Label Queen with Philippe Trinh

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign. [00:00:08] Speaker B: Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Label Queen. My Label queens out there. I appreciate it so much. Thank you for watching. Thank you for listening. All of the things. If you have questions or comments, because you know what? I get a lot of things wrong. But if you have comments or questions, please email me at label queen pod gmail.com. i do look at them and I do appreciate them. And as always, this podcast is sponsored by No1 Yet. In the words of Meghan Markle, I will continue on saying yet. However, if you want to, by all means, reach out. I'm very excited about this episode because it's something that I hold near and dear to my heart. It's all about food. And yes, I love food. And some of you may not know, but I will say this, it's probably where I'm happy. I think, you know, I work in fashion. I love fashion. I circulate around fashion. But the truth is, I'm happiest when I'm in the kitchen, and I don't know what that is. I'm sure it has something to do with growing up. And I remember my mother could sort of make a party out of nothing, and, you know, people and relatives and family would come over, and all of a sudden we were whatever, four or five people ballooning to 12 or 20, and it seemed like there was plenty for everybody. So it's a skill set that I love. And she was brilliant at it. And even though we may do it differently, I think I learned it from her. I do love cooking. All of the things that I love, which are making my own spices, by the way. Yes, I make my own spices. I grind my own spices. I make my own stocks. I grow my own herbs. I'm growing vegetables now. I love everything, everything about cooking. And then Ozempic happened and GOP wons, and all of a sudden, all of the friends that you know and love suddenly didn't want to eat. And it sort of. I think it's a really interesting study in how do you navigate an Ozempic world, Or we should say GLP1s, because I think that's really the term now, where entertaining looks very different because people aren't eating and maybe they're not eating in the same way. And is it almost like the new sobriety where people aren't drinking? And a friend of mine who works in the industry told me that alcohol consumption is way down in the United States, which I think is so fascinating. I'm sure people are doing other things. I don't know what they Are. But yes, alcohol consumption is down. Food consumption is down. What's not down are rhinestone hot dog T shirts, which I love. So if you're listening, yes, I am wearing a rhinestoned hot dog T shirt. End of summer, looking fabulous and I love it. So yes, a new era of food. And this is definitely all related to my guest today. But before we get to that, I like to talk about my highs and lows and let's, let's pivot these all around food. So I did a quick Google search. Some of these I agree with, some of them I don't. But I love this idea of the lows in food trends. And these are some things that I just, that just caught my eye and I think are hilarious. So gold leaf on everything. That is a low in food trends. And I love it because I do think that idea, it's a little bit like truffles too. Like putting truffles on everything makes it fabulous and expensive and exclusive and unique. Putting a little bit of gold leaf on something. Also the same thing. Now, I don't know, I don't really love gold leaf on things. I think it's like what am I actually eating? But that's a food trend. That is a low. The other thing that is a low, that is food specifically made for Instagram, which tends to be outrageous over the top things probably aren't even meant for human consumption anyway, but just good for Instagram or TikTok or a photograph. That one I, I can deal with. I get that that's sort of stupid. This one I think is interesting. A in food is food served on wood planks or quarter sheet pans with butcher paper. I didn't know that that was a thing, but I guess it is. And now that I think about it, I guess I can see it. I don't really care about that. But it leads to another low in food trends which is charcuterie everything. And I think there's butter, charcuterie, I think there's whatever, charcuterie everything. I actually like a charcuterie board, so I don't know why that's a low, but I guess it's just sort of, you know, the boo boo of food at the moment. So think twice, kids, if you're doing a charcuterie board because it's a food low according to the Google. Now my highs in food. I think this is interesting and of course I'm relating this to, to film in particular. It's so funny because when I was thinking about this, two things popped into My. My mind they're wildly different, but they have one thing in common, and I hope it doesn't say something about me. Anyway, the first is a 1982 black comedy film called Eating Raul, directed by Paul Bartel. He also stars in it and he also wrote it. This is a really funny, as I say, dark comedy about a couple who live next to. They live in an apartment building, and they live next to an apartment or below an apartment or where there's a couple that's into swingers. They're swingers, and they have these swinger parties, and in order to sort of, you know, deal with their financial situation, they start killing the swingers and then eating them. So there's a little bit of a cannibalistic. And the way that this is dealt with is quite funny, quite dark and hilarious about food. And it's one of my favorite movies. The next one makes perfect sense for me. It is called the Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. It is a 1989 film. It's a crime drama. It's an art film written and directed by Peter Greenaway. Now, this film, if you know it well, first of all, in the day, it was a sensation. And if you haven't seen it or don't know what it is, please look it up. It is so highly, of course, stylized. The costumes were designed by the fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, and it is the height of all of those sort of 80s things. It's a very convoluted plot, but each scene is really stylized to the point of a monochromatic color. And from room to room, it might change from all red or all green or all yellow or all magenta. It's beautiful to look at. The correlation is it does end with a touch of cannibalism as well. So I don't know what the theme between these two are, but they are food films. They do have to do with. Deal with cannibalism, but they're both really interesting. Those are my highs in food. So please check those out. Okay, now, my favorite part of the pod. My guest today, very interesting. And before I say his name, I'll just give you a little bit of a background. He grew up in Kansas City thinking he would be a graphic designer. He then pivoted to photography, then got hooked on fashion design. After college, he had stints with R. Scott French, Adam Lippis, Philip Lim, Perry Ellis, among others, finally landing at Joseph Abboud. The COVID pandemic flipped everything as it did for everybody. And that's where his online profile skyrocketed. His popular Whiskey and Booch Instagram account boasts over 151,000 followers and growing. His followers love Asian comfort food as much as he does. It's filled with food, family, great tips, cooking demos, great editing. Just a lot of fun. My guest today is the fascinating and fabulous Philippe Trinh. Stay tuned. Philippe, thank you so much for doing this. I have to say, for so long, I called you Philip and you really are Philippe. That's how. That's how you prefer, right? Philippe? I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it. Okay, so we've known each other a long time. [00:09:14] Speaker A: Long time. [00:09:15] Speaker B: And the reason why I started Label Queen was because I was fascinated by all of the things that people do. Right. We're not just one thing. We do a million different things. And you are the epitome of a label queen. Would you agree? [00:09:31] Speaker A: I would, yes. I would have to agree. [00:09:34] Speaker B: Okay. You do so much. You've launched a magazine called Borough, which you sold. You dabble in real estate very successfully. You started a kombucha business called Seek north. And here it is. Okay. [00:09:47] Speaker A: These are the last bottles, too. [00:09:48] Speaker B: Okay, so let's talk about kombucha, because can I tell you something? I don't like kombucha. I think it is so freaky and weird. So talk me through why people like kombucha. Kombucha. And why should I like it? [00:10:02] Speaker A: Well, it's filled with, like, a lot of, like, really good, like, gut, like, probiotics. It's a fermented drink. [00:10:10] Speaker B: I hate it. [00:10:11] Speaker A: I know, but it's. Oh, it's that acidic. Like maybe vinegar taste that you're not used to, but it's really good for you. It's got a lot of probiotics, there's, like vitamins, a lot of minerals, electrolytes. So, like, if you're hungover one day, you drink this, it'll like, boost you right up. [00:10:28] Speaker B: You had me on the hungover because that happens a lot. [00:10:32] Speaker A: Yeah, it's really good for your gut biome. So if you're not eating, like kimchi, sauerkraut, and all that other stuff, this is like a great way to like, keep all of that, like, in check. [00:10:42] Speaker B: Okay, so here, here's a question for you, because this is a very food centric episode. If you're doing GLP1s, which everyone is, do you think kombucha is a good thing to drink to keep your gut health in check? [00:10:54] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. It's the number one thing that you could do is having a diversification of, like, bacteria, probiotics. So, like. Yes. [00:11:02] Speaker B: Okay. [00:11:03] Speaker A: So kefir kombucha. Anything fermented is good. [00:11:07] Speaker B: Love it. Okay, so Seek north has been very successful, but these are the last bottles. Talk me through that. [00:11:12] Speaker A: We launched at Dean and DeLuca. I think it was, like, in 2018. [00:11:16] Speaker B: Amazing. [00:11:17] Speaker A: Yeah. We got into all their stores. It was a great experience. And then after that, Dean and DeLuca, like, shuttered their business. We were one of the last brands on the shelves as they were closing. [00:11:28] Speaker B: Nobody likes kombucha. [00:11:29] Speaker A: I'm only kidding. [00:11:30] Speaker B: I'm only kidding. I know. It's wildly loved. [00:11:33] Speaker A: Yeah. It's because they weren't paying their bills, and we were the only ones. And at that point, it was like, do we still keep on putting our product on the shelves? But everyone still knew the label, so everyone we talked to were like, you know, we're at Dean and DeLuca. And that was such an easy sell for people. Everyone's like, you're at Dean and DeLuca? Yeah. Like, we'll carry you at our store. Of course. So at that point, it was just, like, free marketing for us. Right, right, right. We knew we weren't gonna get paid at that point when they were shutting down. And we got to a point where it's like, where are we gonna start a kombucha business? Like, further than just the Dean and Du Luca collaboration, or should we stop? And we decided, like, we had such a successful momentum that we wanted to keep it going. So it was Dean and DeLuca X seek north. So it's, like, in collaboration. So after that, we were just called Seek north, and we launched. We got into, like, mostly, like. Like, health food, like, stores and stuff like that. And upper markets. Citarella. No, not Citarella. What is it? Food seller. [00:12:36] Speaker B: Fairway. [00:12:38] Speaker A: I don't know. It was, like. [00:12:39] Speaker B: It was everywhere. And I so appreciate it. And the truth is, while I'm kind of being a little bit cheeky, I actually do like it. I think people put it in cocktails. [00:12:50] Speaker A: Oh, my God, yes. So if you put, like, a little vodka or, like, gin, I think you would like it better. [00:12:55] Speaker B: All right, there we go. All right. So keeping it on the shelves, as you say, for marketing, you also have a digital marketing agency called Northseeker.com, so point is, you do a lot. All wildly different and fabulous. And honestly, you know, everything turns to gold, so bravo to you. But I want to start a young Philippe in Kansas City. So talk me through growing up in Kansas City and what that was like and what brought you into the world of fashion. [00:13:26] Speaker A: Okay, so I guess if we pull back a little bit. My parents were both political refugees during the Vietnam War. [00:13:34] Speaker B: Amazing. [00:13:35] Speaker A: So they ended up in Seattle, and the only opportunities they found was in Kansas City. My mom had a nursing job lined up. My dad was going to work at the city as an accountant. And that's what they did. They picked me and my little sister up. We had like a. My dad had like a yellow sports car at the time, and they drove it down from Seattle to Kansas City, didn't know a single soul, and started their lives in Kansas. [00:14:04] Speaker B: Okay, so did they speak English? Were you born in the United States? [00:14:08] Speaker A: Yeah, they. They learned English. They both made it to Seattle. And. Yeah, we went here to Kansas City. I lost my train of thought. [00:14:17] Speaker B: That's okay. Were you born in. In the United States? [00:14:19] Speaker A: That's right. Yes. Yes, I was born in Seattle, in Issaquah. [00:14:22] Speaker B: Okay. [00:14:22] Speaker A: Yeah. And so was my other sister, who's now in la. [00:14:26] Speaker B: So it had to have been somewhat strange being a Vietnamese family growing up in Kansas City. I mean, right away, that's a sitcom. So what sort of. What was that like for you, going to school? And were you the only one? [00:14:44] Speaker A: I was like, there was only two families, I think in grade school. Yeah, I think there was only two. And even in high school, I think there was only two other Asian kids. It was. It was tough. I mean, we lived in Kansas City out in like the boonies, like in the farm. And so when I got picked up to school, I remember the first day, there's this, this girl that sat next. I got onto a bus and she's like, is your name Ching Chong? And I was like, yes, it's Ching Chong Li. And then we hit it off after that. [00:15:11] Speaker B: And you married her. [00:15:12] Speaker A: Exactly. But that was like one of my first. Like. [00:15:15] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean that to me, that is so. Well, first of all, it shapes everything about who you are. And I. I know what it's like sort of being, you know, a brown person and an all Caucasian. You know, I grew up in Connecticut. You couldn't, you know, an Aryan from Darien, that whole thing. And I know what it's like to feel other. And I think that it's so interesting that you have chosen a creative path which is also otherness. You didn't become an accountant, you didn't become a lawyer, you didn't become a doctor, all of those things. [00:15:45] Speaker A: That's what my parents wanted us to be. I'm sure they one of us. [00:15:49] Speaker B: I'm sure they did. But you went to school you were interested in. [00:15:53] Speaker A: Originally, I was interested in graphic design. [00:15:56] Speaker B: Okay. [00:15:57] Speaker A: So I took a few classes, and I was like, I don't think this is for me. So I switched gears, went into photography, took all the classes, and towards the end, I remember they had a fashion show. And I worked for the Ledger. I think it was like the school paper at the time. And I was responsible for, like, organizing the photographers, like, shooting things. We shot the fashion show, which I didn't even know they had fashion at the school. We went to Johnson County Community College, you know, and I remember developing the film in my black and white studio class. And I was like, wow. Like, between the, like, lights, the fashion, the hair, and, like, the models and everything, I was like, maybe this is, like, something I should explore. So I remember finishing that semester and I switched gears again and went into fashion design. [00:16:46] Speaker B: Love it. I love it. Now. Now you're speaking my language. So I think it's great. Because you went into fashion, you've worked for many different people. We'll sort of skip over college. You, you started right out of college with R. Scott French. You worked with Philip Lim, you worked with Adam Lippis, you worked with Perry Ellis, and then you ended up with Joseph Abboud. So these are really kind of, you know, working designers, commercial designers. What were you doing within those companies, and what did you love about it, and what did you see that you would have liked to have been different? [00:17:25] Speaker A: Well, when I first started off, I started off at Adam Lippis and Philip Lim. And what I loved was it was like the upper contemporary realm, so it was like, designer, but, like, made a little more affordable. So we were able to, like, do a lot of things in house. So, like, when I was with Scott French, he was very nimble. Like, we did all the pattern making in his studio. We went to all of the factories, made everything locally. So that helped me, like, with. When I went to, like, at home, Lippus, we used, like, similar factories, the same factories. Philip Lem had his own. And at Perry Ellis, I was able to use that same thing and help him designed the fashion shows with Jon Crocco was our creative director at the time. And it was just amazing to, like, get my hands, like, in all these different facets of design. Some people get, like, pigeonholed, and they're like, I'm just gonna do, like, the illustrations or like, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I got to, like, do pattern making that. I took school for I was able to like, buy fabrics, go to trade shows, touch everything. And that made me like, I think like a very verse designer. And I specialized in bottoms, jackets, outerwear of like the technical pieces, which was like, very niche. It helped because, like, not a lot of people knew all the interests of like making out of our, how technical, how many pieces are like that make an outerwear piece. [00:18:49] Speaker B: You know, I think this is such an important story because I can't tell you how many people I talk to who want to be designers, I'm doing air quotes, or want to be stylists and don't really understand the complexities and the levels of, of training that you have to go through to understand the business completely. And I love that you've done all sides of it. It's really given you a sort of unique perspective and an understanding of what it really is. Did you ever want to have your own line? I believe you did. [00:19:25] Speaker A: I did. I think after, like working with Adam and Philip Lim and seeing like how passionate they were and like creating a style and a vision and stuff, like, I was like, that's what I want to do, you know. And I talked to Philip at the time and I was like, I want to do a collection and I wanted to like, do all this stuff. And then he's like, you know, maybe just start off small, like focus on one thing, make that really good and then expand. So what I did, I started off doing a shirt line. It was called Alias A, E L E I S because it was like an alias for me at the time. And my line, because I didn't want like me associated with it at the time. And it was all Japanese fabrics made in New York City. It did pretty well. And then like, me and my partner started Burrow magazine and was like, Julian's like, which one makes more money? And I was like, the magazine. So one had to go because I still had a full time job at the time. [00:20:21] Speaker B: I think it's great. Listen, I love it. And that advice of do one thing and do it well is the exact advice I gave to everybody when I was at Bergdorf Goodman as fashion director. You know, do hats, do coats, do, you know, dresses, do it well and then the rest will come. And I still still believe that. So fast forward, you're at Joseph Abboud, amazing, talented designer. Amazing, talented designer. And also making things still in the usa, which I think is fantastic. In my birthplace of New Bedford, Massachusetts, which I think is so fascinating. [00:20:58] Speaker A: His factory is actually. [00:21:00] Speaker B: And then the pandemic came. So, like so many people. The pandemic hit everybody very differently and very impactfully. And it hit you in that there was, of course, a corporate change, corporate structure, restructuring. The job went away, and you found yourself again pivoting, which I think is so great. I mean, honestly, you're. You're adept at pivoting by now, so. But talk to me about the pivot into food. [00:21:32] Speaker A: Okay? Well, I didn't know I was going to land in food. You know, like, the pandemic happened like everybody else. You know, like, we were scared. We didn't know what to do. I just company restructured. I was out of a job. I was, like, missing a lot of things from home at the time, and I was scared for my parents. You know, like, My dad was 80 something. My mom was 72, and I was missing a lot of my comfort foods from growing up. And it all hit me one day when I was like, oh, my God, if my parents pass, I'm not gonna have one recipe, like, of theirs to make ever again. I'm like, it was just like, it was that moment. And I was a vegetarian at the time. That's why I didn't cook a lot of, like, Vietnamese food, because it's so, like, meat centric. And, you know, like, I was living such a fast fashion life. Like, I wasn't cooking all the time, so it brought a way for me to open conversation with my parents. We grew up in a Vietnamese household, so they're not the most endearing parents. They're not going to say we weren't grown up. And they never said I love you or this or that. So it was my way of connecting to my parents. So I would call every day and be like, hey, I want to make chicken pho. Can you walk me through the process? What is your technique? And stuff like that. So I started cooking, and I started switching my Instagram over to from fashion into food. And what I found was, like, a lot of people were interested in food, and, like, you know, this was 2020. A lot of people were becoming home cooks and, you know, like, having their own sourdough starters and making bread and stuff like that. And I wanted to, like, really delve into, like, making nostalgic childhood foods. [00:23:21] Speaker B: Okay, so what I love the most about this story is, as smart as you are, as mercurial as you are, this really was born out of the love not only of your family and your parents, but the legacy of what that food means to you. So, whiskey and booch, your popular Instagram skyrockets to over 150,000 followers and growing. You have viral videos that have reached 1.4 million. 7 million, which I think is so phenomenal. And you have to teach me how that happens, by the way. Why do you think something goes viral? [00:24:02] Speaker A: I think it's like, for me, I found out, like, if I add value, there's, like, an element that, like, ties back to family and stuff like that. Like, it's just. There's never, like, a formula or anything. It's just, like, the right time. Who's viewing it? If you're adding value, what are they getting out of it? And some of those popular videos, like, f. It's a dish that we're known for. It's like the dish of Vietnam. So, like, a lot of people want to learn how to make it. So it added that, like, it's actually easy to make, and I can do this. So, like, people want to save it. They want to comment. Yeah. [00:24:39] Speaker B: And then your homemade Sriracha, I think that got over 7 million views. So out of that comes partnerships. You've had partnerships with Amazon Fresh. Who else have you had partnerships with? [00:24:53] Speaker A: Hexclad, Bradley Smoker, Cuisinart. Yeah. I actually helped Cuisinart, like, launch, like, an outdoor walk. So I helped them, like, yeah, make prototypes and, like, oh, I want an outdoor walk. [00:25:06] Speaker B: I love that. [00:25:07] Speaker A: I know to cook outside. I love that. Smoke. No, nothing inside. [00:25:10] Speaker B: That's fabulous. [00:25:11] Speaker A: One of my favorite little gadgets. [00:25:12] Speaker B: So before we get into a little little cooking demonstration, which, by the way, I love, I feel like I'm on the Today show or something. What do you think the connection between fashion and food is? Or in your mind is there? Because in my mind, there is, but what do you think about that? [00:25:32] Speaker A: For me, I think it just comes down to having a creative outlet. And even though I pivoted so many times, I was able to bring all of that still today. So, like, I'm photographing food, I'm filming it, I'm creating it in stylistic, like, curated way where I bring that sense of, like, craftsmanship and, like, that meticulous eye and, like, the appreciation for, like, fine ingredients and all of that and all encompasses into what I do today. [00:26:05] Speaker B: Well, it's funny because really what it is is style. [00:26:08] Speaker A: Right. [00:26:08] Speaker B: Everything you're doing is you're talking about style, and it is style. And thank you for telling us how to pronounce pho. Not pho. [00:26:19] Speaker A: It's not pho. [00:26:20] Speaker B: It is not pho. And thank you, because I would have said pho a million times. So you said it first. So, pho, what are we making today? And while you do that, I have to say the videos of your father and you. And how old is your father now? [00:26:36] Speaker A: He just turned 86. [00:26:38] Speaker B: Okay, anybody who's listening or watching, please go to your Instagram whiskey and Booch and look up these videos of you and your father not only cooking together, but your travels to Vietnam, your travels back home to Kansas City. They are worthy of a movie themselves. They are cinematic and so sweet and tender. What has. Has that relation? How has that relationship changed within this whole thing that's really about food as well. What's been the surprise for you? [00:27:13] Speaker A: I think it's just connecting with my father in a different way that I haven't been before. He was like a very, like, military man, you know, like, no love, no nothing. But then I was able to see his joy and his creative side and to see that that's where it comes from, a place of love and like. Yeah, it's very touching and I'm glad that I have this and time with him. So. [00:27:42] Speaker B: And has he said I love you yet? [00:27:44] Speaker A: No, not yet, but he will. I'm working on it. Maybe after this. [00:27:48] Speaker B: Yeah. You have to keep the cameras running at all times. At all times. Okay. So what are we making today? [00:27:53] Speaker A: We're making Vietnamese chicken salad. So it's one of the only. One of my favorite, like, cold dishes. There's not a lot of them, so this was a great way to bring something that's refreshing for, like, the summer. They're all garden herbs. So many of these herbs are very hard to find, especially in upstate New York. [00:28:13] Speaker B: Is that correct? [00:28:15] Speaker A: This is Vietnamese coriander, so. [00:28:18] Speaker B: Wow. [00:28:18] Speaker A: Yeah, it's very aromatic, a little peppery. [00:28:22] Speaker B: Do you grow this here? [00:28:23] Speaker A: I do. Because you can't find it anywhere. [00:28:26] Speaker B: You know what? I'm gonna go into your garden at night. [00:28:28] Speaker A: Please do. [00:28:29] Speaker B: And clip some of this. This is really interesting because it's not the. It is a bit of the coriander that we know, but there's also, like, a lemony feeling to this. [00:28:39] Speaker A: Peppery. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. [00:28:41] Speaker B: Mm. So great. [00:28:42] Speaker A: Why don't you tear some of that into the chicken salad? This is just sliced cabbage. [00:28:49] Speaker B: All right, so we're throwing. [00:28:51] Speaker A: Yes. [00:28:51] Speaker B: The home grown Vietnamese coriander, which, by the way, I've never heard. And, you know I love to cook, right? [00:28:57] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. You're amazing. [00:28:59] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:29:00] Speaker A: Little parties. [00:29:00] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:29:01] Speaker A: This is, like, one of my favorite dishes that I do, like. You know, you've been to one of My supper clubs. Yep. [00:29:05] Speaker B: Yep. [00:29:06] Speaker A: This is always, like, one of those popular dishes. So we're also going to throw in regular cilantro. Coriander. [00:29:12] Speaker B: Regular. [00:29:14] Speaker A: Okay. [00:29:15] Speaker B: Are you growing that as well? [00:29:16] Speaker A: It's like my dad has, like, an herb garden. He has his special. Yes. Okay. Yeah. So my dad grows his own coriander too. [00:29:26] Speaker B: So the cilantro, he's still in Kansas City, right? [00:29:28] Speaker A: No, he's actually. We moved him up to New York during COVID because I was so scared. I was like, I don't think you guys should be in Kansas alone anymore. [00:29:37] Speaker B: My gosh. [00:29:39] Speaker A: Yeah. So. [00:29:40] Speaker B: Oh, my God, the superstar is here. I love it. [00:29:43] Speaker A: And then we're gonna put a little mint in there as well. [00:29:46] Speaker B: Okay. All of these things. Anybody, except for maybe the Vietnamese coriander, anybody pretty much can have or get. [00:29:53] Speaker A: Exactly. Cilantro mint. [00:29:55] Speaker B: Yep. [00:29:56] Speaker A: All of this. Yes. We're gonna put a little. [00:29:59] Speaker B: Oh, this is so much fun. [00:30:00] Speaker A: Yeah. We're gonna put a little red onion in there. Okay. [00:30:03] Speaker B: Thinly sliced red onion. [00:30:05] Speaker A: Yep. We have some juliened carrot. [00:30:08] Speaker B: Julie and carrot. [00:30:10] Speaker A: Yeah. Look at that. And then we are going to. [00:30:13] Speaker B: I mean, this is so easy. [00:30:15] Speaker A: It's so easy. And the star of the dish. [00:30:19] Speaker B: I love a star. [00:30:20] Speaker A: The fish. Sami. Yep. Fish sauce, which is. We're gonna make nuoc mum, which is the golden sauce for Vietnamese cooking. This sauce is in everything. So it's the dipping sauce for spring rolls, egg rolls. [00:30:36] Speaker B: Interesting. [00:30:36] Speaker A: Everything. This is the mother sauce. [00:30:38] Speaker B: Okay. So I'm gonna put this recipe. I'm gonna add this in because I think I love these sort of things that are go to's that can just live in your fridge or your pantry that, you know, just make. Cause everyone is so afraid to cook. [00:30:51] Speaker A: Right. [00:30:52] Speaker B: And if you just understand how easy it all is, it's just about being prepared and organized. I talk about this with fashion too. Everyone was like, how do you have good style? I'm like, just have an organized closet. You know what I mean? Just have the basics. It's all so easy. It's not a mystery. [00:31:11] Speaker A: No, no, no. What I love about this dish, like you said, it's so simple. It comes together in just, like, 20 minutes. [00:31:18] Speaker B: By the way, I'm still drinking this kombucha. [00:31:20] Speaker A: It's a lot. If you took like a. You went in for it for a second time. It really. [00:31:24] Speaker B: And there's no vodka in it, so I'm good. All right. So, Philippe, I do this thing. You keep going. [00:31:29] Speaker A: Okay. Okay. [00:31:30] Speaker B: You're adding some. And I'll ask this Question while you're still preparing, and we'll put this recipe on as well. So I do this thing where I ask a friend or colleague a surprise question. Oh, and you don't know what this question is, and you don't know who it's coming from. So I asked a mutual friend of ours, the phenomenal Maria Philippin. Now, Maria, the reason I asked her is because she sort of did the opposite of you. She transitioned out of food, famously owning one of the most fabulous restaurants in upstate New York called Boydson's, A place where people came together and just was really phenomenal. I miss it every day. By the way, what'd you just put in there? [00:32:16] Speaker A: I just added a little more fish sauce, and then there's garlic and red chili. Thai chili peppers. [00:32:21] Speaker B: Amazing. Okay. So I asked Maria, who has pivoted from food and restaurants into the most beautiful antique store called Ball and Claw Antiques. [00:32:32] Speaker A: Love it. [00:32:33] Speaker B: She is so phenomenal. And she asked because you do so many things so wonderfully, she wanted to know, and I love this question. Would you ever consider opening a Vietnamese restaurant yourself? [00:32:48] Speaker A: Ooh, I think I would do pop ups restaurants. I don't know. I'm scared. Everyone's like, like, don't go in the restaurant industry. And when I talk to a couple people, they're like, if you do have a really small place and run it yourself or something like that, it's. Yeah, but I would love to in an ideal world, but it just sounds too stressful. But I think pop ups, supper clubs, other ways to introduce my food with the community and stuff without having all of the overhead of a restaurant. [00:33:18] Speaker B: Yeah, I would have to agree with you. I think it's a great question. I think she wants it because she wants to eat there every day. [00:33:24] Speaker A: I mean, if she wants to fund it, then there will be a view in the. [00:33:28] Speaker B: Maria, you might be getting a call. But what I do love is the idea of a supper club. And I think, like, with your style, I can see you designing the aprons and the napkins. And of course, you know how. How the plates are. And you've. You've done this a little bit in some. Some pop ups. And I think that's a brilliant way to go. So, yes, let's look for some, some whiskey and booch pop ups with some phenomenal Vietnamese food coming soon. Now let's continue. So we've got our sauce going. [00:33:58] Speaker A: Yes, we made our sauce. And then we're just gonna add some shredded chicken. [00:34:04] Speaker B: Okay, this is. What did you do to the chicken? Is this. [00:34:07] Speaker A: This is just boiled chicken breast. And then I just shredded it. [00:34:10] Speaker B: Sort of poached, boiled. [00:34:12] Speaker A: Yes, just like, lightly simmered chicken breast. [00:34:16] Speaker B: So great. [00:34:17] Speaker A: So why don't you mix that up? [00:34:18] Speaker B: I will mix it up. Look at me mixing. [00:34:22] Speaker A: We're gonna put. [00:34:23] Speaker B: You know what? I'm gonna. Thank you for making me lunch. [00:34:26] Speaker A: Yeah. This is one of my favorites too. [00:34:28] Speaker B: So this is a first. [00:34:30] Speaker A: What, you never had it? [00:34:31] Speaker B: It's a first for me, cooking like this. I'm sure I've had versions of this. [00:34:37] Speaker A: Mm. Yeah. Why don't you mix? [00:34:39] Speaker B: So tell me about kind of the ritual of Vietnamese cooking, because I know each culture has. What is the relationship sort of to food, Family culture in the Vietnamese culture? [00:34:51] Speaker A: Well, for us, it's just like bringing our family together and, like, having a place where we can all come to and share a meal with. [00:35:03] Speaker B: You're watching me. You're, like, not happy? [00:35:05] Speaker A: No, I'm like, yes, bring it on. Yeah. [00:35:07] Speaker B: And I think, you know, I think for me, what I love so much about your story is how much of it is based on family and coming together, and that's what I love about it. [00:35:18] Speaker A: It's just like sharing food with people and showing them a different. [00:35:23] Speaker B: I'm going to take a bite. [00:35:24] Speaker A: Yes. Wait, wait, let me put. [00:35:26] Speaker B: Oh, here we go. [00:35:26] Speaker A: We're gonna finish it off. [00:35:28] Speaker B: We're finishing with. What is that? [00:35:29] Speaker A: Little fried shallots. Ooh, yes. And then we're just gonna put. These aren't super hot, but it's just for color, just to have on there. [00:35:39] Speaker B: Okay. Right already. I'm like, I want to go to the Pop Up. I'm gonna give you the big bowl. You just eat out of that. [00:35:44] Speaker A: I'm just gonna have, like, a little. Yes. Just to try. [00:35:47] Speaker B: Okay. So what I'm really interested here is the sauce. [00:35:53] Speaker A: Did we put enough on there? [00:35:55] Speaker B: Okay. By the way, on a podcast, eating is really good. [00:35:59] Speaker A: It's really what? [00:36:00] Speaker B: It's really good. So you just get into your mic and you just chew, and it sounds great. People love it. And this is so delicious. I'm gonna take one more bite. [00:36:12] Speaker A: I'm going to crunch from the salad, the cabbage. [00:36:15] Speaker B: I'm gonna wash it down with my new favorite, kombucha. Here we go. Delicious. And, Philippe, I am going to thank you from the bottom of my heart because everything you touch really is fabulous. I think your story of coming from Kansas City into the world of fashion, into the world of social media, of marketing, of real estate, and I have to say, I've always been a little bit jealous of you. [00:36:42] Speaker A: I've been jealous of you, too, so. Yeah. [00:36:44] Speaker B: But truly, I think you're just a phenomenal inspiration to people. And I love following you. I love the food. I love that you're in this space now. And I think I might hire. What is it? North Seekers. [00:36:59] Speaker A: Northern Seekers. [00:36:59] Speaker B: Northern Seekers. Because I need a little help with the marketing side. [00:37:03] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, hit us up. [00:37:05] Speaker B: Thank you so much. [00:37:06] Speaker A: Thank you for having me.