Ep 159: Hong Thaimee- NYC Chef and Entrepreneur- Struggles and Challenges Making it in NYC- The Power of Resilience - Advice on Cooking during the Holidays

Summary: Hong Thaimee is a chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has served as a global ambassador for Thai cuisine and culture for nearly a decade and the owner of Thaimee Love, a thai restaurant in NYC. In this episode, we dive deeper into her story and her journey of making it NYC as a chef. Other topics include: Why Hong moved to NYC from Thailand to pursue her dream: opening up about the struggles and challenges throughout her journey  Her love for Thai culture and serving people and how she incorporates that as a chef How she picks herself back up after burnout and experiencing lows in her business  The power of resilience and belief in "if there’s a will there’s a way" Being a student of life Story about unfortunate experience in her restaurant: customers and disrespect Advice on cooking during the holidays: keeping it simple and respecting yourself first Feel free to leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you enjoyed this episode and be sure to share this with a friend! You can also email any questions or feedback to thecityconfessions@gmail.com ABOUT HONG THAIMEE:  Originally from Chiang Mai, Thailand, Hong Thaimee is a chef, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has served as a global ambassador for Thai cuisine and culture for nearly a decade. After successful careers as both a model and business executive in Bangkok, Hong felt drawn to pursue a more personally meaningful path. Armed with drive, a Master’s Degree in business, but little professional kitchen experience, Hong set off for New York City with the goal of sharing her love for Thai food with the world. She used her tenacity to secure cooking jobs at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s acclaimed Spice Market and Perry Street restaurants, where she spent several years mastering classic technique. Hong went on to open Thaimee Box and Thaimee Magic, fast-casual concepts serving her signature style of Thai cooking. In the Fall of 2020, Hong debuted her latest venture, Thaimee Love.  After a successful pop-up restaurant to trial the concept, her permanent new restaurant, Thaimee Love opened in October 2021, in New York’s W Houston Street, specializing in “Baan Baan” cuisine, replicating the comforting, home-style Northern Thai dishes. https://www.hongthaimee.com/ https://www.instagram.com/hongthaimee/ --- Support this podcast: <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support" rel="payment">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecityconfessions/support</a>