On Eddie Huang

I still remember the first time I saw Eddie Huang on an episode of Huang’s World on Vice. At the end of the episode, he cried over red-braised pork, talking about how he felt disconnected from his Taiwanese roots in America, and this dish was a symbol of home. I connected with him instantly. He was like an Asian Anthony Bourdain.

Eddie is a chef, writer, entrepreneur, and director, to name a few. The ABC show, Fresh off the Boat is actually based on his memoir of the same title.

Eddie quickly became one of my biggest inspirations. I read Fresh Off the Boat and later, Double Cup Love. He didn’t speak like the stereotypical Asian characters I’d grown up seeing. He carried himself differently. I had never seen someone who looked like me on screen, but also acted in a way that felt so raw and unfiltered.

I recently listened to his interview on the Throwing Fits podcast. It feels surreal because I think about where I was when I first discovered him — my first year of college, back in 2016. I still remember visiting New York for the first time in 2018 — my first stop was BaoHaus, his restaurant. Now, nearly a decade later, I’m living in the same city. In some strange way, I feel like I’ve followed a similar path.