Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix

Starred review from June 5, 2017
With crackling energy and dramatic flair, Martin (Alice Waters and the Trip to Delicious) and newcomer Lee pay tribute to Roy Choi, whose cooking melds the Korean flavors he grew up with those of his California home—“Los Angeles on a plate.” In clipped verse that draws on the rhythms of hip hop, the authors follow Choi from the launch of his Kogi food trucks to his efforts to “feed good food, create worthy jobs, and bring smiles” to “hungry” parts of the city. Man One’s layered, graffiti-style artwork mimics the narrative’s energy and Choi’s commitment to “cooking for everyone.” Ages 5–12.

Vibrant L.A. will leap into the minds of listeners in this audio homage to Korean-American chef Roy Choi's path to street food stardom. The accompanying picture book's illustrations are eye-popping, and Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Man One's narration has a style all his own, especially his rap delivery of the book's short cooking poems. Co-author and co-narrator June Jo Lee's bright voice delivers definitions for young listeners to bring helpful context to the story. Combine all these elements with various rhythmic beats, sounds of the city, and the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, and you could say this audiobook shares a certain awesomeness with Roy's Awesome Sauce. Listeners are guaranteed to finish with a hankering for some spicy food cooked with love, and sohn maash. E.E.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine