Growing up as an immigrant latchkey kid, Roy Choi spent a lot of time wandering the streets of Los Angeles alone, thinking he'd never fit in anywhere. He had a scar on his face from cleft palate surgery, and he thought of himself as an alley cat, slipping through the world unnoticed and he took in every detail of the way people interacted, especially at restaurants. It's this nuanced and empathetic view of humanity that's made the 2010 Food & Wine Best New Chef such a force in the hospitality world. He joined Tinfoil Swans to talk about going through life feeling unwelcome, how that's informed every business decision he's ever made, his new cookbook, and why he sometimes feels like a baked potato.

For more info visit: foodandwine.com/tinfoilswans

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices