Today’s guest, Arnold Myint, grew up in Nashville, the son of immigrants: a Thai mother and a Burmese father, who—in looking through Arnold’s book, Family Thai, and listening to him talk about them—sound like just absolutely fantastic parents. They opened International Market & Restaurant in 1975; it was open for two years before Arnold was born, and both his parents and the market served as so much of the inspiration for just about everything Arnold went on to do.
Arnold pursued figure skating for a while, he’s a gorgeous drag queen, he acted, he worked in restaurants; but he never thought he’d become a chef. As he says, he “faked” culinary school. And then: It ended up serving as a big part of the foundation of what he’d end up doing: cooking. And, thankfully for us, he still does drag.
Talking to Arnold about his book, his family, Nashville, drag—was such a joy for Mark and me. You’re in for a real treat today.
Follow Food with Mark Bittman on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Amazon Music
Comment