You need to cook Vietnamese shrimp spring rolls before you die. That’s at least what chef Jet Tila said on Oct. 2 at American University’s Terrace Dining Room grand reopening in Mary Graydon Center. The event donated five percent of its proceeds to food insecurity on campus and all meal swipes in TDR were matched and donated to the Eagles Helping Eagles program, a market on campus that aids students with food insecurity.
Tila, a Chinese immigrant said that he grew up in a low-income area Los Angeles, nestled between Thai Town, Chinatown, Little El Salvador and Koreatown. Growing up around this “melting pot” inspired his cooking.
Tila channeled his passion for community and cooking to inspire AU students to pick up a pan, as featured in his cookbook, “101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die.” Tila, a James Beard Foundation award-winner, owns the Dragon Tiger Noodle Company in Las Vegas.
While chopping up spring rolls and chatting with students, Tila said that growing up, he did not have access to expensive ingredients and instead used what was available to him. He encouraged students to do the same.
Jocelyn Silverstein, a freshman in the School of Communication, said she felt more open minded when it comes to cooking after meeting Tila.
“I left with a newfound appreciation for cooking and how food can build community as well as connection,” Silverstein said.
Growing up in an immigrant household, Tila learned to craft the dishes that he cooks now. He said he’s had a passion for food his whole life, thanks to his family and their connection to their Chinese and Thai roots.
Tila attributed the spark for his culinary passion to his grandmother. He grew up spending a lot of time in the kitchen as a child, his grandmother showing him step-by-step how to make different dishes while he clung to her hip.
“[My grandmother] was my first and most influential teacher,” Tila said. “She always will be.”
While his grandmother planted the seed of cooking for the aspiring chef, Tila said his parents’ restaurant in Los Angeles had a vital role in forming his love for cooking. His parents opened the first Thai grocery store in the city and opened the first Thai restaurant in West Los Angeles in 1978.
“Cooking is my contribution to society,” Tila said. “It’s been my vehicle to sustain myself ... It’s a way I can create experiences for people.”
This article was edited by Maria Tedesco, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Charlie Mennuti.
