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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
MING TSAI: PROTOTYPE OF THE NEW AA MALE?
epending on your perspective, Ming Tsai is either a role model for a new generation of Asian American men or the nightmare of many Asian parents.
On the role model side, he's America's most famous Asian chef, with two popular Food Network series (East Meets West, Ming's Quest) and a recipe book under his belt (Blue Ginger). And at the age of 36, he and his wife have built up an acclaimed, highly profitable fusion restaurant (Blue Ginger) in the Boston suburb of Wellesley.
On the parental nightmare side, Tsai threw away a Yale mechanical engineering degree to work in a Paris restaurant just because he belatedly discovered that he'd rather cook than compute stresses. Adding insult to injury (some Asian parents might say), he married a white woman from Dayton Ohio.
The ages-old tension between following the road to traditional success and the yearning to hack one's own trail may have been sown in Tsai's childhood. Ming-Hao C Tsai was born March 29, 1964 in Newport Beach, California and grew up in Dayton, Ohio where his father was a high-level scientist at nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. His mother ran the family's Mandarin Kitchen restaurant and taught cooking classes.
As a teen Ming helped out in the restaurant while aspiring to Yale and following in his father's footsteps. Not until well into his Yale career did Ming discover that his real passion was cooking. He toughed out the Yale B.A. but lost no time after graduation. He went to Paris to take a Cordon Bleu course, then spent two years working his way around that city's kitchens. Upon his return, he enrolled in Cornell for a masters in hotel management, then spent nine years apprenticing under top chefs.
During that period Tsai developed a unique style that fuses Asian and western flavors and ingredients with a rare mix of discipline and dash. He caught the eye of cooking show producers. Audiences liked his babyface and smooth-talking style. In 1998 the Food Network tapped him for the East Meets West series. Tsai and wife Polly lost no time opening the Blue Ginger that March to satisfy the appetites they expected to be whetted when the show premiered in September. Polly contributed the provocative name and served as the hostess while Ming built up a kitchen operation that would free him for filming shows and allowing two uninterrupted family days each week. One is Sunday when the Blue Ginger is always closed.
Ming Tsai is busier than ever now, what with a new son and jetting around the world filming outdoor culinary adventures for Ming's Quest, his second show. Glowing reviews and admiring profiles have made him a media darling. People magazine voted him one of the world's most beautiful people.
Ming Tsai isn't without detractors. Some AA complain that he's catering to stereotypical images of Asian males as smiling purveyors of exotic flavors. Others say he's corrupting venerable Asian cuisines into Asian-lite. Still others grouse that he's enjoying his own cooking so much that he's turning into a chubby Buddha.
So what's Ming Tsai's impact on the AA male image? On the career ambitions of young AA males?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:53:31 PM)
About a year ago I was bored and surfing the channels when I caught a glimpse of Ming Tsai. That was it, just one look and I was hooked.
He is good looking. I love his build. I love his matter of fact voice.
Everyone here complains about geeky, boring, kung- fu sterotypes of AA males and here is a real live hunk....and still...
Another thing I like about Ming is the fact he is in a marriage like mine. That
was a pleasant surprise. I could relate
definitely because I am also white woman married to Asian man.
Hayley
Saturday, December 29, 2001 at 18:49:07 (PST)
I was so excited to see this topic as I am the one who throws Ming's name around in the other forums, such as HOT Asian men and Asians on tv. I just could not love him more. I have followed Ming's career since he first did a guest appearance on a show called Chef de Jour. I have really done my homework on this man, and have what most be the largest collection of Ming Tsai articles, clippings and pictures ( as well as his wonderful cookbook) next to his mom's collection ~ lol. Everything I have read about this man supports what a hardworking, talented, focused, gracious and smart man he is. As far as throwing away a degree...is it a loss in life to do what one enjoys? Is not " throwing away one's life" in pursuit of someone else's definition of success the greater loss? I have all the respect in the world for him to do what he did. It took guts and it took confidence. And ultimately, it paid off, didn't it? As far as Ming being married to a white woman ..well, as a white woman myself, married to an Asian man, it is difficult for me to view this as anything that sways him one way or another, as a geek or as a greek god. Just means to me he found someone he fell in love with, and I admire how well his marriage to Polly has done.
Finally....pudgy?? Well, he can park his shoes under my bed any day of the week. Keep Russell Wong, Won Bin..give me Ming. He is all man, and if there is more of him to love, all the better!
(By the way Repost - just wondering when this was as Ming has been with Polly since before 1990 even??)
Visit his other websites www.foodtv.com and of course www.ming.com!!
I LUV MING WOOOO HOOOOO
Saturday, December 29, 2001 at 17:05:33 (PST)
all the critics bagging on Ming are obviously full of jealousy and contempt for life.
Ming is a great role model for Asian American man. He is acculturated but still very knowledgeable and proud of his heritage. He is tall, attractive, charming and a overall great catch, what can be better for the AM image? Girls dig him, and I can't blame them.
Ming fan
Saturday, December 29, 2001 at 10:26:22 (PST)
Ming Tsai is a very entertaining chef, period. My wife and I, along with our children, watch him whenever we can.
He doesn't have to change a thing for all these insecure people except to better himself and his family.
a retired corporate executive, asian
Thursday, December 27, 2001 at 19:18:17 (PST)
On the FoodTV the cable station there are only 2 asian food shows. Ming Tsai and the Iron Chef.
Honestly, I use the like the Iron Chef as a Japanese show. But the dubbing is horrible in english. It sound like a old HK Kung Fu flick.
Hats off to Ming Tsai. He communicates well. Doesn't have to gimmick to get people interested in food. I swear if I have to here 'Bam!' one more time when a dish is done or when spice is added to a dish......
All good cooks get chunky. Unless your that Naked chef from England, I swear he probably just a Martha Stewart wannabe cook.
Nor does he speak in some Yoda English to play up his asain factor.
AC dropout
Thursday, December 27, 2001 at 13:27:22 (PST)
I think Ming comes across as a genuine professional who loves what he does on TV, and that's great for Asians, in particular how the media portrayed AM in the US. I think Ming shed a new light for the American audience that AM can be cool role models for others to follow. I hope he will one day gain the same popularity like Emeril so he will have his own sitcom. But I would like to see him share his wine & dishes with an audience at end of the show, rather than eating solo like always.
Lee
Thursday, December 27, 2001 at 11:18:38 (PST)
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