Can't get enough of Chef Saifon? You're in luck. Part one continues by way of the kitchen. Then get to know her better below.
Tell us about growing up in Thailand. I grew up on a farm on a small island in Thailand. The kitchen was off-limits to me, which, of course, kindled my curiosity about food preparation and cooking. I would watch my family's helpers cook from afar, learning and growing more fascinated each day. When I was old enough, I was given my own small plot on the farm where I grew herbs and vegetables. I used them to make soups and other simple dishes. My favorite activity was to make something and find someone, anyone, to try my food.
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Hardest lesson learned: Don't sign anything without reading it first!
Last thing you looked up: Acidic versus alkaline food.
Do you have any skills that have nothing to do with food? Gardening. Team leadership. Leading kids programs.
We hear you like the driving range. Do you have a better short or long game? Long, but I like short, too.
Last song playing on your radio. How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin.
How old are your sons, and do they also contribute in the kitchen? Carlton (17) and Chandler (10). They help me cook and clean. Chandler especially enjoys mixing various concoctions.
Tell us something most people don't know about you. I love to eat. I hate exercise, but I do yoga every Tuesday at Montage.
What would you be doing if you weren't in this business? More charity work than I already do.
Is there anything you'd like readers to know? I do like to pay if forward by supporting local farmers and other chefs. Saving organic seeds is important to me. I'm extremely passionate about the food I serve my family and my customers, because food is healing, and our bodies depend on what we put in them. I would never serve anything that I wouldn't eat myself.
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.