Fab Chef: Thony Yang, Sous Chef at Slurping Turtle

Meet Thony Yang, Sous Chef at Slurping Turtle. Born in Cholet, France and raised in the states, Chef Thony Yang (29) currently works as the sous chef at Slurping Turtle, a Japanese restaurant owned by the acclaimed, Chef Takashi Yagihashi.

Chef Thony’s family came to the United States in December of 1998 and after a brief stop in Michigan, they settled into Minnesota. After two years, they moved back to Michigan in 2010 and currently resides there at this time. Thony moved to Chicago in September 2013 to pursue his career as a chef. I met Thony through mutual friends and we have been friends since. He remains an inspiration to me until this day!

I was able to catch up with Thony before he started his busy day. Here’s a glimpse of his life…

When did you know you wanted to be a chef?
Ever since high school, I have always worked in a restaurant. I worked for Thai Café in Royal Oak, Michigan. After being there for a a little over a year, I was asked to manage their sister location in Gross Point, Michigan. I wanted to improve my skills, so I decided to go to Culinary School at Schoolcraft College. During that time, I realized this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

What about your hometown? Is there a place you would recommend for anyone visiting?
I consider Hazel Park my hometown since I grew up there. It’s a little town outside of Detroit. There’s a Vietnamese restaurant called Que Huong that has the best pho and banh mi that I have ever tasted.

Since you are ethnically Hmong, what would you say is your favorite Hmong dish?
I’m a simple guy so I like simple dishes. My favorite is sticky rice, Hmong sausage with garlic and lemongrass, and papaya salad. It’s the perfectly balanced meal for me.

How did you become a part of Chef Takashi’s team?
I was a sous chef for Chef Dan Hugelier (ACF Certified Master Chef) at Schoolcraft College. He asked me if I knew who Chef Takashi was and wanted to see if I would be interested in working for him. Of course, I said yes and yes. However, at the time, Chef Takashi was in Japan and could not get back to my chef instructor. So I moved to Montana to work with Chef Robert Guillou for a summer, to hone my craft and artistry. While I was in Montana, Chef Takashi called me and asked if I was still interested in a job. I told him to give me two weeks. I packed up my stuff and moved to Chicago and started working for him at Takashi. I spent two years there. After Takashi closed, I started as the sous chef for Slurping Turtle.

Do you have a favorite place to eat in the city?
Whenever I go out, I default to Chinese cuisine. Sun Wah and Minghin have been my go-to spots for a good meal. TÊTE Charcuterie on Randolph has an awesome charcuterie selection so I always go there when I really miss the food I had when I was younger. On my days off, I just want to chill, so I usually take a break from cooking.

Do you have a favorite marketplace to get fresh ingredients?
I recently went to the French market and I thought their cheeses and charcuterie were great. I like to get the Raclette cheese. It smells horrible but it’s the best melting cheese. I also get cured meats and a baguette to top off the purchase. I love pastries so I’ve been trying to find a good croissant place. The one at the French market was pretty decent but I like the local bakery I used to go to, back home. It’s called Trang Nam French Bakery and they did croissants really well.

What is the best thing about being a chef?
The best thing about being a chef is that there’s always something to learn. I love cooking on the line and knowing that you’re going to get your butt kicked. You work crazy hours and you’re on your feet all day but I love it. There’s a rewarding feeling when, after all the sweat and long hours, your guests leave with a memorable experience.

If you had to construct a perfect course from Slurping Turtle, what would it be?
I would serve the hamachi tacos as the appetizer. It’s so unique! You can’t get it anywhere else. Hamachi is such a clean fish and has great flavor. For the entrée, it would be the tonkotsu ramen. My favorite used to be our tan tan men but after adjusting the recipe, the tonkotsu ramen is my new favorite. For dessert, the coconut cream puff and/or the ginger pear sorbet is a must!

What or whom would you say is your biggest inspiration?
It’s definitely my parents. I was talking to a fellow chef friend the other day about how we were living in Chicago by ourselves, without our families. My parents always worked their hardest and seeing them work so hard is the biggest motivation for me. Back when I was growing up, my parents did what they could, taking on 2-3 jobs, just so they could raise a family. I’m lucky to be able to do what I love. If I don’t work harder than my parents, I think there’s something wrong with me.

What do you ultimately want to bring to the culinary world?
I want to expose the world to Hmong cuisine. You see a lot of Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, etc. but you rarely hear about Hmong. We don’t have a country of our own so it’s hard to describe our food to people. It’s like a melting pot of other Asian cuisines…that’s the best way I can put it. I want to put Hmong people in the forefront and really let people know about the culture. I don’t know anyone else in the industry who is trying to do what I want to do so I am trying my best to educate and execute properly.

You can currently spot Chef Thony in Slurping Turtle’s kitchen, working hard every day, in order to bring the best foods out to his customers. His future plans are to have a place of his own. So until then, make sure to pay him a visit! Also, check out the fried Brussels Sprout recipe that Thony and Slurping Turtle shared with us here.

Have you been to Slurping Turtle? What’s your favorite thing on the menu? Let us know in the comments below!

Until the next venture!

Love,
Van