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From left: Ming Tsai, Roy Yamaguchi, Martin Yan and Larry Chu
Many Asian Chefs use their success, and sometimes
celebrity status, to give back to the community.
These chefs help a wide array of people around the
world, ranging from those who have suffered from
natural disasters such as tsunamis and hurricanes,
to helping elevate the status and success of Asian
cuisines and communities.
The Asian Chefs Association (ACA), an organization
founded in 2002, provides Asian chefs with a forum
to share ideas and promote Asian cuisines. The association
strives to nurture developing culinary and hospitality
professionals by granting awards, scholarships and
grants. Chefs without Borders, the charitable arm
of the ACA, helps to provide a way for the culinary
and hospitality community to give back to the community
through special events, corporate sponsorship, individual
donations and provisions of culinary products and
services. They support community programs and organizations,
benefit humanitarian causes, as well as empower
the culinary and hospitality community to serve
society and provide educational training and mentoring
opportunities through the ACA. They also work to
help those in India, Indonesia, Laos, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand who have been affected by tsunamis.
Chefs for Humanity is a coalition of chefs and culinary
professionals who organize relief and fundraising
for people in need throughout the world. Celebrity
chef Ming Tsai, a founding member of the organization,
was recently in Mississippi with Chefs for Humanity,
cooking for the police force and displaced victims
of Hurricane Katrina. Tsai has also partnered with
YLANG|23 to create a silver pendant that bears Tsai's
signature sentiment, "Peace & Good Eating,"
in order to help raise awareness and funds. "Wear
this necklace with pride knowing you are supporting
a wonderful organization that helps and feeds people
in need," said Tsai.
Chef Martin Yan is an exemplary member of the Asian
chef community that helps a wide-ranging variety
of people, from autistic children to the elderly,
to the Asian restaurant community itself. He uses
his elevated status in order to help wherever he
can. "I have been very fortunate. I get asked
to do a lot of things in the Asian community, with
Asian chefs, because there are not too many Asian
chefs that are high-profile," says Yan. "When
you do an event or something, you need to have somebody
who'll have an impact. And I'm happy to play that
role, to inspire people to get into the business
and to be community-oriented and community conscious."
He also adds "it's just that there's a sense
of responsibility, there's a sense of mission in
why I do what I do. Very few chefs do what we do.
We're involved in a variety of programs and products,
community service events and charity events."
Yan says that as a professional cook, as a teacher
and as a restaurateur, he likes to see all of the
people in the business achieve success. "The
more they are successful, the more I feel good about
my personal achievements, as well as a sense of
personal satisfaction because I know that perhaps
I made a small contribution in the growth of Chinese
and Asian cuisine in this country."
Chef Roy Yamaguchi is yet another celebrity chef
that is involved in many charity events. His Roy's
Restaurant recently hosted a charity event for The
Education Foundation of Collier County, with all
proceeds benefiting the foundation's student scholarship
program to help youth to enhance their education.
Panda Cares is a community involvement program that
was established by Panda Restaurant Group, Inc.
in 1999. The focus of the program is to help disadvantaged
children by providing and aiding local organizations
with food and volunteer services. A committee of
volunteers oversees and supports the Panda Cares
Program, with each person on the committee assigned
to a specific region or concept. For example, one
Panda Cares team helped to ensure a safe and sober
graduation night celebration for high school seniors
at the annual Project Graduation, which celebrates
high school graduation in a safe environment. This
year, Panda Express fed more than 400 students,
serving over 20 pans of Orange Chicken!
Panda associates volunteered for the Annual City
of Hope Pediatric Picnic, helping to serve over
900 meals to volunteers, patients and their families.
The Panda Cares team in Oregon provided hot and
fresh lunches for over 500 Special Olympics athletes,
coaches and volunteers, as well as distributing
Panda Cares bears to the athletes. Panda volunteers
participated in the 15th Annual Celebrate LIFE event
at Paramount Picture Studios, which celebrated all
the young people fighting for their lives, those
who have been cured, and to honor the memories of
those who have died.
Chef Larry Chu of Chef Chu's Restaurant in Los Altos
is a great supporter of his own community. Even
as he celebrated his restaurant's 30th anniversary
this year, with an evening of rare Chinese dishes
and fine wine selections, he donated all proceeds
to the El Camino YMCA expansion project, which will
include 32,500 square feet of additional space,
with five new rooms: a gymnasium, exercise studio,
teen center, wellness center and KidZone.
Although these Asian restaurateurs are working toward
different causes, it all adds up to helping others,
no matter whether it is the local community or the
global community. By helping others with their good
deeds, they are not only associating themselves
and their restaurants with positive activities,
but are also making a real, affirmative difference
in the lives of those who need it the most.
Along with these successful restaurateurs, many
others are realizing the importance of helping to
build, promote and maintain their own communities
and Asian cuisines within those communities. With
everyone making their own contribution, no matter
how large or small, it all helps to achieve the
greatest success for the restaurants and for the
people they are helping.
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