My first memory of the refugee camp was waiting for the U.N./Red Cross to come with food rations, and I remember that this other older lady didn’t have any children and my mom would loan me to her because if you had more children you get more food. So once I week I pretended to be her daughter. Whenever I would go with Mae Ba I would get a lollipop, so of course I always wanted to go with her.
Read MoreCan you tell us one thing you know about Laos?
One of the most, green, lush bamboo-filled, countries - just absolutely breath-taking.
Read MoreMy first summer job in America, was in a clothing factory back in San Diego. I was opening the boxes and folding the t-shirts. After that I was working in the county office of education specializing in juvenile department, and then I went back to school and got into hotel management. I moved to San Francisco and worked as an administrator doing payroll, but got bored very quickly. One day I was helping my Chef, a master chef from France, and he like the way I presented things, so he said I’m gonna recommend you to go to the Culinary Institute of America. So I went to CIA in Hyde Park, NY in 2003, and my major was culinary art. People hired me to do pastries, and I did that for five years. I moved to D.C., that’s how I ended up at Doi Moi, where I am the Chef de Cuisine.
Read MoreOne thing I know about Laos? I know there was a war.
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