and to feed and to reduce waste.”

3. “For me, I never abandoned the truck. Even though I’ve opened other things, the truck is still the lifeblood of who I am. That’s because I enjoy it. I believe in it. It’s everything that I am.”

4. “Sometimes, in the deepest moments, there are no words. There is only food.”

5. “There are certain foods that are somewhat sacred or you’re not supposed to mess with. When you do mess with them … that thing you’re creating has a loosing change right out of the gate.”

6. On barbecue: “American barbecue is all slow and low … But Korean barbecue is thinner cuts of meat.”

7. “Chefs have always been leaders, but now… we have a voice that expands beyond cooking.”

These express his belief in purpose, integrity, humility, and the capacity of food to speak when words are insufficient.

Lessons from Roy Choi

• Follow passion, not prestige: Choi’s shift from classical kitchens to street-level service shows that meaning often comes from purpose, not status.

• Fusion with respect: Blending cuisines works best when you deeply know and respect the traditions you’re fusing.

• Community matters: Food can be a tool for social equity — Choi demonstrates how restaurants and media can address injustice and access.

• Failure is not final: He reframes setbacks as material for growth and reinvention.

• Remain rooted in identity: Even as he expanded into multiple formats, he still returns to the truck, which reminds him of core values.

Conclusion

Roy Choi’s path—from a Korean immigrant child in L.A. to a food-world innovator—illustrates how authenticity, creativity, and social purpose can reshape culture. His approach to food is unpretentious but deeply thoughtful, and his influence spans trucks, restaurants, media, and activism.