Ron Yan
Lower East Side, Manhattan
Tolo hides under the original Ming’s Cafe awning in the middle of the now infamous Dimes Square. It is the newest restaurant on the block—a tall title for such a bustling area—serving Chinese comfort food with a Parcelle-approved wine list: a delicious combination. We hate to tell you what to do, but you have to try the homemade dumplings that Chef Ron Yan’s mother (yes, mother!) helped make, and the ox tail of course.
Full name, age, where are you from?
Ron Yan, 37, a lot of places but NYC is home now.
What is your title and where do you work?
Chef/Owner of Tolo
What inspired you to work in the food industry?
My dad always drilled into me that I needed to have passion in what I'm doing for the rest of my life. I started cooking recreationally when I was in college but it wasn't until after I graduated and was living with my family in Hong Kong that I said to myself, OK it is time to be bold and go all in. So I told my parents I was going to pursue what made me really happy and excited and that was cooking. I moved to New York City and enrolled in culinary school. That was ten years ago! .
What is your biggest customer pet peeve?
I have to admit....diners that have very specific modification requests when they are dining out. You're coming to a restaurant to experience someone else's food! Give it a go.
What is your most blissful food moment?
I feel most blissful when I eat my mom's cooking, especially her dumplings - always made from scratch.
What dish do you want to perfect in the kitchen?
I'm trying to perfect a lobster noodle dish currently. I have so many ideas percolating about how I'm going to approach it. It is slightly inspired by Cantonese crab I remember ordering when we were living abroad - it was so fragrant with aromatics like scallion, ginger and garlic. You really had to work for the dish and get around the shell to enjoy the sweet meat. So I wanted to bring some of that energy to a lobster dish. The fun part of being a restaurant chef is that you may have a creative concept or specific flavor profile you want to hone in on, but you also have to consider how to execute it in a restaurant setting without slowing down the rest of service if it is ordered. Stay tuned!
If you could shout out a colleague or friend in the industry who would it be and why?
I'd like to shout out to Patricia Carpenter. She's the sister of a friend of a friend. When I was in college and debating about my future, she was my only resource to answer any questions I had about the industry. At the time, she was working at Vespaio as a line cook - a restaurant I frequented during college. We've lost touch but her insight and advice assisted my decision making about my current career path.
What is the best food city?
Other than NYC, the best food city would definitely be Hong Kong.
How do you relax outside of work?
I love to sleep. Realistically, cooking for a living means a lot of late nights! But when I do have some free time: I love Thai food. My team always teases me that on my day off or if given a choice, I would go to this one Thai restaurant and order the same dishes. But there's something so great about having a consistent restaurant experience; I really admire that and am comforted by it. And cocktails. I gravitate towards gin.
What is your astrology sign (including moon and rising)?
Cancer, Cancer moon, Pisces rising.
