Episode 003: Sang Kim
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I met Chef Kim at his sushi making school, Sushi for the Soul. It was a gift to my son and we were excited to learn how to make sushi together. As the class got underway, Chef Kim shared his story, his philanthropy, his culinary precision and his passion. He also mentioned the importance of gratitude. I beamed and my son shot me a look thinking that must be the ‘real’ reason I’d brought him there.
In this episode, Chef Kim shares about his unexpected journey to and through the culinary world. He is wise, smart, witty and so talented. I admire the way he intentionally contemplates life and his story is rich in the awareness of our human complexities. He is open to life’s experiences and also plays a valuable role in creating rich experiences for others.
I’m grateful that we had this conversation and I hope you enjoy it too. If you’re in Toronto, his sushi classes sell out fast but, there’s a good reason for that – they’re awesome. I also recommend following him on Instagram. His musings, humour, beautiful perspectives and great writing are a complete gift.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
(00:50) Sang’s bio
(04:20) The journey started with stealing a can of Chef Boyardee
(05:37) Sang’s first job at Pizza Hut and experience of gratitude
(06:48) Community work and going door-to-door to make people dinner
(11:05) The unexpected journey of a chef and his struggle with this path
(13:25) Time at Nami and lessons about people and Japanese/Korean social relations
(16:13) His training and complex relationship with all things Japanese
(17:40) His relationship with his grandmother
(24:21) What his last meal would be
(25:50) What words he’s thinking about these days (essential and gather)
(32:10) Navigating COVID-19 life
(35:50) All about Sushi Marking for the Soul (it’s amazing, funny and inspiring)
(45:50) The ‘gaze’ exercise and the great social experience it creates
(51:33) What brings Sang joy
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
MORE ABOUT MY GUEST
Sang Kim a chef, restaurateur and writer.
Sang has been behind some of the most iconic modern Asian restaurants in the city of Toronto. He was profiled in the New York Times #1 bestselling business book, Better and Faster, by Jeremy Gutsche, for his innovative approach to restaurant marketing and Asian cuisine. He operates Canada’s most popular sushi making school, Sushi Making For The Soul, with over 19,000+ “graduates” since its inception in 2010.
He is the regular Asian food correspondent on CTV’s popular national daytime talk show, The Social and national breakfast show, Your Morning. He also does his rounds on all of the other networks.
He is an award-winning author of two books. He has won the Gloria Vanderbilt Prize for Short Fiction, Third Prize for Grain Magazine’s Short Grain Fiction Contest, finalist for the CBC Short Story Competition. His next two books, Woody Allen Ate My Kimchi, a memoir about his restaurant and food journey, and his collection of short stories, Eating Dogs, will both be released in 2020.
Website: www.sushimakingforthesoul.com
Instagram: @chefsangkim, @sushimakingforthesoul
Facebook: Sushi Making for the Soul