Episode #168 - Thai Dang of HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen

This week, we’re thrilled to sit down with the resilient and razor-sharp Thai Dang. A chef who rose meteorically through the fine-dining world -- from cooking under Laurent Gras at L2O to opening his own ambitious restaurant at just 26 -- Thai joins us to unravel the saga of Embeya: the dazzling debut that collapsed into chaos after his business partner disappeared in an international manhunt straight out of a crime thriller. He shares how he and his wife, Danielle picked up the pieces to open the community-driven HaiSous, and how they’ve since grown that into not just a restaurant but a platform for hardcore Vietnamese cuisine, coffee ventures, and incredible wings. Now, Thai’s focusing in on Crying Tiger, a bold new collaboration with Lettuce Entertain You that expands into the flavors of greater Southeast Asia. We’re talking: Thai tea, Vietnamese drive-thru pipe dreams, the highs and lows of a turbulent culinary career, and so much more.