I’m Patrick Kong (AKA Patty.Plates) and I was born in Vancouver, Canada to Chinese immigrant parents. My father was a Guangzhou city boy, and my mom a village girl from Toisan. Both my parents have been cooking their entire lives – my dad even owned a small food court restaurant at one point (it was NOT good… sorry dad). My dad mainly saw food as a means of sustenance (both literally and economically) while my mom saw food as the glue that held our family together and connected us with the motherland.
Growing up in Vancouver, I had a strong Chinese community that allowed me to develop a diverse palate and a sense of pride for the cuisine of my ethnic heritage. Canada is also a beautifully diverse country that exposed me to many other cultures and flavors, ultimately cultivating my passion for food.
For most of my professional life, I’ve worked in restaurants. Starting at 19 as a naive college kid wanting to pursue a romanticized passion of cooking (against my parents wishes), I went from being a line cook at a local chain to a head chef of a casual fine dining Canadian restaurant at 24. Then the pandemic hit, and like many others, I decided to start cooking on the internet. I’m extremely lucky and grateful to say that I’ve made a career cooking for you all online. I learned a lot during my short stint in the restaurant world and despite feeling like I left many goals unaccomplished (like wanting to work abroad in michelin-rated restaurants), I’m grateful that I have a platform to share my perspective on cooking.