Vindy Lee has built a career by doing what she loves. From her early days as a chef in Los Angeles to becoming an etiquette expert and media personality, she brings passion and energy to everything she does. Her cooking philosophy is simple: use good tools, great ingredients and maintain the right mindset in the kitchen. As she says at the end of every video, “Keep everything slay till the very end”.
– by Hesikios Kevin –
E: Do you have a personal pre-cooking ritual? A lucky apron, a special playlist or a secret handshake with your spatula?
A: I have a couple of favourite aprons, but I don’t feel like I need to wear them every time I cook. What really matters are the right ingredients, good knives and my mood that day. Your energy shows through the food. While I don’t have a secret handshakes with my spatula, having a positive mindset is essential.
E: Have you ever had a memorable moment where a dish completely surprised you?
A: I think back to when molecular gastronomy first started gaining attention. Everything about the textures and shapes surprised me because I’ve always taken a traditional approach to cooking—made from scratch, and what you see is what you get. Experiencing molecular gastronomy for the first time was quite impressive.
E: If “delicious” had a personality, how would you describe it?
A: Addictive, fresh, engaging and definitely slay! That’s for sure!
E: As a chef, an etiquette expert and a media personality, how do you juggle it all?
A: You have to love what you do. I began my career as a chef cooking in Los Angeles, and I’m also an author. When you enjoy what you do, it’s very easy to stay on that path. Becoming a certified etiquette trainer came later, so all of this didn’t happen overnight. Skills need to be developed, and the foundation of that is passion. You have to truly enjoy what you’re doing to achieve success.
E: What’s one food-related etiquette rule that people always get wrong?
A: First, clinking glasses when you toast is not appropriate; it can lead to broken glasses on the floor, which is poor etiquette. Second, having phones on the table is generally frowned upon. Regardless of how busy or casual you are, it signals that other things are more important than your guests, unless your host says it’s okay.
E: Name three foods that always make you happy.
A: The first one is eggs. You can create a wide variety of dishes from them, both savoury and sweet. Second, I love peanut butter because I can make simple bread spreads, which always makes bring me joy. Lastly, butter is the secret ingredient behind all delicious French food.
E: What’s the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever cooked with?
A: When I first moved to Los Angeles over 25 years ago, I lived in a small studio apartment in Santa Monica. One day, I decided to broil a whole chicken covered in herbs and butter. I got distracted on the phone and the chicken caught fire. Thankfully, I put it out quickly, but the result was surprisingly delicious. The burnt skin, crispy herbs and browned butter created an amazing flavour that it ended up becoming one of my favourite ways to cook chicken, slightly on fire!
Exquisite Taste Volume 47
Vindy Lee
IG: @vindylee
