By Amanda Alaniz

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – NOV. 15, 2024 – A trailblazer in the food industry, successful business owner and social activist, Chef Roy Choi shared his inspiring story, experiences and advice at the annual Distinguished Speaker Series event Tuesday evening. 

Every year, UTRGV holds its Distinguished Speaker Series, led by Student Activities, and brings world-class speakers to the university and community. On Nov. 12, Choi spoke to a crowd at the Performing Arts Complex in Edinburg. Students, staff, faculty and community members spent the evening listening to the chef’s journey – from his beginnings to his successes, including the origins of the Kogi taco, his specialty.  

Choi, a Seoul native raised in Los Angeles, made his mark on the modern food truck movement with his creation of the Korean-Mexican taco truck Kogi Korean BBQ. He shared the story of how it all began: being a child of immigrant parents, immersing himself in his surroundings and understanding different cultures. These aspects all influenced his career and his entry into the world of fusion cooking.

“I have to deal with two worlds – the one in my traditional home and the outside,” he said. “That’s where I come in, or us as kids. I think that’s what others define as fusion – fusion cuisine, fusion culture. A lot of people have different answers to it, but I try to look deeper. It’s more of a mutation, it’s more of us.”

He explained that while his household was traditional and expected him to follow a certain path, he saw the world differently and discovered how he could navigate it. He learned to adapt, develop his own personality, and find his calling – cooking.

Choi trained at the Culinary Institute of America and worked in top kitchens like Le Bernardin. During his talk, he openly shared his personal struggles – overcoming addiction and losing his job.

Then a new venture struck him – his friend, Mark Manguera, proposed the idea of doing a “mash-up” between Korean and Mexican food. Thus, the Kogi was born. 

Choi, a Seoul native raised in Los Angeles, made his mark on the modern food truck movement with his creation of the Korean-Mexican taco truck Kogi Korean BBQ. He shared the story of how it all began: being a child of immigrant parents, immersing himself in his surroundings and understanding different cultures. (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)

To garner attention for the food truck, Choi turned to social media to let people know where the food truck would be. He watched the business grow into a significant success that eventually made him a cultural icon. 

“The things I loved growing up – I loved cruising; I loved dusk when the streetlights turned on and the sky turned night; I loved sharing things with my friends – whatever I had, you had. I loved giving. These were the things I loved to do as a person,” he said.

“My whole life, I was being told those things were worthless. Those things would lead to nothing. That’s Kogi. That’s our business plan. Show up in parking lots, watch the daytime turn to nighttime, share food with each other. That’s the business plan for Kogi, which became the biggest food truck in America." 

Choi co-hosts the Netflix series The Chef Show with Jon Favreau. He was named Best New Chef by Food and Wine magazine in 2010. His memoir, L.A. Son, became a New York Times Bestseller in 2013.  

His Emmy Award-winning series Broken Bread on KCET/Tastemade earned him a James Beard Award for Outstanding Host in 2020. In 2016, he was included in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, and his restaurant LocoL won the first-ever Los Angeles Times Restaurant of the Year award in 2017.

Choi continues to champion street food culture as co-owner and chef of Kogi BBQ, Chego!, Best Friend, and The Chef Truck at Park MGM Las Vegas. He doesn’t forget where he came from; everything he learned about cooking came from his family’s restaurant and their life in Koreatown, a diverse neighborhood in central LA. Today, he advocates for street food culture – past, present and future.

For anyone wanting to go into the culinary arts, Choi emphasized that there should be a passion for cooking and readiness for the ups and downs.

“Remember, this is a profession you do because you love it, because you can’t imagine doing anything else,” he said. “If you’re in it, you’re going to love it no matter what.” 

ABOUT DISTINGUISHED SPEAKER SERIES 

The Distinguished Speaker Series, led by Student Activities, brings world-class speakers to the university and community. Past speakers include former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, renowned costume designer Ruth Carter, civil rights activist Dr. Maya Angelou, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, and Grammy/Oscar winner John Legend.  

To learn more about the UTRGV Distinguished Speaker Series, visit utrgv.edu/dss. 

“My whole life, I was being told those things were worthless. Those things would lead to nothing. That’s Kogi. That’s our business plan. Show up in parking lots, watch the daytime turn to nighttime, share food with each other. That’s the business plan for Kogi, which became the biggest food truck in America." (UTRGV Photo by Paul Chouy)