The Long Way Home

When you enter 25 Seeds, there’s a certain quaintness in the atmosphere.

- Pam Musni

The kind that appears to tell you that you belong here: take a seat, have a glass of water or something to drink. You are home, the walls emanate, all in their well-polished sheen and sunlit splendor. And for a moment, you forget that you are in a restaurant—instead, you are back home, lounging in the living room with some loved ones.

Right now, however, 25 Seeds serves as the venue for today’s interview. I take a seat at one of the tables next to the windows, and across from me sits Chef Sau himself, fresh from the kitchen. At once relaxed and alert, he seems well at home with the surroundings, sitting with the poise of someone who has gone through years of fulfillment. And indeed, he has—with more than two decades’ worth of culinary experience, his career seems to span various eras, each tied to a period of his life.

But while he has now delved into his Angeleño roots with his restaurant concepts—among other things—it wouldn’t be strange to imagine it could’ve gone otherwise, given the various turns Chef Sau’s career had taken and his unorthodox approach to things. And as we talk a little more about his experiences, there is one place that would cement him as the Chef Sau we know today: France.

PURSUING THE DREAM

Shortly after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, Chef Sau and his family migrated to the States to avert the disaster. However, even as they were residing in Las Vegas, Nevada at the time, his sights were already on other horizons. “France was always the dream,” he said. “I thought [to myself] that [Las Vegas] was not a good playground for me… everyone wants to become a good chef and have a very good background in French cuisine.”