Today’s episode features an individual with an inspirational story. 

His name is Tu David Phu, and he’s a Vietnamese-American Chef based out of Oakland, CA. He’s worked at many Michelin Star-rated restaurants all around the US and was a contestant on Season 15 of the top-rated cooking show 'Top Chef.' In 2017, Tu was named 'Rising Star Chef' by the San Francisco Chronicle, and in 2019, he was named a 'Smart Catch Leader' by the James Beard Foundation to promote sustainable seafood options.

Tu and I talked about his rough childhood experience living in Oakland, CA, during this conversation. Tu goes into detail on how some nights he would go hungry, how he did not have access to fresh food (which a lot of us take for granted), the rollercoaster of a journey he went through to learn about his identity, what community means to him, how food saved his life and gave him purpose, and getting the call to appear on Top Chef. 

As a bonus, we even talked about an incident during Top Chef, which involved a fellow contestant sabotaging Tu’s dish.

The story behind his love for food is so raw and organic that it’s hard not to root for the guy. I’m extremely grateful I could connect and have this conversation with Tu, and I look forward to working with him soon. 

You can follow Chef Tu David Phu on Instagram at @cheftudavidphu or check out his website at ChefTu.com.

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