Tim Luym has made his bones in the kitchen by reinventing classic Asian street food while respecting its hardscrabble origins. He strives to destroy preconceived notions and stigmas behind cuisines that are still mostly foreign to American palates while remaining as authentic as possible. Luym’s act, if it could be distilled, would be one of artful balance with dishes like Crispy Adobo Wings, which made 7×7 magazine’s coveted “100 Things to Eat Before You Die” list. At his home base, Buffalo Theory in San Francisco, he shares his unique international flavors with a thankful world. Here, he reflects on oven amnesia and pulls out an Iron Chef Japan deep-cut, only devotees will recognize.
What recipe still gives you goosebumps?
1. Pull back lid to dotted line. Fill cup to inside line with boiling water.
2. Close lid. Let stand for 3 minutes.
3. Remove lid. Stir well and enjoy.
What cooking personality, living or dead do you most admire?
Martin Yan.
What’s a style of cooking foreign to you that you wish you had down pat?
Indian. A world of spices!
Which ingredients do you find yourself using the most?
Fish Sauce, vinegars & oils.
What was your biggest culinary disaster?
Forgetting and burning things in the oven. Nothing’s changed. I still do it to this day…
Jiro Dreams of Sushi. What food do you dream of?
Lechon de Leche from Cebu. Or a really well done traditional Chinese banquet menu:
Barbecued Whole Suckling Pig, Braised Conpoy & Dried Oyster w/Sea Moss & Lettuce, Stir-Fried Spike Sea Cucumber & Carol Clam w. X.O. Spiced Sauce, Braised Superior Shark’s Fin Soup w/ Supreme Stock, Sautéed Fresh Lobster Balls w/ Special Sauce, Braised Whole Abalone & Fish Maw, Barbecued Crispy Triple Pigeons, Steamed-Fresh Live Sea Fish, Braised E-Fu w/ Shrimp Roe in Abalone Sauce, Sweetened Walnut Crème w/ Glutinous Rice Dumplings.
What’s your most treasured kitchen tool?
A tasting spork.
If you weren’t a chef, what other occupation could you see yourself excelling in?
Something in film or music.
Mario Batali has clogs. What’s your most marked characteristic?
A hat.
What food do you hold in the lowest of regards?
Soulless.
What is the quality you most like in a chef?
Common sense. And a high threshold for self-induced suffering.
What is the quality you most like in a diner?
One who has their own opinion.
Chef Boyardee or Colonel Sanders?
Chef Boyardee because it’s time to bring the toque blanche back!
Who or what inspires you?
Navy Seals. Makes our job look easy and they are saving lives. Oh, and Jonathan Goldsmith.
How do you take your coffee?
Irish.
What food trend drives you batty?
MSG free. What’s wrong with MSG?
In-N-Out or Five Guys?
Sam’s Burger in North Beach, SF.
Could you “beat” Bobby Flay?
I wouldn’t want to…hoping he would stand on his cutting board again, raise the roof, and celebrate his victory (I probably couldn’t beat him anyways).
Do you prescribe to any kitchen superstitions?
The restaurant gods are secretly and sadistically wanting to mess with you and throw curve balls when they can.
What’s a childhood dish you loved that still sticks with you?
Hillshire Farms Kielbasa.
Biggest cooking fear?
Singeing my eyebrows off.
What do you cook on your days off?
I don’t cook on my days off, but if I do, it’s typically rice, eggs, and Hillshire Farms Kielbasa with garlic, onions, Worcestershire & Maggi seasoning. Don’t forget parsley or scallions to garnish.
Go-to guilty pleasure food?
Offal, animal fat, crab tomalley, and silogs (the Filipino version of a Denny’s Grand Slam B’fast).
If you ate some poorly prepared blowfish sashimi and passed, what person or thing would you like to come back as?
The mother of the person who poorly prepared the blowfish for me.
What is your catchphrase?
We’re almost there!
