What were your favorite foods growing up?
Fried clams, grilled cheese, really the whole Howard Johnson's menu

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
After I had already been doing it for a few years

Where and when did your career in food begin?
Working at a bakery when I was 13

How would you describe your cuisine?
Traditional dishes from Asia made with ingredients from North Carolina

What influences your cooking style the most?
My husband

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Chile oil goop

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
To care about each other

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?
Whatever you want, just not too much.

What is your beverage of choice?
Tea or wine

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Potlucks are the new pork belly. People are cooking more at home, eating more vegetables, thinking about where their food is from.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant...you are eating at?
Crook's Corner, Neal's Deli, Bonne Soiree, Toast, Piedmont, Panciuto.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
On Hare Island off the coast of Ireland. Smoked salmon over a peat fire, chicken braised with onions. The food was great, but the company was the best.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Before you start cooking, take the time to imagine what each element of the meal will taste like.

What do you eat when you are home?
Fried eggs, rice and beans with hot sauce, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate