Contact
  • HOME
  • / MEDIA /
  • How Erik Sun’s Unwavering Passion for Food Led Him to Entrepreneurship

Stories

August 4, 2023

SHARE:

Erik Sun is a lot of things. More than a businessman, he is a spearfisher, hunter, chef, and now farmer of the finest meats.

Erik is part of restaurants Bestia and Bavel located in Los Angeles, head chef of Intercrew in Koreatown, and 2 more restaurants in San Francisco. The focuses of the restaurants are fun, vibrant vibes with original recipes and unique takes on food.

He is also the founder of Pursuit Farms, perhaps the most interesting of his ventures yet. What started off originally as direct purchasing at the Japanese Auctions to import Wagyu Beef has transformed into a full farm that will support his most anticipated Asian BBQ with Mangalitsa Pork (think Iberico, but even bigger and more dynamic), and fat-tail sheep (so legendary, the first three US Presidents had flocks of these sheep).  

When it comes to ingredients, Erik only chooses or raises the best. 

And to make his pursuit of food even more delicious, he recently launched his new business, XXHEAT – a high-quality seasoning powder to take your food to the next level.

He learned some of the ingredients of this powder from a master chef from Sichuan and decided to blend 5 different chilies and 2 of the highest quality Sichuan peppercorns available in all of Asia.

ERIK AND HIS LOVE FOR SPEARFISHING

Erik Sun grew up in Orange County, California, where he discovered his deep passion for spearfishing and the ocean’s treasures.

What started as a personal hobby soon became a business venture, as he began making spearguns in South Africa and connecting with fellow underwater hunters worldwide. Erik’s love for spearfishing allowed him to experience the physical and mental aspects of diving in a single breath, with each day on the water offering new adventures.

His inspiring story showcases how pursuing one’s passion can lead to remarkable achievements and a lasting impact on a global community.

CONNECTIONS MADE OVER FOOD

Erik Sun’s journey into the food business began with a memorable encounter at a renowned Los Angeles restaurant helmed by the esteemed Italian chef, Gino Angelini. Captivated by the exceptional dining experience and the sommelier’s generous pouring of wine, Erik felt compelled to reciprocate the hospitality in his own unique way.

Determined to express his gratitude, Erik made a bold promise to the sommelier: “I’m going to bring you some fish.” With that, he embarked on a mission to deliver an assortment of seafood delicacies, including lobster, scallops, scorpionfish, and octopus.

When he presented the bountiful catch to the sommelier, the sommelier said, “Show up for dinner tomorrow.” Erik told him that those were for him but the sommelier insisted on inviting him over saying, “If you don’t show up for dinner, you’re never allowed back here.” He prepared an extraordinary feast using the ingredients Erik had brought and they have been friends ever since.

The sommelier turned out to be Ori Menashe. And when Ori expressed his desire to open his own restaurant, Erik was the first to pledge his support, eventually becoming a partner of Bestia Restaurant, and occasionally cooking there.

CHALLENGES THAT ERIK FACED

Erik encountered a lot of challenges while establishing his businesses, particularly in the demanding landscape of San Francisco. The process of obtaining permits and navigating the intricacies of building regulations proved to be a daunting task. The estimates provided by architects and project managers fell significantly short of the actual time required to transform a small coffee shop into a larger restaurant.

To compound matters, the unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic brought construction to a grinding halt, and Erik dealt with some fraudulent contractors. Shifting his focus away from construction woes, he channeled his energy into enhancing the customer’s journey and creating memorable dining moments.

ABOUT XXHEAT SEASONING

XXHEAT is Erik’s latest venture, introducing a distinctive blend of seasonings that promises to elevate the flavor profiles of various dishes, particularly when used on the grill. The inspiration for this unique blend came from Erik’s desire to infuse meats, including Sichuan fried chicken, with boldness and aromatic richness. The reception of XXHEAT has been overwhelmingly positive, with its captivating fragrance and exceptional taste capturing the attention of culinary enthusiasts.

Erik uses XXHEAT on 烧烤, the Chinese term for barbecue skewers. Unlike many alternatives that offer one-dimensional flavors, XXHEAT boasts a blend of the top two peppercorns and a harmonious combination of five blended chilies.

ERIK’S ADVICE TO FELLOW HUSTLERS WHO WANT TO START A BUSINESS

  1. Start and figure it out – There’s always going to be naysayers but if you believe in it, give it a shot and live with no regrets. Problems will come? Figure them out. Not starting is a worse problem. It’d be like playing poker and never playing a hand, just losing your ante every round.
  1. Research and Development – For me, eating is my “research” and then getting back to the kitchen is the “development.” Try all the top that’s available in your sector and figure out how to make it better.
  1. Customer Service – Focus on your customers and when you get negative feedback, do your best to fix it. At one point, we had a lot of shipping issues and UPS / Covid-related delays. Turning a bad situation into good is powerful and having people who rave about your company/service will keep you in business.

CONNECT WITH ERIK

Pursuit Farms Website: pursuitfarms.com

Pursuit of Food Website: thepursuitoffood.com

XXHEAT Website: xxheat.com

Instagram: @pursuitoffood @pursuitfarms @xxheatofficial

Related Articles

Image Source: The Denver Post

News

Denver’s Vietnamese Refugees Share New Life While Keeping Family’s Heritage

Because of the chaos that was happening in their homeland in the 1970s, thousands of Vietnamese fled and some, later on, found a home in Colorado.

The melancholic memory is still fresh for Nga Vương-Sandoval, who, at the age of three, had to temporarily stay in refugee camps in the Philippines, Guam, and Arkansas.

She was with the about 2 million people who were unhoused and still have from within the shock of their suffering. 

It had been very challenging for them as they had to leave behind the good life they have in Vietnam and even depart from their relatives in order for them to leave safely.

Starting their life all over again, Denver has become a home to the 24,000-man Vietnamese Americans.

After being able to establish their community and found a home in the place, Nga said “I’m proud to say that it’s the city that I love, it’s the state that I love.”

Meanwhile, Vo, a 21-year-old grandchild of a Vietnamese who grew up in Aurora after his grannies and parents left Vietnam in the 1990s to seek a better life, had the experience of living in “a very diverse place.”

Knowing very little about his family’s past in Vietnam, he conducted a research project to unleash an “inherently American story,” according to him. 

Enabling people to have a glimpse of the refugees from a different perspective, Vo made use of his relatives as objects of his photography.

“Even though we moved here, they still lived a very Vietnamese life,” Vo said in Denver Post, 

It was also in his research that he found out how the majority of his family members were able to escape Vietnam while being robbed of cash and gold on their way.

He also mentioned how his family kept their culture by still practicing them in Denver which contributed to what America is, a place with diverse cultures. 

Despite having to start from scratch, they were able to begin life anew and even owned an Asian supermarket, Asian cinema, and Truong An Gifts.

His family also started the Far East Center shopping mall in 1987, home to him and his cousins and even to the Asian community.

  • 2 min read
Image Source: Silicon India

News

South Asians Found Second Home in Devon Avenue’s “Little India”

At Devon Avenue in Chicago, immigrants from India discovered a taste and comfort of their home country.

The area, commonly referred to as “Little India,” has served as a shelter for Indians who miss their culture.

Finding a home in it, Indians such as National Indo-American Museum board member Beverly Kumar, go there every now and then, especially when she craves Kalakand, a traditional Indian fudge.

According to Kumar, “It’s very comforting knowing that just 14 miles away from my house, there is an essence of Little India.” She also mentioned how reminiscing it is to see familiar sights, sounds, scents, and flavors when visiting Devon Avenue since it makes her feel as though she has never left home.

The area not only became a haven for Indians, but also for other South Asians who opened grocery stores, sari and jewelry stores, as well as many other enterprises in addition to food stores.

In the middle of 1960s, the place it became the second and fourth-largest enclave for Indian and Pakistani Americans, respectively.

The Federal Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 ushered in the first wave of South Asian immigration, which established settlements for South Asian professionals in Chicago, while the second phase arrived in the 1980s and 1990s.

Psychotherapist Ranjana Bhargava was one of the first immigrants who yearned for vegan food and searched for spices to sate her craving for Indian cuisines, which she found at Mexican places.

Between the first and second waves, businesses such as The Sari Palace sari store and Indian grocery stores began to thrive there.

Since then, a new community has been created where Indians continue to practice their culture through activities like viewing Indian movies, getting together, playing instruments, performing traditional dances, and eating.

The once Jewish-dominated place became a mainly Indian community which captivated more visitors where one can meet not only Indians but people of different races.

  • 2 min read
Image Source: Olivier Koning / Honolulu Magazine

Stories

Chinatown’s Oldest and Most Respected Businesses Proudly Carried On By Next Generation

The blood of entrepreneurship runs through the veins of Chinatown’s Chinese food business owners, as three of the longest-running businesses have their children enter the management fields of their family business.

Tony and Selina Chun, together with Alan and Helen Chun, who have been in the business for decades, fully trusted their children to run the meat market company they bought in the 1980s.

The older generation passed it down to their children believing that they would treat it the same way they had after 40 years of building and creating the Chinatown cornerstone with crispy roast pigs, burnished roast ducks, and glazed char siu along with butcher store and seafood vendor.

Frankie, 35, and his cousins are now in charge of running the company that they established through diligence and thrift. Given that they have a family business to manage, Frankie has known since then that he won’t take long in any career.

He was reported in Honolulu magazine as saying, “I knew that anything I was going to pursue wasn’t going to be lengthy, because the family would always ask us back for support.”

He and his cousins learned the operations as a result of early exposure to the business and used them as a means of support, which pleased their parents, especially when they took their first vacation in four decades.

Meanwhile, Liana Fang, whose parents Wesley and Jie Mei Fang founded Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery, assists in running the business.

The pair bought the bakery from its original owners and then expanded it by bringing in more goods. The homemade goods were prepared using original family recipes that they later improved.

The 27-year-old claims she adores Chinatown but acknowledges that she is more passionate about cooking than baking. “It’s so authentic. I love Asian food, the fresh markets, the mom-and-pop shops,” she said.

Completing the list, the 33-year-old daughter of Sun Chong supermarket co-owner Ann Sung also contributes to management of the business.

Sun helps them sell their products and other items by marketing it online and by helping accomplish other stuff needed in the business.

Sun, who grew up at the shop with her cousins, said that their business is like a thread that can connect generations. She also claimed that coming home after studying abroad was like paying back her mother, who had done everything for her. Sun plans to update and improve her mother and aunt’s traditional business structure.

  • 3 min read
Image Source: Yahoo! Life

Stories

29-Year-Old Drift Racer Sara Choi Excels With Prowess In Male-Dominated Industry

Sara Choi, a South Korean drift racer, is one of the rare female drift racers who compete on an equal or even higher level with men in the automotive industry.

“Men have egos. Men have pride,” says Choi upon knowing that some guys dislike her. 

The 29-year-old was taken care of by a gang of automobile kids after leaving her Hawaii home at 15 and this is when she first acquired her curiosity and passion in cars.

Cool as she is, Choi drives a car at 70 mph while it “drifts” due to oversteering and also has to deal with microaggressions and crude remarks about her body as a drift racer.

Being one of the few women of color who is so skilled at it, vehicles are more than simply a hobby, a source of celebrity, or a source of income to her. Not only did she find a great deal of thrill when she drives sideways at high speed, but a new family as well.

“In Hawaii, we only have three freeways. Every Wednesday and every weekend, they would host a “car cruise meet” at the military base, which was everyone—sometimes up to 200 or 300 cars—going on the freeway and just racing. I would always go with my friends to that,” Choi said in Cosmopolitan. 

When Choi got her first full-time work at a tuning shop, she got a 1999 Civic through her boss, which she paid for with every paycheck. This marked the beginning of her passion for cars. 

After being introduced to drifting, she traveled to Japan, the country where the practice first emerged, years later. After completely experiencing the pleasure of drifting there, she grew passionate about it to the point that it became not only a hobby but a career.

Choi revealed that she is still debating whether or not to compete because it is a male-dominated field and that she is experiencing psychological difficulties.

She is currently concentrating on running racing events to keep the fire going.

One big achievement she had in the arena was when she created the Acura mod, a vehicle she worked on for three months for the SEMA exhibition in Las Vegas.

Additionally, Choi encouraged other women who want to pursue drift racing to “Just do it,” adding that they should put themselves out there to connect with individuals in the field.

  • 2 min read