Fani and Peter Gau own and operate the San Luis Oriental Market, a specialty and import grocery store in San Luis Obispo, California. Peter’s parents Sim and Meng Gau founded the shop in 1992 and ran it until 2017, when he and his wife Fani took over. Since then, they’ve built a customer base that includes a new generation of customers. The market always offered Asian sauces, spices, noodles and condiments, as well as some decor and seasonal goods. Under Fani’s leadership,, the shop now sells many more snacks, drinks, Asian veggies, and prepared foods like bao. During the interview, the Gau’s loaded me up with a bagful of snacks and treats, like sweet basil Lay’s potato chips, Thai boba iced tea, and I even get to try Steak-flavored Cheetos on the mic. I learned about how their young family began, how they’ve made it through the pandemic thus far, and how the recipe for Mom’s crab dish is strictly off-limits.
Instagram: @slorientalmarket
Two Broads Ciderworks, Maggie Przybylski + Morgan Murphy, San Luis Obispo
Dr. David Cleveland, Environmental Studies Program, University of California, Santa Barbara
Hatch Rotisserie + Della‘s owner Maggie Cameron, Paso Robles, California
Mushroom hunter Dennis Sheridan, Los Osos, California
Hearst Castle, Dr. Amy Hart + Tara Stephenson, San Simeon
Village builder Roberto Monge, San Luis Obispo
Wine + food critic Stephen McConnell, Avila Beach, California
SLO Food Systems Coalition, Ellen Burke + Claire Tuohey-Mote, San Luis Obispo
Castoro Cellars + Bethel Rd. Distillery + Whale Rock Music Festival, Paso Robles, California
Home cook Vincent Rodriguez, Hesperia, California
Six Test Kitchen, Ricky Odbert + Matt Corella, Paso Robles, California
Lincoln Market & Deli owners Becky + Mike Hicks, San Luis Obispo, CA
Rancher Elizabeth Poett, “Ranch to Table,” Lompoc, CA
Whiskey & June owner Daniel Green, Atascadero
Farmhouse Corner Market chef/owners Will + Kari Torres, San Luis Obispo
Beda’s Biergarten owner Beda Schmidthues, San Luis Obispo
Lonely Palm Ranch photographer + homesteader, Christa Pfleeger, Arroyo Grande, CA
Filmmakers/photographers Carter + Veronika Hiyama, Sundae Cereal + Datsu Films, Santa Barbara, CA
Certified herbalists Angela-Sarah North + Sadie Rogers, San Luis Obispo, CA
Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project, Arcenio Lopez, Santa Maria + Oxnard, CA
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
Gastropod
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Grimms’ Fairy Tales
The War of the Worlds
Walk-In Talk Podcast
Be My Guest with Ina Garten