SBCC Vaquero Voices

Episode 51 - Piti Sukavivatanachai

Episode Summary

Akil and Hong welcome local restauranteur Piti Sukavivatanachai to the show to talk about owning one of Santa Barbara's best Thai restaurants, how his path to SBCC led him to UCLA and what brought him back home, and then discuss a new Omakase restaurant in the Funk Zone before shining a light on one of Netflix's most underrated shows and how the origins of the show tie back to Bruce Lee.

Episode Notes

Mentioned in this episode:

Your Choice Thai Restaurant - https://www.yourchoicerestaurant.com/

Your Choice Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yourchoicerestaurant/

Creaminal Ice Cream - https://eatcreaminal.com/

Creaminal Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/eatcreaminal/

No Sad Sundaes - https://eatcreaminal.com/no-sad-sundaes

DJ Javier - https://www.instagram.com/_djjavier/?hl=en

LAX-C - http://www.lax-c.com/

Seafood City - https://www.seafoodcity.com/

Mitsuwa Marketplace - https://mitsuwa.com/

Ume Chips - https://sunakku.weebly.com/blog/koikeya-suppa-mucho-ume-chips

Silvers Omakase - https://www.silversomakase.com/

Omakase - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omakase

Hokkaido Scallops - https://www.euronews.com/travel/2018/10/12/taste-savours-the-majesty-of-hokkaido-scallops-in-japan

Chu Toro - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABtoro

Hokkaido Uni - https://www.foodandwine.com/seafood/everything-you-need-know-about-uni

Totoraku (now closed) - https://www.thrillist.com/eat/los-angeles/west-la/secret-la-restaurant-secret-beef-totoraku

Chiles en Nogada - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiles_en_nogada

Babita Mexicuisine - https://www.laweekly.com/french-technique-and-the-sea-inform-babitas-gourmet-mexican-food/

La Casita Mexicana - https://www.yelp.com/biz/la-casita-mexicana-bell

Los Agaves - https://www.independent.com/2018/09/18/chiles-en-nogada-santo-mezcal-los-agaves/

Padaro Beach Grill - https://www.padarobeachgrill.com/

Chubbie’s - https://chubbieshamburgers.com/

Habit Burger - https://www.habitburger.com/

Bruxie - https://www.bruxie.com/

Warrior - https://www.netflix.com/title/80177331

Shannon Lee - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_Lee

Bruce Lee - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_(1972_TV_series)

Kung Fu - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Fu_(1972_TV_series)

Suzume - https://www.netflix.com/title/81696498

Makoto Shinkai - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makoto_Shinkai

Your Name - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Name

Weathering WIth You - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weathering_with_You

The Place Promised in Our Early Days - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Place_Promised_in_Our_Early_Days

Garden of Words - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Garden_of_Words

Millennium Actress - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Actress

Akira - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(1988_film)

Grave of the Fireflies - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_of_the_Fireflies

Salzer’s - https://salzers.com/

Ryuichi Sakamoto - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryuichi_Sakamoto

Snooze by Suga featuring Ryuichi Sakamoto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okfdIIUQOik

Yellow Magic Orchestra - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Magic_Orchestra

Episode Transcription

Captions provided by Zoom

 

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Hong Lieu: Hello and welcome to another episode of SBCC Vaquero Voices - a podcast highlighting the unique voices that comprise our campus culture, and how we're all working together to serve our students and the community at large. As usual, I'm joined by co-host Akil Hill.

 

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Akil Hill: What's good Y'all?

 

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Hong Lieu: And today we're honored to welcome Piti Sukavivatanachai to the show. Welcome, Piti.

 

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Akil Hill: You're welcome.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah t.

 

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Hong Lieu: You are you? You are Sbcc alumni. You are former student here, but you are first non Sbcc. Employee guest on the show. So.

 

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Akil Hill: Bar is high, the bar is high.

 

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Hong Lieu: Thank you for. Thank you for breaking the seal, because we know the reason we we wanted to to hyper to highlight folks. You know former students and anyone that has come through the you know, the the campus and everything like we are a service of the community. We're here for the community. And and we have impacted the community many ways. And

 

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Hong Lieu: and you know whether whether Sbcc was a big part of your life or just a small part, I mean, I'm sure it was definitely a part of the path of your life. So we wanted to highlight that in in community members and and all over. You know the area. So welcome the show. Thank you for taking the time.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Me.

 

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Hong Lieu: You are main proprietor at your choice on Upper State

 

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Hong Lieu: right? Your choice. Thai restaurant.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yes. Oh, it's a me and my wife. She it's it's a partnership. Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: And so you've been serving the community yourself for many years. And I know we we kinda talk about. You know, in our food section how restaurant life can be

 

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Hong Lieu: a lot. But I'm sure you know for you it's day to day. I mean what is what is kind of a day like for you in terms of of

 

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Hong Lieu: what you're doing, and how the how the restaurant's running.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : So it depends on what's going on this week or for the week and stuff. But usually I'm Ca, I come in early in the morning. I'm the first one in I just start prepping some things.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Whether that's ice cream or stuff for the restaurant

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : just setting up the kitchen and then

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Then I just kinda go about the day with the daily operations when the restaurant opens up.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Sometimes I have to kind of jump in and help out, too, but otherwise I'll be kind of continuing with making ice cream.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : yeah, that's it. Just.

 

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Hong Lieu: And you're you're you're in first one in and guessing last one out as well, cause that's just kind of the life right.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: And I I remember when you started doing ice cream creamal. Excellent stuff. If you all haven't had cream and ice cream, it's it's definitely some of the best ice cream in town, if not the best ice cream in town, and also along that you've you've pivoted to do no set Sundays, which is like a a pop up pop up inside the restaurant on Saturday nights from 8 to 9, and you've managed to maintain a year round. There were some weekends where I'm like, oh, feels a little cold out, I mean the wintertime. I wonder if they'll still do it. But y'all have been doing it every every Saturday now, and people have been showing out every week. Right? So.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, I was kinda worried like, Oh, man, it's raining and it's cold. I wonder if people are gonna show up. But it's sometimes it seems like those are like our busiest nights. I don't know why, but it's it's kinda cool. May I think people just wanna get out or something.

 

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Hong Lieu: And and that's really another reason. I wanted to have you on the show because

 

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Hong Lieu: I really wanted to spotlight. It might not feel like it to you, but as someone who, like goes to your restaurant and goes to the events, you put on some of the some of like the mini festivals you do in the parking lot, or the work you do with Dj. Javier, and stuff like that. You've really done a lot for the for the Asian community in terms of me, seeing kind of large gatherings of Asian people kind of rallying around food and art and culture. And it's not that it wasn't here in Santa Barbara before.

 

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Hong Lieu: but it's it wasn't tuned the way that you kind of tweak it in terms of like you've really kind of captured.

 

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Hong Lieu: I don't know you. You you have a way to. If you put something out, young people will come, and it will be like on and popping, you know, like it's it's you've done a good job of just doing. And it's and it reminds me of home. It reminds you, being in La, and there being a random pop up and everyone's showing out. And just like, even if there's a line, you're having fun in line, or you're eating food or anything. The food is good, and you're just like everyone is there. And it's like it. It's really like heartwarming and refreshing. And I really just wanna shout you out and really put you it like, let you.

 

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Hong Lieu: you know, give you those flowers because I really, deeply, deeply appreciate all the work that you do, and I know it's work, cause it's it's a we played off. It's fun you played off as hip and this and that. But you're you're behind the grinding and sweating. So I I wanna call out that work as well. But like that it. That work is much appreciated for folks like me that are just kind of appreciating the events and have no part in the organization of it. I just really love what you're doing, and I appreciate y'all so much so.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Thank you, man, thank you. It means so much to hear that from you.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It is. It is the locking. Yeah. Sorry.

 

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Akil Hill: It's definitely a vibe in there. Y'all like it's definitely a vibe. I went in there. Maybe I think about a month ago maybe in a little bit longer. But man just great merchandise. Make sure you guys pick it up. Merchandise stickers and just the ice creams amazing. I had to kill. Great! I think that's what I what I went. So maybe it was a little bit longer, but it's a whole vibe. I walked in, and I was like.

 

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Akil Hill: yo, it is cracking in here. So you know, keep big shot out, man. It's just felt the loving culture in there. So

 

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Akil Hill: yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Thank you. Thank you. Means up means a lot to hear that from you guys it. It is a lot of work

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : like we put a lot of work into like planning it out and like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : testing out recipes and ideas and stuff. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, but I think, for the most part it has been working out. So it's cool.

 

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Hong Lieu: And that's the thing where it's like running a restaurant on its own is hard enough, you know, like my.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: My dad worked in restaurants and he was. He was 10 to 10 every day or 6 days a week. He would get one day off. So he was like, I mean, just working in a restaurant hard enough. How do you make the time to do the restaurant and do all this other stuff as well because you're like you're out in the streets. You're you're you're putting it on when there's a random like random merchant fare or something you got a little boost there, whether it's you staffing it or or someone else that's working with you. So how do you make time? And what is that time management organization process? Like, I mean, yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I I I don't I I honestly don't know how I do it.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I I don't know. It's it's crazy like I I don't realize how much like we're actually moving and doing things until.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : like I have like a day off or like, I have a vacation. And I slow down. And then I like just sleep for days, and I was like Dang. I didn't know how tired I was. But it I don't know.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Somehow it somehow it gets done like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : sometimes I wanna like day. I'm so tired I just wanna not do it.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : But you kind of get in this momentum, and it just feels good like at the end of the day, to see all these people just like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : having a good time. It just

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : it feels good, and then just kind of keeps you wanting, wanting to do more.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I think I just love it when you love it. You just it, doesn't you? Don't.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : You don't mind. It's it's just. It's nice.

 

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Hong Lieu: It feels less like work, although that's why I wanna definitely shout out, it is work. So yeah, like it. Like, it's one of the things where you can mask it with how good it is. And you should definitely bask in that glory cause. Cause? Yeah, yeah, nice. I used to sell records in Chinatown. Like I, I definitely know what that group Vibe is like and how that feeling really drives you. But I also remember how tired I could be after some of those stuff some of that stuff had wound had wound down. So in terms of in terms of When you have some time.

 

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Hong Lieu: What do you do to relax? And what are you doing to kind of just chill and just like when you're when you have a day off, or something.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I for it, for.

 

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Hong Lieu: Is there a day off.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's usually it's Monday. But I usually do a little bit of work on Mondays to, just because I I feel like it gives me in a few extra hours to get things done that way. My week isn't so stressful.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : but I like to go out and eat with my wife and just hang out with, hang out with our dog.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : just go out, get something to eat, and then maybe go home. Take a nap like my favorite thing to do is just nap on the couch

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : with my wife laying right there and then my dog laying right there, too, which is.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : it's like the best feeling.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah, and that's that's where I mentioned earlier. My wife follows an Instagram, and and Pete's out in the streets, folks, he he's getting to these restaurants. He he's he's got spots in San Francis. I don't even know about we. We're wife's like, Hey, you've been here before. We should check it out. I'm like what I haven't been there before, you know. So yeah, you, I mean, it feels got Yup whisper skills as well. So y'all would definitely, definitely, we should do la crawl some point. But yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Would that be fun? That'd be fun!

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: So our normal normally at this point, we would do.

 

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Hong Lieu: Your path to Sbcc.

 

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Hong Lieu: In this case we were kind of. We'll do just kind of your path to the restaurant. But where Sbcc fit into that? So.

 

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Hong Lieu: You grew up in Santa Barbara right you grew up in town here.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, I grew up here in Santa Barbara and went to San Marcus High School.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Then, right.

 

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Akil Hill: Whatever.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Red.

 

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Hong Lieu: I told. I warned. I warned him about this. I told.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: I? I said. Akil went to Santa Barbara. He he! Probably he's not gonna let you live in.

 

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Akil Hill: He knew it was coming. It was like the club punch. He knew it was coming off.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : But yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: But you went to the Sbcc right after high school. Then right.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, after yeah. One street city college.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I I think I don't know at the time. I think most people we just don't really know what we wanted to do. You kind of have an idea what you want to do, but you're not really sure.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : So it was like a nice like a really like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : good place to kind of figure out what you wanna do. Even even then I didn't really know what I wanted to do. But I I majored in psychology at at City College.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : took a few music history courses just for fun.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : And then eventually I transferred to Ucla.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : But while during my time at City College I was just kinda helping out at the restaurant, too.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Not a whole bunch, but just

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : a little bit here and there, but at the same time, too, my mom wanted me to kinda

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : go out and

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : get a job somewhere else outside the restaurant because you wanted me to kind of see what it's like to work somewhere else outside of family. So I got a job@theymca. I became a lifeguard over there for for a little bit. So I was life guarding, working at the at the restaurant, and then also going to City college.

 

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Hong Lieu: And and that's really nice. I mean that that's good foresight on your mom's part, because if there's so much work to do at a restaurant, and there's so much work when it's family involved that you can easily get consumed by it. So the fact that she was had the force for thought to be like.

 

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Hong Lieu: I want you to see what other work is like. I want you to see my honesty. She probably had some sneaky like. I want to see how easy other work is besides. But yeah, it was good. It was. It's good to get that other ex that experience. So yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, it was nice to at the time. I didn't. I didn't really like appreciate. But then, now I think about it, it is nice, because, like, I got to see how it is to work for another boss that's like, not my mom

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : know what it's like to clock in and like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : do stuff, and then go home. Whereas if the restaurant, it doesn't really feel like work, it just feels like you're hanging out with your family

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : because it's here. It's like a family restaurant here.

 

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Hong Lieu: So you went to Ucla, and you did you study psychology, Ucla, too, or did you? When did you get into the? I know you did Emt for a little while, but when did that come up?

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : So right after. I graduated from Ucla. So at the time, my goal was to kind of go into something towards like medical like whether that's in the hospital, or maybe just a pair like firefighter paramedic. I just wanted to do something where you can like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : like help people, and

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I don't know. Give treatment for injuries, or whatever like kind of

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : stuff like that.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : So right after Ucla, I went to an Em. T. School.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : got some training that took about. I did like an ex accelerated course that was in I don't know. Maybe like 6 months or something.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It was intense. But right after that I got a job as an Emt

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : worked a little bit in like the La area. Then

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I I later got picked up by a company based in Orange County, an ambulance company where they run 911 calls, and that's kind of where I wanted to kind of go into.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : So I got a job out there, and then I was just running calls out in Orange County and La County.

 

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Akil Hill: So you've seen a lot.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, I think, yes, yes, yeah. I've seen a few things.

 

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Hong Lieu: And then you came back and then came back to help out with the restaurant.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : So while I was working as an Emt, I was also. I was still like the good Asian son coming back to help out the at the restaurant whenever we needed help.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Eventually, like the restaurant needed like a lot of help. And so my mom asked me to kinda

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : maybe pick up a few more. Not still. Ask me to kind of pick up a few more roles here at the restaurant, and just temporarily, while they, till they found some more help.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : And so then, at the time I was dating also, you know, I was engaged by then to my wife, Kathy.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : and I asked her like, Hey, do you want to call to Santa Bar with me and just

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : help out a little bit in the kitchen and in the front.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : She has experience in the kitchen. So she was like, Yeah, okay, I'll I'll do it. It'll be fun.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : So we came up on like weekends. And

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : oh, no! At the time we came up. No, I put a hold on on my on my job as an Emt.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : and then we both came to Santa Barbara, and it's kinda

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : took over a few things in the restaurant, helped helped out my mom and stuff.

 

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Hong Lieu: So she, and that your wife had never been up here really to hadn't really lived up here before, I mean. But did you ever did she? Did you all ever think that you'd be coming back, or was this kind of like

 

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Hong Lieu: a total pivot.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : No, I I didn't. I never thought I would. I would come back and live here. I thought I was gonna be living in la, I really liked it in la was nice.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : yeah, I thought it was just this would just be a place where I would come to back to visit my parents.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : But yeah, I never thought it would come back, or at all, to the restaurant, because I grew up here since I was a kid working in the restaurant, helping out.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : and at the time I I didn't enjoy it.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I wanted to like, get far away from it.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : But now it's a lot different. I it's it's different. I actually really enjoy this.

 

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Hong Lieu: I mean once, and it's funny because your your your goal, when you did the Emt stuff and the and the medical things was to help people.

 

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Hong Lieu: and like I mentioned to you, like the the what you're doing at the restaurant right now, what you're doing with the vets you put on all the pop ups. You're helping a lot of people. I mean, it's one of those things where you're helping them at a different stage, like, you know the medical Emt, you're helping them at a at a like, almost like a crisis point like intervention. But now, where you're helping people at is just kind of.

 

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Hong Lieu: It's a prescriptive, not a like a, you know, like a

 

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Hong Lieu: or but before anything happens

 

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Hong Lieu: you're feeding the soul. You're nurturing that community aspect where folks might feel disconnected in this in town, or something where they might not. You know they they want more events where they see themselves in the community. And you're really, I mean, like, I said, you're really helping that I well, at least to me. I feel it a lot in terms of when I see these events, and everyone's having a good time, you know, and everyone's just like really enjoying themselves.

 

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Hong Lieu: are you? You're giving them something that didn't exist in this community before. And you really are like helping a lot of people. So I I feel like, maybe that's maybe that helps as well in terms of that urge to help people is being kind of satisfied just at a different, a different point in, you know the process. So it's it's it's still your your goals are still there. So that's that's kind of a nice, a nice kind of.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : That's cool. I never, I never thought about like the that's yeah. That makes sense.

 

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Hong Lieu: Better better to heal someone when they're fleeing a little down than when they got like an open wound in their, you know chest or something right.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: And now you, now your family settled. Your your wife is up here. You have a dog, I mean, you're you're here, and you're you're gonna you're you're you're in it to win it right? You're you're, you know, restaurant doing your thing and.

 

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Hong Lieu: It feels sounds like it feels good. And you got a new vending machine, right? We we can talk about the vetting machine briefly, did you get it? Set up.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : No, not yet. It's still sitting there. I haven't read the manual yet

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : like that that

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : that's like unlike the bottom of my list. I don't know. I have. I? Hopefully, I have some time this week, and I I keep saying that I'm gonna read the Manual. But I I was. I don't know.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Something else comes up.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's it should be easy, but I don't know why I'm like dreading it. There's like so many buttons in there.

 

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Hong Lieu: You know. Part I would read about that is the back end customer service angle. That first time someone gets something stuck, and you know, hang or something you'd be like. Oh, man, I don't even wanna I don't open this can of worms, and this is but no, I think it'll be fine.

 

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Akil Hill: Where's the venom? She gonna go.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I put it right next to the merge area to the right. I kind of clean it up a little bit.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : so then it's a little bit more tidy, and then it's it fits perfectly to the left side of all the merch.

 

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Akil Hill: Oh, okay, great. We look forward to seeing that. And it's a, is it? What type of video machine is that ice cream of any machine.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : So just like your old school like snack. But.

 

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Akil Hill: Oh, old school. Okay. Okay.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : We're planning to just like put a bunch of Asian snacks in there.

 

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Hong Lieu: So you hit up seafood city, hit up laxc, grab all the snacks you can find, throw them in there and then like it. Another service to community, because, like you, you won't be able to get these snacks unless you go, you know.

 

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Hong Lieu: to travel a bit. So, having nothing in town is nice.

 

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Akil Hill: Don't forget. Hit up, Mitsua.

 

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Hong Lieu: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yep.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

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Akil Hill: yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Complained with some like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Thai stuff Korean snacks, Japanese snacks, like all, all like the good chips and stuff.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

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Akil Hill: I'm gonna put a request in for Umay. If you get anything like umay chips, man, that's.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : What's roommateships.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah. Who makes like the Japanese plum flavor.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Oh!

 

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Hong Lieu: Oh, and so what do they do? That in the chip form.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah, yeah, they have chips. They have chips at. But sua they have the 2. Usually you'll find them in 2 types. One is just like the regular chips, and the other type is like the little shoestring.

 

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Akil Hill: and that actually bit better in the Vinnie machine, because the this, the the design of the pack isn't as big as wide as the the bags, because Japanese chips are interesting. They're kind of like short and wide, right?

 

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Akil Hill: But the shoestring. But

 

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Akil Hill: bag is kind of like it's almost more like rectangular. So but yeah, the umay flavor chips. Those 2 are like.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I've never had this before. I must check that out.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah, look, you won't be disappointed.

 

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Hong Lieu: And on that note, perfect segue good eating our food section.

 

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Hong Lieu: So, Pete, yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: a dish that you either grew up eating eating recent. I mean, recently a restaurant. You wanna shout out kick us off what you got.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I'm a I'm obsessed with this restaurant. This is opened up a couple of months ago, or maybe month and a half ago. It's called Silvers on acoustic.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's in the funk zone.

 

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Hong Lieu: It's where 7 bar used to be. Right.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's let me.

 

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Hong Lieu: So around the corner, around the corner from monies.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Want to say. It's like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : 1210 to 12 Byte of sushi.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : He changes. The menu chef went and changed the menu like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : frequently like, maybe, like every few days. So like you could go multiple times. And it's like.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : it's always gonna be different experience. But just always like, just done at like such a crazy high level.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : The food is so good, the service is so good, like. It's an experience. Once you walk into the doors, it's like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : that's when that's when the magic starts

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : you you get. You're you're brought to this little welcome lounge. They they hand you a drink

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : to start off the meal, and then, once every all the guests arrive, they walk you into another room to sit down for sushi, and then that's like when the show starts. It's it's so good.

 

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Hong Lieu: So there's no walk up. You have to kind of book on open table, or something to get the.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : There's only a few reasons.

 

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Hong Lieu: Tonight. I'm guessing. Yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah. Reservations. Only there's 10 seats per seating, and there's 3 seatings, one at 5 Pm.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : 7, 30, I think, and then 9, 30.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : And it, it's it gets booked up quick. So you have to kinda plan ahead when you want to go. They have a wait list, but I've never done that. I don't know how that works like if you have a good chance of making it or not, but you kind of have to like plan ahead when you want to go.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's it's worth it. It's worth every penny. It's so good.

 

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Hong Lieu: And that's, you know, one of those those like special occasion cause it's it's not. I wouldn't say it's Pricey, because it's worth what you're getting in terms of service. The quality ingredients, you know, and everything cause Omakasi is a Japanese term, relates

 

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Hong Lieu: kind of like means like chef's choice, and normally you have a mukassi at sushi restaurants. When you sit at the bar and you ask for Mukassi, and the chef will give you a selection of what's fresh, what they like to make, what they think will be good. And it's kinda like almost like a playlist like a music playlist where they kinda you talking about 10 to 12 Byte. It's like one after the other. They kind of vibe with the others. It's like segways. Some there might be like a random, like a soup course or random non sushi dish, or Nandagi.

 

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Hong Lieu: I mean, but

 

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Hong Lieu: but every chef has a kind of puts their own spin on it. So it's but it's really the truest expression of a of a kind of a chef's kind of philosophy when you get when you especially omicasy. Only restaurant, then, you know, all the ingredients are kind of tuned to this this idea, cause there's some sushi places that would do a regular menu, and then you can sit and do the omakasse. But the the restaurants that can do like the omicasy. Only you're getting like the the purest expression of of the chef's vision and stuff for the restaurant. So that's

 

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Hong Lieu: it's kind of really neat to have all those in in Santa Barbara.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, it's really, really cool, like, it's

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : crazy. This restaurant exists here in Santa Barbara. Because I feel like this.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's something that's like, gonna be like in La or New York, or something. But it's we have this here in Santa Barbara, and it's cool because

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : they have a late seating at 9 30. I feel like in Santa Barbara like you don't really have that.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Everyone here closes at 8 o'clock or 7 or something.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : We're one of those people. But it's nice, because then that means I get to go enjoy this restaurant, add, like at a later time, too.

 

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Akil Hill: Okay, so how many times have you been there?

 

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Hong Lieu: I'm just gonna.

 

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Akil Hill: Puts you out.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Times

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I I've been going once a week.

 

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Akil Hill: Oh, man!

 

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Hong Lieu: And it has been different enough. It's been different enough every week.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: Wow!

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's so good like.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I'm thinking, if I should go again this week.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, I don't know. I'm still thinking about it. I haven't made my reservation yet, but it's it's that's how good it is like, I'm so excited about this restaurant. It's so good

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : like.

 

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Hong Lieu: Yeah, eat. It.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Like. It's just your mind, like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I don't know just it's crazy.

 

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Hong Lieu: And I don't think you can get a a a higher endorsement of a place than a a restaurant proprietor, you know, just being like ex super excited about about what they're doing, you know, because that that just means that everything is on point, you know, cause you know, you know, when something is good or not good in terms of you, you invite, you can value in all elements, you know, not just the food, but food service the whole presentation top to bottom.

 

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Hong Lieu: And and and so when you're giving this level of high praise, and then you definitely gotta check it out.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : They really have it like, like on point, like, there's only like 6 people on staff.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : But they, like everyone like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : is doing such a like.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Everyone's like doing such a high level like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : service. It's so good.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Everyone's on point.

 

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Akil Hill: What's what's your favorite? Well, I mean, this is probably a tough question. But just give us maybe your top 3 Byte. That.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Oh.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : that cheapest.

 

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Akil Hill: Was like.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Okay.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : anytime. There's scallop on the menu.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : He doesn't.

 

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Hong Lieu: Hope it's hot.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Title, scallop.

 

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Akil Hill: So, yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Simple Hokitos scallops in the Giri.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : He! He brushes a little bit of like passion fruit.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : I don't know something with Yuzu and Wasabi.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Soy sauce.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's so good like Eve, down to the rice, like the little kernels of rice, are just like perfectly like the texture, just perfect.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : and they take a lot of care, and like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : in their rice, too, like, as most sushi restaurants do. But here they actually mill their own rice. They get brown rice, they mill it into white rice, and then they're they're cooking a few

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : so good the texture and the flavors amazing. So scallops good.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Another one I like is anytime. There's some kind of toro on there. That's a tuna belly. They they've got 2 toro. They got old Toro. It's like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : any. Any kind of poro from them is good.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It just melts in your mouth. Amazing flavor.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : And then he does this a lot like. Usually it's the last course before the dessert. This is the like the one distance, like always on the menu.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : boony rice

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : with he changes it up so usually gets like some rice. He and he put some hockey in there. He mixes it up. Put something else in there more uni on top, and then some sturgeon caviar right on top, too.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : with a little bit of chopped hives and

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : some other

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : sauces I forget, but

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : it's just like the flavors or flavor. Oh, there's also puff rice on there, too. So it's like

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : you're getting. You're getting some some soft textures and crispy textures. And then like this really nice

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : like really nice, uny flavor.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : so good.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah, just the.

 

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Hong Lieu: Did, he would go. Hukheyo versus the Santa Barbara uni cause our our uni is really good, too. But the curious.

 

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Hong Lieu: Khaduni.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

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Akil Hill: Hakata was

 

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Akil Hill: scallops or no joke. I I think I was like in my twenties, and I went to Hokito.

 

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Akil Hill: There's a city most people know. Hokkaido because of support, was the bigger city. But the second biggest city is a city called Sahikawa.

 

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Akil Hill: and

 

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Akil Hill: man that you want to talk about some good eating dude. I was like.

 

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Akil Hill: I just remember going to you know, restaurants. And just that scal had me hooked anywhere on the menu I was like. That is what I want. So I can. I can relate to that. So. And I'm looking actually looking forward to getting down there.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, maybe I'll maybe I'll see you out there.

 

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Akil Hill: Maybe the 3 of us should go together. But first, you know, I gotta prioritize. I can't go there with you guys first, you know what I'm saying. So.

 

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Hong Lieu: Life, humidity. Yeah.

 

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Akil Hill: You team may have a roommate. You know what I mean

 

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Akil Hill: like I go there with with Wi-fi first, but then it'd be it'd be kind of cool just to meet up the 3 of us, and and and you know, give her the go together.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : That'll be amazing. So cool.

 

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Hong Lieu: I? Yeah, I definitely need permission. First, you buy, you spend, how much with who and not? I'm not there, but it.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah, exactly.

 

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Akil Hill: You know, I'm I'm have a little bias and affinity cause I was. You know, I was born in Japan and

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Oh, really.

 

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Akil Hill: Yeah. So I just kinda sushi is like a love language for me, you know. Good sushi is a is a love language, a good love love language for me. So.

 

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Akil Hill: yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: Oh, man, yeah, I'm excited. Because again, there's places in town where you could say Omakas, and they would do a little bit special. But to have a true like Omakasi. Sushi experience. Santa Barbara. It's it's pretty special, like it. It it bears mentioning that this is not common, like most most cities is really is like an la New York, like a big city thing, because it's hard to sustain a restaurant like that, because not a lot of folks are. They see the value there? They don't see that it's actually, you know, like, you're getting the the A lot of, because it's the food.

 

296

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Hong Lieu: the sourcing of the ingredients, the preparation you're talking about. They're milling their own rice. That's labor. And this when the service is on point like that, because

 

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Hong Lieu: it's not just like dropping off in front. It's like you said. There's a whole theatricality to it where there's like a front waiting room. You get a drink, you get a little bit of that. Then they bring you carefully, seat you, and you just really feel like to feel taken care of for like a couple of hours in an evening. I mean, that's that's every restaurant gives you that. But but when you really have set the bar with with the price point being what it is.

 

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Hong Lieu: And you meet that expectation. That's special like. There's times that I've been a really fancy place, and I've been like, I spent a lot of money. It was a pretty good, but it didn't feel worth it. But the way you're raving about this place, obviously, what you're spending is worth it to you, and that's really special. And that's really worth like like shouting out for sure. So great pick.

 

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Akil Hill: What also I kinda like about that, too, is we know that location where the restaurants at, and I feel like to me like some of the best restaurants I've eaten in Japan, or been like kinda in the like, the parts of town where it's just like it's like you have to hunt it out, and you will easily could walk past it right and and so to me, it's like the

 

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Akil Hill: the mystery kinda around, like you know how something so beautifully

 

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Akil Hill: is created in a space where you probably wouldn't think that would be going on. You know.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Exactly.

 

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Akil Hill: And that's the part of the the treasure. Is the hunt. Right, I guess, is what I'm what what I'm what I'm trying to say.

 

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

305

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Akil Hill: Cite it.

 

306

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : They're assigned to. It's like super small, and it's like all black.

 

307

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Akil Hill: Yeah. Oh, they're.

 

308

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : You wouldn't know. There's a restaurant right there.

 

309

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Akil Hill: Yup, that's it. That's it. That's it.

 

310

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Akil Hill: So yeah.

 

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Hong Lieu: There used to be a secret like actuator like A, called a total rocky in La. That was like that where you wouldn't know there was a restaurant there. Someone had to tell you about it, and it was like this whole thing. But they am closing. Cause yeah, they not enough. People went. So it goes both ways. But

 

312

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Hong Lieu: but yeah, great pick. Thanks for the shout. I will. I'll definitely get down to show notes. Akil. You want to go next. You want me to go.

 

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Akil Hill: No, you you can go ahead and throw cause. I think I'm just limited today. So.

 

314

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Hong Lieu: I don't talk.

 

315

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Akil Hill: I'll go last. I'll go last.

 

316

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Hong Lieu: My food pick is a dish, a Mexican dish called Chili's in Nogala. It's a stuffed. I think it's a pasilla.

 

317

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Hong Lieu: or it's a poblano chip.

 

318

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Akil Hill: Purple line up, above.

 

319

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Hong Lieu: Auto chili stuffed with like some kind of meat can be. Pork can be some kind of picadillo, and then it's covered in a walnut cream sauce and sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. And it's it's

 

320

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Hong Lieu: It's a dish that's special to me, because the first time I I had it. It was at this restaurant in La called Babita Babita, Mexico, Mexican. It was like in in the San Gibro Valley, maybe like 5 or 6 tables. But it was really the first place that I had what what you call quote unquote elevated Mexican cuisine, you know, like that wasn't like dollar, tacos and burritos and stuff.

 

321

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Hong Lieu: And it's it's just I want to shout out because Babita, as a restaurant was really special for the area, because it was. They were doing a lot of things that most Mexican restaurants in town weren't doing.

 

322

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Hong Lieu: Chili's no gotta be one of them. Where did people would, you know, shattered out on food boards where you gotta go here to get it if you're in the area because it's good, and that's why I sought it out because it was really good, and it's you know it was. It was amazing. And then and then that was another place where

 

323

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Hong Lieu: you look at the menu like, Oh, man, I can get this for X amount somewhere else. But the service and the quality and the presentation. Everything was impeccable. It was definitely worth it it was. It was like one of the early dates I took my now wife at the time, and when she visited me in La it was, took it there, tried it out, and it was just. It was awesome, and it was really excellent.

 

324

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Hong Lieu: and it was I love the dish because you can still get it.

 

325

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Hong Lieu: There's a restaurant in Bell owned by

 

326

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Hong Lieu: They just got a shadow on.

 

327

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Hong Lieu: Let me look at the name, because

 

328

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Hong Lieu: so I want to get that. Get it in there.

 

329

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Hong Lieu: The Casita Mehicana. Yeah.

 

330

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Hong Lieu: Lazida may kinda bail. They still do an excellent chilies in Nogala. If you want to find that dish, and I'm sure this place is in town, I think. Lusagabes at times have.

 

331

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Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

332

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Hong Lieu: So like it's it's a more common dish now. But this is maybe like 1520 years ago. So it's it was less common then.

 

333

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Hong Lieu: but it was. I thought about the dish a lot, because I was just in La, you know, a week or 2 ago, because one of my best friends moved out of town. You know. The the cost of living priced him out.

 

334

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Hong Lieu: and he's he's moved. He moved to Ohio. His parents are looking, you know, Arkansas, various other places, and it just kinda made me think about the the changing landscape of the city, you know. But be to close, maybe, like 5 or 6 years ago, but they were around, you know, 2530 years, and able to able to sustain

 

335

00:31:27.050 --> 00:31:35.289

Hong Lieu: for a long time with a 5 to 6 table restaurant doing really great food, but at a certain point it just becomes untenable

 

336

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Hong Lieu: and things cycle out. New restaurants come in and it. Just the the landscape of the town changes, and and you know, everyone around here says the same thing. It always like, Oh, Santa Barbara! So different! Santa Barbara's changing.

 

337

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Hong Lieu: and it just brought me to like. It's a universal thing like this is just happening everywhere. Everything's changing, and it's it's

 

338

00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:56.469

Hong Lieu: and of not fun and many ways very painful to adapt.

 

339

00:31:56.804 --> 00:31:59.859

Hong Lieu: just, you know. And and and I was just looking around and and

 

340

00:32:00.330 --> 00:32:17.319

Hong Lieu: like, you know, I talk about places that. Pt. That I haven't been to, because there's been so many new restaurants coming in. It's like I'm a tourist in my own town when I go back to visit my parents. I I hit the stand byes because they're still there because they're familiar. But I I, you know, like a lot of the new stuff. I haven't had time, because I'd only dip in and dip out. And it's

 

341

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Hong Lieu: those those so that even even to to me, the area I grew up in. It feels a little foreign sometimes, and that's where fe some folks around here get that, you know that they I hear about it all the time, or they don't recognize the neighborhood they grew up in. They don't recognize the Santa Barbara anymore.

 

342

00:32:30.710 --> 00:32:35.559

Hong Lieu: But this is happening everywhere, and it's just kind of a thing, and and it really made me think

 

343

00:32:35.710 --> 00:32:38.019

Hong Lieu: like I was like. I was really

 

344

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Hong Lieu: appreciative and glad that I got to taste it and experience it when it was there.

 

345

00:32:42.370 --> 00:32:46.720

Hong Lieu: even though it's not here anymore, like the memories that they built and and all that stuff are still

 

346

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Hong Lieu: still persisting. And and I just really want to shout it out, and I know it's I know Babita's not not open anymore, but I'll put a recipe for the dish in the show notes, and I'll and I'll put up with a couple of the restaurants that serve.

 

347

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Hong Lieu: She lives in Ogada.

 

348

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Akil Hill: I was thinking I ate. I can't remember where I was at. I don't know if it was

 

349

00:33:05.350 --> 00:33:08.730

Akil Hill: losa gaves, or was it losar royals.

 

350

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Akil Hill: But yeah, they make one. That's really good. I have to try to look it up so maybe you can also throw that in the show notes be as well because it was it was really, really, really good.

 

351

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Akil Hill: And you know, and anything with pomegranates on it, I'm I'm I'm I'm there.

 

352

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Hong Lieu: That pomegranate seed garnish because it's it's like a walnut cream, walnut cream sauce.

 

353

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Akil Hill: Us.

 

354

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Hong Lieu: A little bit of spice when with the meat, whatever meat filling it is, whether it's pork, or whether it's like a whatever Picot deal. You have a little spice there. The the poblano is like a little bit of heat, but it's a lot of pepper flavor, and I love the flavor of actual peppers. So it's just like when you get that one bite and it, and then the let it finishes with the crunch of the pomegranate seed. So you get that finish with the crunch and the big a little bit at that little bit of sweet, and then the walnut cream sauce, you know like, if you have the walnut pron sauce in the walnut pron thing where you get a little nuttiness, but it's like sweet.

 

355

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Hong Lieu: and then the meat and the Chili. Oh, it was just such a it was a really a mind blowing bite, because I was so used to everything. I eat Mexican food, we, you know, with the side of rice and beans. Everything is served on tortillas or whatever. And it was just really that first

 

356

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Hong Lieu: bite of

 

357

00:34:11.699 --> 00:34:15.400

Hong Lieu: I'm just like, yeah. Oh, it was. It was. It was awesome.

 

358

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Akil Hill: I mean. Listen to the viewers right here.

 

359

00:34:17.830 --> 00:34:20.620

Akil Hill: Hans, out here, demonstrating his palette. Look at that highly.

 

360

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Hong Lieu: Oh, remember no taste here. I love everything, but I can also pick out individual flavors in a bite, too, so.

 

361

00:34:28.870 --> 00:34:29.530

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Active.

 

362

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Hong Lieu: I would see what.

 

363

00:34:30.739 --> 00:34:31.549

Akil Hill: Sure you're so. Yeah.

 

364

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Hong Lieu: I feel the same way about Chili chili cheese fries, right so, or or the gravy fries the wet fries in the hat. Yeah.

 

365

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Akil Hill: Yeah, I'm not even gonna lie. I had Chili cheese fries last night. Man.

 

366

00:34:41.310 --> 00:34:43.900

Hong Lieu: Where? Where are you getting Chili cheese fries in town?

 

367

00:34:44.526 --> 00:34:45.759

Akil Hill: Pedero grill.

 

368

00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:47.360

Hong Lieu: Oh, yeah. Pretty good. Yeah.

 

369

00:34:47.360 --> 00:34:49.839

Akil Hill: Yeah, yeah, it was. Actually, it was alright. It was actually.

 

370

00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:50.580

Hong Lieu: That's I'm.

 

371

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Akil Hill: Say good, but.

 

372

00:34:51.780 --> 00:34:52.340

Hong Lieu: Well.

 

373

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Akil Hill: It was. It's the nostalgia. Nostalgia always taste the best.

 

374

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Hong Lieu: At this point I'll even take, like Weiner, sit like the the the bead, the b tier chili fries cause it. You can't. It's interesting because it's such a big part of La is like those Burger joints where you get like Burger pastrami and all stuff, so that nostalgic hit of like a big order. Chili fries you share with your friends like the there. Isn't that like chubbies? I expected to have Chili fries like I walk into chubbies like, oh, man, this is this is a joint right here they gotta have. But is burger fries chicken sandwich, although alright. But you know.

 

375

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Hong Lieu: I think.

 

376

00:35:22.670 --> 00:35:26.270

Piti Sukavivatanachai : The the the habit, and and Galita has Chili cheese fries.

 

377

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Hong Lieu: Now that they switched, now that they switched, they don't have it anymore.

 

378

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Hong Lieu: Oh, really, because they used to be. They used to be like, we know. They went to the big franchise, and they kept the the ones in town locally owned. But now young Brands is taking them all over, cause. They used to have the hotdog to the the split down the middle. You get the hotdog there, and that's only like the seasonal thing now. So yeah, I used. I used to go there, too, because that was the closest, even though it was like you have to almost assemble it, cause you get the Fries and the chili, and then, you know, like kind of put it together, and it was pretty good.

 

379

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Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, they had really good Chili back. Then.

 

380

00:35:58.120 --> 00:35:58.560

Hong Lieu: Yeah.

 

381

00:35:58.560 --> 00:35:59.240

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Dirty.

 

382

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Hong Lieu: Yeah. So that again, another another sign. The world changes. But at least remember the memories you know. Appreciate, appreciate what you had. Yeah. So.

 

383

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Akil Hill: Yeah, definitely

 

384

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Akil Hill: alright. Well, I'm gonna throw. I'm gonna go with new chicken spot. Well, I don't know if it's really new. I think it opened at the January. It's like January, I think it opened out for the New Year. Is it Brooksy's? I can never pronounce it right, but it's located down in Penteonwebo, where there was a few things but it's right by the movie theater. But what I forget it was like pizza. Rev. Was in there

 

385

00:36:34.360 --> 00:36:57.160

Akil Hill: before. And so it's basically, you know, I actually like it a lot. And I think it's actually really good for Santa Barbara. So hopefully, people can show up and give them some business. But it's kind of like a spin off natural hot, right chicken place. It's chicken and waffles. And you know I've been there multiple times of with Hong

 

386

00:36:57.250 --> 00:36:57.800

Akil Hill: and.

 

387

00:36:57.800 --> 00:37:06.260

Hong Lieu: Yeah, you were the one that that told me. Yeah, I wouldn't have tried it, not for you, because I was always like check it out sometime. But then you're like, let's go. And then, like, yeah, cause

 

388

00:37:06.310 --> 00:37:08.019

Hong Lieu: yeah, it was good. So.

 

389

00:37:08.020 --> 00:37:11.409

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Really good, their their waffles are so good, it's light and crispy.

 

390

00:37:11.670 --> 00:37:14.539

Akil Hill: So like. And, Chris, you see, I've never had to waffle. So that's that's good.

 

391

00:37:14.540 --> 00:37:15.669

Hong Lieu: Yeah, I, I.

 

392

00:37:15.670 --> 00:37:16.869

Piti Sukavivatanachai : To. That's what they're known for.

 

393

00:37:16.870 --> 00:37:21.546

Hong Lieu: The name the Bruxy name is like a German, like is the the German style waffle that they do.

 

394

00:37:21.790 --> 00:37:25.099

Hong Lieu: It's like, but and I did. I got the waffle sandwich.

 

395

00:37:25.120 --> 00:37:47.610

Hong Lieu: which was pretty good, but the waffle is so good that I would do like. Like. Will you do a keel where you get the chicken sandwich, but then I would get the waffle on the side. That's what I'm gonna do next time. Get the waffle on its own and the chicken sandwich on its own cause. The waffle sandwich together is good, but it's almost too much of a good thing we're like. I love the waffle. I want the waffle on its own. I love the chicken, but I like the chicken in the sandwich, or it's tender. But yeah.

 

396

00:37:47.640 --> 00:37:49.630

Hong Lieu: it's pretty good. It's really good.

 

397

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Akil Hill: And so I'm gonna give you guys a cheat code. So it the way that though the menu set up in the place, it's really kinda interesting, but the a hot honey is the hottest, right? So

 

398

00:37:59.590 --> 00:38:01.499

Akil Hill: the way that they have its

 

399

00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:04.230

Akil Hill: is, I think the Nashville hot

 

400

00:38:05.240 --> 00:38:09.149

Akil Hill: is at the bottom. The hot honey's in the middle, and so I

 

401

00:38:09.190 --> 00:38:13.899

Akil Hill: I automatically thought the Nashville hot was the hottest. But it's actually the hot honey

 

402

00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:42.368

Akil Hill: is the spicier of the 2. So if you, if you're totally down with the spice and you like it hot, make sure you you get the hot, honey, because that is the hottest level of heat. But and then the Nashville has just kinda like it's pretty as a kick to it. But nothing like over too overwhelming. But yeah, I mean, it's a great, it's a great location. It's kinda cool, and it's I. It is a chain. I believe right. I think there's one in Santa Monica.

 

403

00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:48.970

Piti Sukavivatanachai : It started from Orange County. The original one was in Breya, I think, back in the day 10 years ago. Yeah.

 

404

00:38:48.970 --> 00:38:51.470

Akil Hill: Oh, really. So. They've been around for a while now.

 

405

00:38:52.320 --> 00:38:55.688

Akil Hill: Yeah, so I've always I've seen it

 

406

00:38:56.330 --> 00:39:05.580

Akil Hill: in Santa Monica, but it was always too busy. I was always like, I want to try it, but it was too busy. But so I'm happy that it's here. I usually I liked the chicken sandwich.

 

407

00:39:05.880 --> 00:39:12.059

Akil Hill: The close. All is good, the creamy. This this, you get the play off the creamy and the in the spice so

 

408

00:39:12.690 --> 00:39:16.430

Akil Hill: and have you guys had their shakes at all? I haven't had their shakes.

 

409

00:39:16.430 --> 00:39:17.100

Piti Sukavivatanachai : No, not yet.

 

410

00:39:17.100 --> 00:39:20.370

Akil Hill: It kind of seems like they're known for that, too, as well. So

 

411

00:39:20.570 --> 00:39:27.850

Akil Hill: yeah, don't sleep. Y'all, it's close to Svcc. You can make it down there on your lunch, break, grab it, bring it back.

 

412

00:39:28.050 --> 00:39:29.060

Akil Hill: and it gets.

 

413

00:39:29.060 --> 00:39:41.300

Hong Lieu: It's a really high quality. It's a really high quality tender. That's for sure. I I'm a bone in chicken person. I wish they had some kind of bone in chicken, but at the same time I can't be mad at that tender. It's a it's a good tendency.

 

414

00:39:42.620 --> 00:39:43.390

Hong Lieu: Yeah.

 

415

00:39:43.870 --> 00:39:49.810

Hong Lieu: thank you for that. Akia. Yeah, I'll get that in the show notes as well, and we'll have to. We'll end up stopping by there again soon, I'm sure.

 

416

00:39:49.810 --> 00:39:50.170

Akil Hill: Sure.

 

417

00:39:50.984 --> 00:39:54.240

Hong Lieu: Moving on to our next section higher learning.

 

418

00:39:54.250 --> 00:39:59.424

Hong Lieu: So pt, piece of culture, book, movie, TV music, anything you want to shout out,

 

419

00:39:59.790 --> 00:40:04.150

Hong Lieu: anything that that's you know, throughout your life or recently, what you got.

 

420

00:40:04.640 --> 00:40:07.430

Piti Sukavivatanachai : I recently just finished this show called Warrior

 

421

00:40:07.761 --> 00:40:12.580

Piti Sukavivatanachai : It was originally on Hbo, but then it got moved to Netflix, which is nice, because

 

422

00:40:12.770 --> 00:40:20.630

Piti Sukavivatanachai : I feel like not many people knew about this show, or I feel like not many people appreciated the show. But now that's on Netflix. It has, like a wider audience.

 

423

00:40:20.690 --> 00:40:22.549

Piti Sukavivatanachai : but it's such a cool show.

 

424

00:40:23.010 --> 00:40:25.020

Piti Sukavivatanachai : I think it takes place

 

425

00:40:25.150 --> 00:40:31.163

Piti Sukavivatanachai : in this 18 hundreds or 17 hundreds. I'm I'm not sure good with the history, but like during the time when

 

426

00:40:31.620 --> 00:40:36.619

Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's in San Francisco, when the Chinese were building the railroads.

 

427

00:40:37.330 --> 00:40:39.802

Piti Sukavivatanachai : let me see what year that was I don't know.

 

428

00:40:40.050 --> 00:40:42.769

Akil Hill: That was the 18 hundreds around the 18 hundreds.

 

429

00:40:43.010 --> 00:40:43.620

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

430

00:40:43.910 --> 00:40:49.810

Piti Sukavivatanachai : but it's like a. So it's like a old takes place in the old days, but the way they shoot it and do it.

 

431

00:40:49.830 --> 00:40:54.450

Piti Sukavivatanachai : It feels like a very modern show. They play like hip, hop, and rap in the music.

 

432

00:40:54.790 --> 00:40:56.490

Piti Sukavivatanachai : like in the backgrounds and stuff.

 

433

00:40:57.361 --> 00:41:00.020

Piti Sukavivatanachai : There's like some cool like

 

434

00:41:00.260 --> 00:41:02.470

Piti Sukavivatanachai : fight scenes like Kung Fu fighting

 

435

00:41:03.025 --> 00:41:05.930

Piti Sukavivatanachai : like some really cool fight scenes. Actually.

 

436

00:41:06.260 --> 00:41:10.199

Piti Sukavivatanachai : it's a really good action and drama. Slash thriller

 

437

00:41:10.791 --> 00:41:16.109

Piti Sukavivatanachai : like. Just W. If you watch, would think that that within the first 10 min of the first episode, like you'll get hooked.

 

438

00:41:16.640 --> 00:41:18.020

Piti Sukavivatanachai : It's about like

 

439

00:41:18.487 --> 00:41:22.419

Piti Sukavivatanachai : this Chinese immigrant coming from China to San Francisco.

 

440

00:41:22.560 --> 00:41:25.760

Piti Sukavivatanachai : originally coming to look for a sister.

 

441

00:41:26.190 --> 00:41:27.163

Piti Sukavivatanachai : and then

 

442

00:41:28.190 --> 00:41:36.016

Piti Sukavivatanachai : They land in San Francisco, and then usually over there, like when the Chinese land like they land in San Francisco. They get sent to

 

443

00:41:36.500 --> 00:41:39.999

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Chinatown, and then they get picked up to start working on the railroads and stuff.

 

444

00:41:40.420 --> 00:41:43.111

Piti Sukavivatanachai : So there's a the whole show is about like

 

445

00:41:43.590 --> 00:41:45.369

Piti Sukavivatanachai : lot of conflict between

 

446

00:41:47.330 --> 00:41:53.759

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Sorry. Let me go back within the Chinese community. There's like 3 Chinese gangs.

 

447

00:41:53.810 --> 00:42:00.019

Piti Sukavivatanachai : So there's conflict between the 3 gangs, and then you have the Irish who are fighting against everybody.

 

448

00:42:00.250 --> 00:42:06.280

Piti Sukavivatanachai : And then there's also like the people who are white, but not Irish, like the non Irish people

 

449

00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:10.669

Piti Sukavivatanachai : like with the Government and everything. So there's like a huge conflict with like everybody.

 

450

00:42:11.090 --> 00:42:18.019

Piti Sukavivatanachai : they're all fighting. But what I like, the way what I like about the shows like. Besides, the fighting, too, is like the way how they shoot it. So like

 

451

00:42:18.340 --> 00:42:23.530

Piti Sukavivatanachai : while the characters are speaking in Chinese also, like the camera, will like spin around

 

452

00:42:23.580 --> 00:42:32.759

Piti Sukavivatanachai : like behind the the characters head. And then all of a sudden, like they switch to speaking into English. So it makes you, as the audience feel like you're like understanding what they're saying.

 

453

00:42:33.080 --> 00:42:35.290

Piti Sukavivatanachai : the way they do it. Just it's just so cool.

 

454

00:42:35.560 --> 00:42:36.340

Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

455

00:42:37.030 --> 00:42:38.409

Akil Hill: it's such an amazing show.

 

456

00:42:38.410 --> 00:42:40.020

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Oh, you've seen it. Yeah.

 

457

00:42:40.240 --> 00:42:56.223

Akil Hill: Yeah, I was man. This show was hits. Really, that's a part of me, because I love it. There's so many layers like as you just described. There's so many layers in the show. And it really for me. I thought it was I. We kind of stumbled across it. And

 

458

00:42:57.230 --> 00:43:00.790

Akil Hill: I literally like you said, I watched like the first 10 min. I'm like.

 

459

00:43:01.080 --> 00:43:04.080

Akil Hill: Okay, 4 am. And I'm still binging in. Right?

 

460

00:43:04.790 --> 00:43:29.077

Akil Hill: It just sits you that way. And then the the historical pieces, too, where they talks about, you know, like you were saying, the conflict between the Chinese people. The Irish people as well as the politicians. And you see how it still plays out in a lot of cases today where you have people that are coming here sur, seeking for opportunity gets demonized. But then the people that are in power are really need those people

 

461

00:43:29.743 --> 00:43:51.016

Akil Hill: and so they were kinda like how they kind of pitted the Irish against the Chinese. It's a beautiful show, the segment, the cinema photography is absolutely amazing the outfits it gives you also like Western vibes? Just just. It's masterfully done. I can't praise it enough. That's such a great choice.

 

462

00:43:51.390 --> 00:44:11.620

Hong Lieu: And and I I haven't finished the show. I'd need to finish it like, because the history of this show as well is very special, especially that we are heading into Api plus month and and talking about the history of the show. This show warrior itself was pitched by Shannon Lee Bruce Lee's daughter. And it was a co-production originally with Justin Lynn, the fast and the furious director Guy.

 

463

00:44:12.200 --> 00:44:24.040

Hong Lieu: But the reason Shannon pitches because originally it was her father's idea of a show. He had pitched an idea for a show called Warrior to studios, and they and they and he wanted to star in it, and they turned. Turned them down

 

464

00:44:24.050 --> 00:44:32.030

Hong Lieu: because they didn't. You know. The story is, they didn't like his accent or whatever, but they turned it down, retooled it, released it as Kung Fu, with David Kerr Dean.

 

465

00:44:32.296 --> 00:44:32.829

Akil Hill: Thing. Yeah.

 

466

00:44:32.830 --> 00:44:42.589

Hong Lieu: And Kung Fu was the show they put on. And so, warrior as Bruce Lee's concept sat on the shelf for decades, and then, till Shannon.

 

467

00:44:42.590 --> 00:44:42.950

Piti Sukavivatanachai : The.

 

468

00:44:42.950 --> 00:44:50.399

Hong Lieu: You know it can be me. So this I mean to have a connection to Bruce Lee in any way, let alone have his daughter be the one to produce me. But

 

469

00:44:50.540 --> 00:45:01.610

Hong Lieu: I I I mentioned before, Bruce is, you know, he's he's less than a god, but more than a man to me, you know, like he's one of those guy like you. Just such an icon. He's like a Tupac, Tooak and Oprah, I I think about it like that like a mix.

 

470

00:45:01.610 --> 00:45:02.110

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

471

00:45:02.110 --> 00:45:17.449

Hong Lieu: You know, but it just it just easy. It's such a special figure in in the culture. And so to have this have a connection to them and be as good as it is. Cause I, even even the season I saw is just you. You're right. It's just the production value is on point. They they they allowed them to make the show that they wanted to make.

 

472

00:45:17.720 --> 00:45:19.930

Hong Lieu: and and then and then maybe

 

473

00:45:19.940 --> 00:45:32.830

Hong Lieu: Netflix allowed them to finish the show good enough, because you know, the hbo had it, and it was like really the really prestige. And then when it goes over Netflix, maybe they make some sacrifice it, but at the same time sounds like the third season ends with the bang. From what y'all are saying I haven't. I haven't gone there yet. But

 

474

00:45:32.850 --> 00:45:39.079

Hong Lieu: but yeah, just just the the history of the show. Just the it just feels it's it's gotta check it out. So.

 

475

00:45:39.080 --> 00:45:40.269

Akil Hill: The funny thing is, last

 

476

00:45:40.390 --> 00:45:45.419

Akil Hill: last night I was scrolling through Netflix, and I almost started it over again like that's how good it was.

 

477

00:45:45.420 --> 00:45:45.800

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

478

00:45:45.800 --> 00:46:15.359

Akil Hill: Like, I'm like, I gotta run it back because there's so much that you missed, and I really enjoyed it, cause centering just Asian artistry. You know what I mean like, really? And looking at the you know how racism and discrimination has impacted the Asian community. You know cause. Sometimes we we just kinda forget that piece. And we and and they do amazing job at actually highlighting it. And like, it was good. I almost started it last night. No joke I was like, it. Is that good job.

 

479

00:46:15.920 --> 00:46:19.160

Akil Hill: And you get Irish. You get the Irish culture, too, the

 

480

00:46:19.260 --> 00:46:43.190

Akil Hill: you know, just seeing it from the Irish perspective and what they had to do it cause they weren't accepted when they first arrived here in in America as well. You know what I mean, and and often the case where you know 2 groups that are are struggling to, you know, level up, so to speak often are are pitted against each other, and and that we know that experience to be true. As you know, someone who's black a, and as well as both of you 2, being Asian.

 

481

00:46:46.440 --> 00:46:58.940

Hong Lieu: Yeah, and and those and those pieces of historical record like that, it's good to have those goes out there for people to take in, because a lot of these these pieces of history are just footnotes. You know, we have a lot of documentation, a lot of writings from from certain

 

482

00:46:59.150 --> 00:47:19.480

Hong Lieu: segments of history. But to have more of this stuff out there, and just kind of you know how it went down, because we know how it went down for our parents, our generation, you know, maybe grandparents. And then so when you go a little farther back and see, you know the olden days, man, it. It is super gnarly. So yeah, just having just having that kind of stuff is, it's always good to see that representation.

 

483

00:47:22.460 --> 00:47:35.969

Hong Lieu: Thank you for that. Pick. Pt, that's excellent, and it's something. And and for the record it's it's a show that Akil has shouted out on many, a few, quite a few episodes. Now where he's brought it up and and and got trying to get me to get to the finish line. I will get there.

 

484

00:47:35.970 --> 00:47:37.521

Akil Hill: I know, man. No, you won't.

 

485

00:47:38.284 --> 00:47:40.299

Hong Lieu: So good, so good.

 

486

00:47:40.300 --> 00:47:40.820

Akil Hill: Hey? So.

 

487

00:47:40.820 --> 00:47:44.170

Piti Sukavivatanachai : We watched that show so many times, too, like the first first

 

488

00:47:44.220 --> 00:47:53.929

Piti Sukavivatanachai : 2 seasons, like I just I can do it over and over again. It's so good cause you missed so many details like what a keel said. There's so many like details that, like you can like, overlook or like.

 

489

00:47:53.990 --> 00:47:56.119

Piti Sukavivatanachai : which is really well done.

 

490

00:47:56.120 --> 00:48:16.780

Akil Hill: Yeah, and you get to fill up Bruce Lee like it feels like like like E, you know, like what you were saying, Hong about how is sat on the shelf, and and then, you know, like it feels like Bruce is like, there, you know what I mean, and I don't know if they're intentionally trying to go for that. But either way it landed like it landed really? Well, you know what I mean. So

 

491

00:48:17.180 --> 00:48:22.310

Akil Hill: yeah, don't sleep on the show I'm giving Hong a month. This is Aapi month.

 

492

00:48:22.320 --> 00:48:25.459

Akil Hill: This is your homework, Hong. You need to finish by the end of the month.

 

493

00:48:26.180 --> 00:48:27.079

Akil Hill: or revoking your age.

 

494

00:48:27.080 --> 00:48:40.360

Hong Lieu: I I will at least get through season 2. Because, yeah, I went through the got to the first season, and then, yeah, random random stuff. I always pulls my attention away, but I will get back because I I do just. I owe the show that much because I do love Bruce, with all my heart and soul so.

 

495

00:48:40.360 --> 00:48:41.660

Akil Hill: Yeah, do it for the culture man.

 

496

00:48:41.660 --> 00:48:43.389

Hong Lieu: I do, and Andrew Koji is dope too.

 

497

00:48:43.760 --> 00:48:44.085

Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

498

00:48:44.410 --> 00:48:48.219

Hong Lieu: If you watch bullet train. Andrew Cody has a good role bullet train, too. So.

 

499

00:48:49.200 --> 00:48:49.849

Piti Sukavivatanachai : that's cool.

 

500

00:48:49.850 --> 00:48:52.700

Hong Lieu: Alright. Thank you for that keel. You want to go. You want me to go.

 

501

00:48:52.700 --> 00:48:54.329

Akil Hill: Go ahead and and go, cause I think mine.

 

502

00:48:54.330 --> 00:48:55.020

Hong Lieu: Alright! It.

 

503

00:48:55.020 --> 00:48:56.490

Akil Hill: It ties in with you a little bit too.

 

504

00:48:56.490 --> 00:49:03.250

Hong Lieu: Okay. So my, my pick is this movie came out. I think I'm trying to think when it came out but

 

505

00:49:04.680 --> 00:49:20.083

Hong Lieu: Suza May was an anime came out 2022 feet couple of years ago by a director named Koto Shinki, who is now, is like the biggest anime director in Japan because of your name and weathering with you and all those like big cinematic movies that came out.

 

506

00:49:20.580 --> 00:49:28.090

Hong Lieu: But I've been following Makoto Shinkai since it's good now, going on 25 years. If I had to think about it because

 

507

00:49:28.440 --> 00:49:30.900

Hong Lieu: he's been plugging away, putting out movies

 

508

00:49:31.060 --> 00:49:33.150

Hong Lieu: since the the mid 90 s.

 

509

00:49:33.180 --> 00:49:42.769

Hong Lieu: And so he popped off. You know your name came, I think, 2015, 2016. And that was like a huge box office, mass, and yeah weathering with you. So now he's he's like, probably

 

510

00:49:42.990 --> 00:49:54.480

Hong Lieu: overtaking Gimli in Japan in terms of box office revenue. So he he's the he's the guy and all his movies are just huge huge hits and stuff, and they're all really good. Susan May was excellent, but I just wanna shout him a Kodafink Guy cause his

 

511

00:49:54.750 --> 00:49:57.580

Hong Lieu: like attention to detail with his animation, like

 

512

00:49:57.590 --> 00:50:11.420

Hong Lieu: his stories, are always good cause. He's, he writes and directs a lot of a lot of his films. But the thing is his animation. That quality of his animation is just unbelievable, and that's what really come. I with his work going, you know, when I first saw his work it was

 

513

00:50:11.580 --> 00:50:21.319

Hong Lieu: a DVD. Called the place promised in our early days that I got, you know, back in the day when you go to best buy to buy random Dvds, you know. Yeah, I just saw it on and saw it there. I'm like, Oh, interesting! I never heard this guy before.

 

514

00:50:21.350 --> 00:50:26.310

Hong Lieu: and he had done a couple of shorts before that. But the place promise in our early days really set the tone in terms of

 

515

00:50:26.600 --> 00:50:51.530

Hong Lieu: a lot of his stuff is like heartwarming love story. So that's always a good kind of pull for people. So I do love the love story part of it, but just the the quality of the animation. If you love anime or just animation in general. A culture, Shinka, his work is just really, really detail oriented and like the frames, everything's excellent. Susan May is also excellent. But I wanna shout out in 2013 he made a film called Garden of Words. This is right before he kind of broke big. So your name was the was his big hit.

 

516

00:50:51.610 --> 00:50:54.740

Hong Lieu: But Gardner words right before that. And Gardner words is my.

 

517

00:50:55.090 --> 00:51:00.919

Hong Lieu: It's probably my favorite film of his. So it's one of those ones where I recommend the man's entire catalog.

 

518

00:51:01.190 --> 00:51:21.290

Hong Lieu: you know, Susan May, especially since it's the newest one, and it was excellent, but garden of words. If you have to pick one, I would pick that one, because the end of that film, the last 30, 45 min, is just like an emotional tour to force, I think, of garden, of words. And then, if I had to pick another one Satoshi cons millennium actress. Those 2 films are just really like a kind of emotional roller coasters at the very end, and

 

519

00:51:21.300 --> 00:51:30.469

Hong Lieu: and like, in terms of like an anime party, that would be the one. But yeah, that's that's my pick for this episode. Mccoy Shinkai Suza may, but his entire catalog, but especially garden of words.

 

520

00:51:31.810 --> 00:51:34.380

Akil Hill: Garden of words. Okay, I'm gonna check that out. Yeah.

 

521

00:51:34.380 --> 00:51:43.389

Hong Lieu: I mean, it's it's it's another one of those like sappy love stories. So you gotta be a little bit of email at heart. But again, like the quality, the quality of animation is excellent. So

 

522

00:51:43.730 --> 00:51:44.630

Hong Lieu: I'm off.

 

523

00:51:44.630 --> 00:51:46.720

Akil Hill: For it. I'm all for it. I love

 

524

00:51:47.365 --> 00:51:56.224

Akil Hill: I'm not big on anime, but I feel like I need to expand that. So I appreciate that choice because I wanna get in. But I feel like there's so

 

525

00:51:56.560 --> 00:52:00.970

Akil Hill: so much out there. Now it's like, you know. Go ahead.

 

526

00:52:01.470 --> 00:52:25.710

Hong Lieu: The thing about anime is like it was. It used to be like a Co. A secret, a secret kind of thing like secret entry way, where you'd got the like. When I was in, like fifth or sixth grade, we'd go to you. Go to the video store and then you go to like there was just like an anime video store like a separate shop. You'd have to seek it out and go there and then ask the shop. You were like what was good. What what should we watch? I mean, they always say they always give you a kira and stuff like that. But then when you, if you come back for more.

 

527

00:52:25.710 --> 00:52:33.639

Hong Lieu: is when they'd be like, Okay, check out. Do Megalopolis, crying, Freeman, all these all these things that kids really shouldn't be watching. But, like, you know, they're they're worth watching. So

 

528

00:52:33.640 --> 00:52:41.508

Hong Lieu: so I I got an anime really as as a it was like a gateway to like that nerd subculture that is now fully mainstream and blown up. But you know, at the time.

 

529

00:52:41.960 --> 00:52:43.049

Akil Hill: So blown up.

 

530

00:52:43.050 --> 00:53:00.210

Hong Lieu: It was. It was everything was a secret computer stuff. It was all secret video game stuff, the the that shop over there anime was that shop over there and then, like you'd have targeted best by having the normal stuff, you know, quote unquote normal stuff. But now it's all mainstream. It's everywhere. So it's it's nice to see that full circle as well to think about that, as you know. So.

 

531

00:53:00.480 --> 00:53:09.219

Akil Hill: I think the my first anime that really was like hook line sinker that just totally had me up in my fills was a graze of fireflies.

 

532

00:53:09.220 --> 00:53:10.449

Hong Lieu: Oh, my God! That.

 

533

00:53:10.450 --> 00:53:12.350

Akil Hill: Oh, that one! Gosh! Dude!

 

534

00:53:12.350 --> 00:53:18.639

Hong Lieu: That's probably, I mean easily one of the greatest anime films ever made, but also one of the greatest films period ever made.

 

535

00:53:18.640 --> 00:53:19.840

Akil Hill: Yeah, and yeah.

 

536

00:53:19.840 --> 00:53:21.670

Hong Lieu: You talk about being in your being in your remote.

 

537

00:53:21.670 --> 00:53:22.020

Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

538

00:53:22.020 --> 00:53:27.032

Hong Lieu: That movie. Yeah, you gotta be ready for that one. I don't know if. Yeah. You see that one. Pt, I don't know if you've seen it. But yeah, it's

 

539

00:53:27.400 --> 00:53:29.640

Hong Lieu: it's yeah. It's it's a lot. So.

 

540

00:53:29.960 --> 00:53:37.779

Akil Hill: It's a lot. Yeah. So yeah, that that one definitely had to be in my field. So I appreciate it. I was in. I think it was

 

541

00:53:37.820 --> 00:53:43.269

Akil Hill: Walmart or something, and I was just tripping out like, ha! The influence of

 

542

00:53:43.280 --> 00:53:50.170

Akil Hill: just the just like Anime and Mega. And I'm like

 

543

00:53:50.520 --> 00:53:55.517

Akil Hill: it's just everywhere. It's so you know what I mean for someone who kinda was like

 

544

00:53:56.100 --> 00:54:00.180

Akil Hill: jeez I would never to envision or imagine that you know what I mean.

 

545

00:54:00.320 --> 00:54:01.760

Akil Hill: So.

 

546

00:54:02.330 --> 00:54:03.660

Hong Lieu: Alright! What you got to keel.

 

547

00:54:03.660 --> 00:54:07.979

Akil Hill: I'm gonna go since it's Api month. And I'm gonna say, like, I've

 

548

00:54:08.120 --> 00:54:09.870

Akil Hill: the love for Vinyl

 

549

00:54:10.050 --> 00:54:17.000

Akil Hill: kind of led to this choice. But you know, I recently started to like

 

550

00:54:17.040 --> 00:54:19.849

Akil Hill: get into records again. You know.

 

551

00:54:19.850 --> 00:54:21.050

Hong Lieu: Dangerous Dangerous.

 

552

00:54:21.050 --> 00:54:22.030

Akil Hill: I'm nose man.

 

553

00:54:22.030 --> 00:54:23.559

Hong Lieu: Addiction, danger is.

 

554

00:54:23.560 --> 00:54:27.180

Akil Hill: It is real. So I'm I'm kind of reeling in that. But

 

555

00:54:28.070 --> 00:54:32.119

Akil Hill: one of the things that I was. I was down in Ventura at Sellers.

 

556

00:54:32.810 --> 00:54:44.609

Akil Hill: and I was kind of going through some stuff, and I ran across a couple of albums from this Japanese composer, but his name is Ruichi Sakamoto.

 

557

00:54:45.690 --> 00:54:47.899

Akil Hill: and that just and so I was like

 

558

00:54:48.170 --> 00:55:10.212

Akil Hill: I went and listened to his some s his stuff on spotify and just just masterful stuff, you know. It was kind of a new find. I didn't really know a whole lot a about him until, like I I bought this, you know the album and start listening. His music. But gee is is like a beautiful

 

559

00:55:11.040 --> 00:55:19.400

Akil Hill: just a masterful musician, and you know he's you know I think he was. It recently has recently passed away. But

 

560

00:55:19.440 --> 00:55:39.683

Akil Hill: I'm feeling like, you know, Jeez, you know, like I I'm sad that I you know I didn't listen to more of his stuff when he was with us, but you know I'm also feeling honored and appreciative that I kinda stumbled a a across his music. You know, it's just really good stuff. He has a song called Snooze, which is one of my

 

561

00:55:40.365 --> 00:55:49.489

Akil Hill: I just been listening to that on repeat, which is just really beautifully done. So that's my choice for the week, I'm sure. Have you heard of them?

 

562

00:55:49.610 --> 00:55:53.219

Hong Lieu: So yeah, he was in a yellow magic orchestra before he was in a band

 

563

00:55:53.597 --> 00:55:59.350

Hong Lieu: late seventies, doing a lot of like like craft work and Devo and that stuff doing like the electronic experimentation

 

564

00:55:59.663 --> 00:56:09.690

Hong Lieu: with music. And then he when he went solo, he just took that and and just layered the electronic kind of waves on top of like classical compositions. And it's just really intricate. And really like it's, it's.

 

565

00:56:09.690 --> 00:56:10.080

Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

566

00:56:10.080 --> 00:56:11.730

Hong Lieu: Really, music, like.

 

567

00:56:11.910 --> 00:56:12.710

Hong Lieu: yeah.

 

568

00:56:13.450 --> 00:56:18.789

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, I never heard of. Never heard of this guy. But sounds really interesting, though. The way you guys are describing him. I wanna check it out later.

 

569

00:56:18.940 --> 00:56:35.599

Hong Lieu: Yeah, it's it's like classical compositions, but it has electric layer on top to where at the time it's really was like a a a pivot, you know. It's like a left turn, like Whoa! Whoa! We don't want this electronic music in our classical compositions, but they they meld so well together, they blend so well together. It's like, yeah. And it's just.

 

570

00:56:35.600 --> 00:56:36.010

Piti Sukavivatanachai : I love that.

 

571

00:56:36.010 --> 00:56:36.940

Hong Lieu: One is. Yes.

 

572

00:56:37.253 --> 00:56:37.880

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Really cool.

 

573

00:56:38.480 --> 00:56:45.990

Hong Lieu: And in terms of laying the groundwork for a lot of artists to follow in this path. Because now we know, you know, electronic music is so big now that in terms of

 

574

00:56:46.000 --> 00:56:54.800

Hong Lieu: that you can trace that lineage back, and is the the groundwork that laid out by folks like Riichi, sakamoto and and all that. That. So it's it's really.

 

575

00:56:54.920 --> 00:56:55.960

Hong Lieu: really awesome.

 

576

00:56:56.450 --> 00:57:05.705

Akil Hill: The more the more that I was listening to it. It it it hit, I'm like, oh, I hear all the influence and anime, you know, like just the music, and from different anime. And

 

577

00:57:05.990 --> 00:57:12.059

Akil Hill: like, I'm like, Oh, yeah. So now, this is where it it kind of probably stems from in a lot of ways. So.

 

578

00:57:12.060 --> 00:57:14.670

Hong Lieu: And it's it's you think about that where at the time

 

579

00:57:14.880 --> 00:57:20.360

Hong Lieu: it's really radical. And now it's almost like passe, you know, I think about things when we were kids.

 

580

00:57:20.360 --> 00:57:20.880

Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

581

00:57:20.880 --> 00:57:23.299

Hong Lieu: Genre genre was so important as kids like you

 

582

00:57:23.460 --> 00:57:25.879

Hong Lieu: like. Every music was so distinct.

 

583

00:57:26.140 --> 00:57:26.520

Akil Hill: Yeah.

 

584

00:57:26.520 --> 00:57:39.370

Hong Lieu: Everything is so blended. That's that's the thing that the you know, Gen. Z. And the kids don't get enough credit for is really being okay with everything coming together and seeing what happens, giving it a take, at least give it a chance. They're not instantly writing it off.

 

585

00:57:39.520 --> 00:57:55.990

Hong Lieu: whereas back in the day when I was growing up. Punk kids and metal kids didn't even get along, and punk and metal like right next to each other, you know hip, hop, and R. And B sometimes was like there was friction, because R and B. Was like, you know, the the slow dancing and hip hop was like the party music. And it's like it's so similar, you know, like it. Why are we even having these conversations?

 

586

00:57:56.040 --> 00:58:01.020

Hong Lieu: But now the kids just they don't pay no mind. They give they give everything a chance. I I do love that aspect of it so.

 

587

00:58:01.490 --> 00:58:04.900

Hong Lieu: And yeah, you said Reuty, did pass away in 2023. But

 

588

00:58:05.100 --> 00:58:07.659

Hong Lieu: the music and the memories live on forever. So yeah, that's.

 

589

00:58:07.660 --> 00:58:08.690

Akil Hill: Absolutely.

 

590

00:58:08.690 --> 00:58:11.583

Hong Lieu: That's all you can ask for from the work you you create, you know.

 

591

00:58:12.670 --> 00:58:16.560

Hong Lieu: All right. Thank you for that, and pity. Thank you for taking the time to be on the show today.

 

592

00:58:16.700 --> 00:58:21.320

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Well, my pleasure, thanks for having me. This is my first time on a podcast that's cool.

 

593

00:58:21.590 --> 00:58:42.459

Hong Lieu: I'm guessing won't be the last, because, like I said, the the contributions you have made to the community of Santa Barbara, with your work at both of the restaurant and all the events you help put on. I know it's a lot of work. I know it's a lot of time on your your part and everything. But you are much appreciated, I mean I I'm blessed to to even know you tangentially, to to be a part of to just be basking the glories some of these events. So thank you so much.

 

594

00:58:42.710 --> 00:58:46.269

Hong Lieu: Absolutely any last shout outs before we say goodbye.

 

595

00:58:47.640 --> 00:58:50.280

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Not not for me. I can't think of anything right now.

 

596

00:58:51.540 --> 00:58:55.299

Akil Hill: What's can you drop? Can you drop the business hours? So people know what time? Yeah.

 

597

00:58:55.300 --> 00:59:06.700

Piti Sukavivatanachai : We're open Tuesday through Sunday on. We're open for lunch only on Tuesday, Tuesday, through Friday, and then on weekends. It's 4 to 7 30 Pm.

 

598

00:59:06.720 --> 00:59:13.058

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Oh, so then we're open for dinner. Too. Sorry. Sorry. So then a weird in a confusing way, lunch and dinner

 

599

00:59:13.950 --> 00:59:15.290

Piti Sukavivatanachai : I'll make sure we start over.

 

600

00:59:15.290 --> 00:59:16.760

Hong Lieu: Tuesday through Friday. Yeah.

 

601

00:59:16.760 --> 00:59:21.098

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah. Tuesday, through Friday 11 to 2, and then

 

602

00:59:21.640 --> 00:59:33.470

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Tuesday through Sunday, 4 to 7, 30, and then we do no sad Sundays. That's our ice cream social on Saturday nights at 8 pm, so this starts right after the restaurant closes, just kinda

 

603

00:59:33.560 --> 00:59:35.119

Piti Sukavivatanachai : turns into something else.

 

604

00:59:36.770 --> 00:59:52.139

Hong Lieu: It is definitely worth checking out folks. I mean, it's whether you eat at the restaurant, but or hit up no sad Sundays, I mean if you want a full meal, go to the restaurant, but if you just want like a just a nice little like a chill Saturday night, get some ice cream. Listen, good music, cause I see that playlist. You got some. You got some good good jams on there.

 

605

00:59:52.690 --> 00:59:54.660

Hong Lieu: are you the one? Are you the one building the playlist, or that.

 

606

00:59:54.860 --> 00:59:55.569

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah, that's all. Me.

 

607

00:59:55.570 --> 00:59:57.159

Hong Lieu: Oh, that's all. You okay, that's.

 

608

00:59:57.160 --> 00:59:57.930

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Yeah.

 

609

00:59:57.930 --> 01:00:03.139

Hong Lieu: It's it's a nice mix he's got like battery boys going into Biggie, and I'm like, alright, alright! I see you right there. We I see what you're doing.

 

610

01:00:03.140 --> 01:00:03.730

Piti Sukavivatanachai : But then.

 

611

01:00:03.730 --> 01:00:04.340

Hong Lieu: Though.

 

612

01:00:04.900 --> 01:00:21.509

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Oh, and then, some people don't know to know this, too, but our ice cream is also available every day. You don't have to wait till Saturday to get the ice cream. We have scoops and pints that you can that can be picked up at the restaurant during business hours. Just the ice cream Sundays are what we do on Saturday nights.

 

613

01:00:21.510 --> 01:00:32.693

Hong Lieu: Yeah, those are special the Sundays, but the but like going to eat at your choice, and then finishing with like a pint of like the Tai tea orio, or something like that. Hmm, that's yeah. Can't beat it. Can't beat.

 

614

01:00:33.130 --> 01:00:33.900

Hong Lieu: Yeah.

 

615

01:00:34.470 --> 01:00:36.730

Hong Lieu: So thank you so much. Pt, thank you. As all.

 

616

01:00:36.730 --> 01:00:37.070

Akil Hill: See.

 

617

01:00:37.358 --> 01:00:41.690

Hong Lieu: Thank you to our listeners until next time. This was Vaquero Voices, y'all take care.

 

618

01:00:41.690 --> 01:00:42.370

Akil Hill: Peace.

 

619

01:00:42.800 --> 01:00:43.480

Piti Sukavivatanachai : Bye.