AAPI Flavor Builders: Nick Wong
This May, we're celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with a deep dive into the delicious, deeply personal ways culinary creatives in the AAPI community incorporate their heritage into their cooking.
Meet Nick Wong, the chef and co-owner behind one of our favorite new restaurants: Agnes and Sherman. A modern Asian American diner, it's racking up serious accolades. Fresh off of being named Texas Monthly's Best New Restaurant and a James Beard nomination, we sat down with Nick to get his thoughts on unsung flavor combinations and why he loves being a part of the AAPI community.
Q:
How did your upbringing shape your palate?
A:
Growing up in the Bay Area, I was able to come into contact with a lot of different cultures and cuisines. Everything from pho, to burritos, to dutch crunch deli sandwiches and everything in between, I was very lucky to be able to be exposed to so many flavors at an early age.
Q:
What’s an unsung flavor combination you rely on?
A:
Sweet soy sauce on fried chicken. Preferably Popeye's.
Q:
If someone looked inside your fridge right now, what would tell them exactly who you are?
A:
The emptiness of it would let people know that I do the majority of my cooking at work instead of at home! But the condiments/sauce stash in it would tell you that when I do cook for myself, I lean heavily toward Chinese/Japanese flavors.
Q:
Your most reached-for trio: one spice, one condiment, one herb—no overthinking.
A:
Cumin, Kewpie mayo, cilantro.
Q:
It’s a busy Tuesday at 6PM: what are you making, and what’s the shortcut you’re not apologizing for?
A:
Japanese curry with some sort of starch. The Japanese curry bricks are a life saver. Frozen udon or individual serving microwave rice to go with it make for a super fast meal.
Q:
What’s something about AAPI food culture that you think is still underrepresented or oversimplified?
A:
That Chinese American food is somehow not "authentic." The experience of immigrant communities coming to the states and trying to make food that tastes like home while modifying the cuisine to fit the availability of ingredients is how communities survive. Chinese American food may not look much like food in China, but it doesn't have to. It has become its own genre of food, and there is room for all of it. It may not be traditional, but it is authentic to those who grew up with it.
Q:
What do you love about being part of the AAPI community—right now, specifically?
A:
I love that we are finding our way about being united as a community but still recognizing and respecting each others' backgrounds. The AAPI community is huge, but we are definitely not a monolith. Though we have so many different voices to represent us, hopefully the foundation of it is respect.
Q:
Who’s an AAPI culinary creative you’re excited about and what are they doing differently?
A:
I'm very excited about Suu Khin, a local Houston chef. She specializes in Burmese food, which is a very underrepresented cuisine here. Through her pop-ups she's been able to bring those flavors and ingredients to Houston diners. Her food is always super tasty and she's just a very good human being in general!
