How Erik Sun’s Unwavering Passion for Food Led Him to Entrepreneurship

Stories

August 4, 2023

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

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.

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.

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

Uncategorized

ARTBOUND Features Giant Robot’s Asian-American Pop Culture Influence In Its Latest Episode

Highlighting the impact of the Asian-American pop culture publication Giant Robot, the debut of the latest episode entitled “Giant Robot: Asian Pop Culture and Beyond” was finally aired last October 26 in the acclaimed arts and culture series ARTBOUND on KCET.

The episode showed Giant Robot’s examination of Sawtelle Boulevard as a Japanese-American neighborhood, sparking interest in Asian and Asian-American popular culture which resulted to a long line of Asian American artists who won recognition on a global scale.

Established in 1994, Giant Robot was a bimonthly journal that focused on Asian popular culture that soon included works by Asian-American artists including David Choe and James Jean.

Eric Nakamura began publishing Giant Robot as a digest-sized zine. The piece covered a variety of subjects, including trendy Asian American independent filmmakers, Japanese punk rock, and contemporary Hong Kong films. National media sources including the New York Times, Wired, and LA Weekly published the story.

In 2001, Nakamura opened his first store named “Giant Robot Store” in Sawtelle Japantown and expanded in 2003.

Giant Robot co-founder, Martin Wong edited all 68 issues of the glossy magazine on Asian, Asian-American, and new hybrid culture from 1994 to 2010, when it was still a punk zine. His wife Wendy Lau served as Giant Robot’s graphic designer beginning with issue 18. Even today, Martin continues to publish zines and contribute to them.

The popular weekly television program and online site ARTBOUND captures the essence of California’s expanding arts and cultural scene and investigates how it is transforming the state into the world’s creative capital.

The KCET Original series investigates and clarifies contemporary cultural challenges, offering insightful in-depth study of how the arts and culture impact society.

Nov 8, 2022
2 min read

Uncategorized

Dreams Set No Limits To 50-Year-Old Who Started A Bakeshop Now The Philippines’ Most Famous Brand

“In a way, I was poor. I was hungry, maybe not for food but for self-achievement. I thought there must be something more I can do than just being a housewife. I was very determined to succeed, in whatever came my way,” thus said Julie Gandionco as quoted by the Inquirer, the Philippines’ local newspaper.

In January 1981, then-50-year-old Julia Gandionco opened Julie’s Bakeshop to satisfy her thirst for proving that she is more than a housewife.

Julie’s Bakeshop gloriously celebrates being one of the Philippines’ largest bakery chains with more than 500 branches all over the country, which can be traced back to Mandaue City on the Island of Cebu as its place of origin.

In the 1970s, Julie was a canteen concessionaire at a rattan company, and subsequently became a manager of its sister company. She also opened another canteen a year later.

Having these three canteens being managed, she felt the rising demand for bread which made her take the chance of opening a bakeshop, despite having zero knowledge of baking.

Julie stressed that her bakeshop exists because of “a growing need for bread products and a strong trust in God,” and that she desires to encourage and uplift other mothers to dream big and strive for their goals.

Nov 8, 2022
2 min read

News

Veteran Actor James Hong Lauds Asian-American Representation In Entertainment Industry

During the Critics Choice Association (CCA)’s Inaugural Celebration of Asian Pacific Cinema & Television, veteran actor James Hong received the prestigious Icon award along with a few other awardees.

The veteran actor reflects on his over 700 roles and how Asian representation has changed: “When I was a kid, ‘The Good Earth’ was played by Caucasian leads that taped their eyes up.”

In his speech, Hong commended Asian-American creatives for “carrying through” work to advance their careers in the entertainment world and emphasized that his ultimate goal was to stop hatred and boost the whole level of Asian-Americans.

“To see an organization collect all these people together and work together and stop this hatred for Asians is our main goal, I think, and just boost the whole level of Asian-Americans,” Hong mentioned to the PA News Agency.

Held at Fairmont Century Plaza, CCA’s celebrity-filled event highlighted both new and experienced talents and featured other notable figures from the Asian film industry.

At the age of 93, the veteran vigorously demonstrated a few martial arts movements for the photographers with a smile on his face during the occasion.

In his more than six decades-old career, Hong is a well-accomplished actor with hundreds of film and television credits who co-founded the East West Players in 1965, making him more than deserving to receive the Icon award.

The actor stated that CCA is perhaps one of the pioneering organizations that promote culture.

Nov 8, 2022
2 min read

Stories

TikTok Viral Beauty Brand Youthforia Inspired From Asian Roots And Self-Awareness

We spend most of our waking hours trying to care for ourselves, but there’s only so much time in the day. That’s what the makeup brand Youthforia is for — a line of high-quality beauty products that fit seamlessly into your routine.

Founder Fiona Co Chan accomplished this goal for Youthforia, making it the first East Asian makeup brand to be sold at Ulta Beauty.

While quarantined in Hong Kong, Fiona realized she should launch a cosmetics line. She also recalled a lesson her Vietnamese refugee mother had taught her early on about the importance of paying attention to what goes into one’s body. Although she didn’t have the best track record with makeup, she was able to consider her interest.

Before 2020, she worked in technology and visited several highly polluted Asian cities. She realized that her Western cosmetics reacted poorly to heavy pollution, resulting in skin damage.

This led Chan to work on a gentle formulation and test it out for two months before releasing it to the public on TikTok in 2021. She used the video hosting giant to see if people would be interested in trying out her new makeup creations, such as a liquid blush that adjusts to the skin’s pH. The BYO Blush was a huge success, and Chan’s Youthforia’s TikTok accumulated 40 or 50 million views in its first year.

While the launch of Youthforia on TikTok is undoubtedly cutting-edge, the brand’s core values are founded in the past. This comes directly from Chan’s identity and her upbringing in an Asian San Francisco household where her mother stressed the importance of viewing the body as a whole.

Nov 6, 2022
2 min read