I REMEMBER THE NIGHT MY DAD SLEPT IN OUR FAMILY’S restaurant. Broken glass was scattered across the floor of the storefront that I had swept hours earlier. The cash register was overturned. Nothing was in it but pennies. Some food was taken. It could have been worse.
That night, he came back with a foldable reclining beach chair—one of those things meant for sunbathing—and lay there, half-awake, with a gun inside a fanny pack. The next day, he boarded up the door with plywood. But he continued to sleep there, occasionally sitting in the restaurant’s Ford Econoline van when he was restless, tuning in to the smooth-jazz station on the radio, CD 101.9.
My sister and I didn’t understand. Was he waiting for the thieves to return? Did he just want some alone time with Kenny G? Where did he get a gun?
We never got a real explanation because, you know, dads.
What was clear to me, even at the time: He was going to protect this place like it was his own home. In many ways, it was, and not just for him but for all of us—especially for me.
CHAPTER ONE
In Which I Volunteer for Galley Service
From the time I was old enough to beat Super Mario Bros. 2, I shadowed my dad and hung around the restaurant every chance I got. It was like theater to be on the sidelines of a working kitchen. Long before the Food Network romanticized cooks and kitchens, I knew there was something special here. Listening to the hiss of noodles as they hit the surface of a fiery wok, followed by the gentle clank clank clank of a metal spoon incorporating the ingredients of a pad thai; breathing in the smell of curries simmering on the stove; watching cleavers chop through an order of gai yang, grilled chicken marinated in lemongrass, fish sauce, coriander, and ginger. This was my favorite dish as a kid, and I loved to sneak tastes of it.
Denne historien er fra September 2021-utgaven av Esquire.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 2021-utgaven av Esquire.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
hasan minhaj had a very strange year
The comedian felt the wrath of the Internet AND lost a career-defining job opportunity. NOW he's back with an interview series, A NEW NETFLIX SPECIAL, and a fresh perspective on his COMEDY.
the perfect girl friend
Flirty, sexy, seductive, supportive. Your AI companion can be whatever you want her to be. And now a growing number of men are turning to bots to ease their loneliness or satisfy their kinks. The choices are endless. The emotions are real.
thinker
Andrew Garfield has big ideas about life and death-even a theory about the nature of time. Over an afternoon at one of his favorite New York City haunts, the actor let us into his world.
priceless
At Hermès, Axel de Beaufort will make whatever you imagine. Its value can be measured not in dollars but in the hours spent crafting it and the beauty it adds to the world.
shoes with staying power
The Shannon lace-up from Church's is a study in enduring style
THE MIDLIFE CRISIS? TRY THE THREEQUARTER-LIFE QUANDARY.
Black men's life expectancy is short, thanks to history. At 49, am I on the downslope?
HOW THE DEMOCRATS GOT THEIR GROOVE BACK
They've been flinching ever since Reagan, but the party has finally figured out who they are.
WRITTEN ON THE BODY
As we age, we're fighting a losing battle against memory. Maybe that's why, in my 40s, I've tattooed myself with everything I can't bear to forget.
I Wore This Jacket to Death. Now It's Even Better.
Menswear designer Aaron Levine, who helped revitalize brands like Abercrombie & Fitch and Club Monaco, explains why he reaches for his Carhartt again and again and again
Check Yourself
Todd Snyder and Woolrich have teamed up to create a new breed of wearable luxury fashion. The iconic buffalo plaid remains a staple.
