Flavors Unknown

Chef Simone Tong: Blending Asia in Austin’s Zoe Tong

Chef Simone Tong at Zoe Tong

Today, I’m talking to Chef Simone Tong of the restaurant Zoe Tong in Austin. Her cross-cultural upbringing exposed her to many flavors throughout Asia, informing a blending of influences that resulted in a style uniquely her own.
You’ll hear about her early food influences, from street foods in China to her days working in her mother’s restaurant. She shares the reality of working in the kitchen and what it’s really like to make your dream of owning a restaurant a reality. You’ll h ear about many of the signature dishes that exemplify her style, and get some sage advice for aspiring restauranteurs.

What you'll learn from Chef Simone Tong

Street food memories from the Sichuan Province 3:10
Stealing from people’s plates in the Canton Province. 4:28
Why Chef Simone Tong doesn’t totally carry over the Chinese style of eating in America 5:45
The connection between food and memory 7:33
A cornucopia of Asian flavors as influences 8:27
Why some foods have to grow on you 9:32
Chef SimoneTong's collection of majors before she found her culinary calling 10:26
A French chef walks into a Chinese restaurant… 11:14
Why she really went to New York 13:33
The mentor who helped Chef Simone Tong learn the art of cooking and life 14:29
Where dreams and reality collide 15:56
What she loves about the service industry 17:15
The pitfalls of being a chef 17:56
Unique challenges when you own your dream business 19:09
A big achievement that didn’t feel like one at the time 20:01
Why it’s better not to know how challenging something will be 21:56
Her advice to aspiring chefs 22:36
Three professions we would like to have in subsequent lives 23:50
How she explains her culinary style 25:42
Coming up with a dish Tong-style 27:40
How she personalizes her chili crisp oil 28:06
The misconception about Chinese restaurants in America 30:30
Differences between Little Tong and Zoe Tong 31:48
What Zoe Tong represents in her evolution 32:50
The sources of Chef Simone Tong's inspiration 34:12
Her hopes for signature dishes 35:10
Simone Tong's contribution to the Texas BBQ scene at Zoe Tong 36:30
What inspired her smoked Japanese scallop dish 39:09
The requirements of creativity 40:33
Five places to eat in Austin 42:11
Her guilty pleasure food 42:46
One old cookbook that has inspired her 43:23
Chef Simone Tong to Dropbox.docx
An important cooking lesson to remember 44:10
Advice to ignore if you want to open a restaurant 45:14
The chef she’d most like to collaborate with 45:48
Her biggest kitchen pet peeve 46:46

I'd like to share a potential educational resource, “Conversations Behind the Kitchen Door”, my new book that features dialogues with accomplished culinary leaders from various backgrounds and cultures. It delves into the future of culinary creativity and the hospitality industry, drawing from insights of a restaurant-industry-focused podcast, ‘flavors unknown”. It includes perspectives from renowned chefs and local professionals, making it a valuable resource for those interested in building a career in the culinary industry.

Get the book here!

Links to other episodes from Austin

Don't miss out on the chance to hear from these talented chefs from Austin and gain insight into the world of culinary techniques.

Chef Panel Explores Culinary Creativity in Austin

Interview with Chef Rick Lopez from La Condesa

Conversation with chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph

Conversation with chef Fermin Nūnez

Panel Discussion with chefs Andre Natera, Rick Lopez, and Edgar Rico from Austin

Conversation with Pastry Chef Philip Speer from Comedor in Austin

Leadership with Chef Andre Natera – What Every Senior Executive Can Learn From Top Chefs

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 1

Conversation with 3 Chefs in Austin (Chef Andre Natera, Chef Kevin Fink, and Chef Fiore Tedesco) – Vol 2

Interview with Chef Andre Natera – The Culinary Yoda

Chef Fiore Tedesco – L'Oca D'Oro

Chef Michael Fojtasek – Olamaie

Links to most downloaded episodes (click on any picture to listen to the episode)

Click to tweet

Some memories hold a sacred place in our hearts, especially from when we were very young. Those memories taste even sweeter in the remembrance than they might have in reality.

It's hard to please everybody when you have a restaurant, especially when you have a restaurant that you claim to make modern Chinese food. Because what does it really mean?

I don't think I was someone who loved to cook. I was someone who loved to eat.

My culinary style might be just as ambiguous and messy as my upbringing.