The man, the myth, the noodle legend: Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix is a handwritten love note from Los Angeles disguised as a kids book.
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Roy Choi is royalty around Los Angeles. When I make ramen, I channel Roy Choi. If you’re from LA or visited, you know the Kogi truck that’s famous for Korean bbq in a taco. This book is about that famous community builder of a chef, but it’s more than that.
It’s the story of a Korean immigrant whose mom made food with sohn-maash (“the love and cooking talent that Korean mothers and grandmother mix into their handmade foods”). It’s the story of a man who made mistakes. It’s the story of someone who could, and has, been a chef to Hollywood stars and beyond, but instead chose to serve food out of a truck to the skateboarders, folks without homes, elementary school kids and the rest of his neighbors in this great big Los Angeles neighborhood.
I. Love. This. Book. I love the illustrations by street artist Man One. I love the food ethnography from June Jo Lee. I love the story from Jacqueline Briggs Martin, and I love Chef Roy Choi.
This book is published by Readers to Eaters, which was established to help support food literacy. This topic is near and dear to my heart, we as families need to better understand our food choices and what better way than through kids books!
Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix is available on Amazon and Bookshop. And if you want a grownup book about Roy Choi, you will love L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food.
Looking for more? See how many you can check off in the 100 Children’s Books to Read in 2021.