For local readers, Chef Jeff Chanchaleune doesn’t need much of an introduction. The three-time James Beard Award nominee (and twice finalist) has had two restaurants the New York Times annual list of 50 Best Restaurants, and his original concept Ma Der Lao Kitchen was also named as one of Bon Appetit’s 50 Best New Restaurants. He’s not short on accolades, and once in either of his restaurants will show you why; the food is extraordinary. Chanchaleune has made it his mission to introduce OKC to traditional Lao cuisine. He comes from a hospitality family, and he worked his way from dishwasher to cook to chef to food truck owner to restaurateur. He’s done it the right way, and by dint of hard work, learning, experimenting, reading, traveling, and applying his phenomenal palate, he’s made a dramatic impact on the whole state. His pop-ups have brought talent from all over the country, and his kitchen has been a training ground for some of the city’s best chefs.

In the episode, he talks about his upbringing, early exposure to Lao and Japanese food, the origins of Kaiteki Ramen, Goro and Gun with 84 Hospitality, and his arrival as a restaurateur with Ma Der and Bar Sen. He also takes a couple minutes to tease his soon-to-arrive third concept, which it’s fair to say, we’ve been ready for since he first rolled out Kaiteki.