For the first episode of season two, we had the opportunity to sit down with Soulayphet "Phet" Schwader from Khe-Yo, located in Tribeca. At Khe-Yo, Phet is cooking traditional Laotian cuisine with modern touches, at a hip and vibrant location in Tribeca. Chef Phet was born in Laos and came to Wichita, Kansas through a refugee resettlement program as a young child. Sadly Phet's biological father passed away while living in a refugee camp, and you'll hear Phet share how he decided to embark on a journey to find out more about his late father.

Find Khe-Yo online at https://www.kheyo.com/ and @khe_yo on Instagram. The Open Belly podcast is hosted by Danielle Lehman and shares the stories of immigrant and refugee chefs and restauranteurs across America. You can find the Open Belly podcast online at openbellypodcast.com or on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter @openbelly. Thank you to our supporters, ChowNow and New American Economy. This episode was produced by Oliver J. Hughes, photography provided by Alyssa Broadus and Chris Dolt, and artwork created by Frank Norton. Data points and research provided by New American Economy.