Meet Steven Sikhampheng | Sushi Chef & Food Truck Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Steven Sikhampheng and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Steven, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk was one of the main factors that built my career. Risking dropping out of college to become a chef to risking packing whatever I can pack in my car and moved to Colorado. Taking a risk can also equal growth. There were a few times in my career that I felt stagnant and felt I had more to explore. As the culinary industry grew in innovation, I felt like I was being left behind. I would say it was due to me being comfortable with the work I was doing and the money I was making. Opportunity came knocking at the door to see if moving to Denver was the way for my career. Took the risk to drive from Tampa to Denver and it was worth it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I can say I’m a jack of all trades in a professional setting. I’ve held positions in a restaurant all the way from dishwasher to a restaurant owner. It wasn’t all just restaurant work. Even the small off jobs that I picked up along the way was detrimental to my career growth. Retail and theme park customer service for 1000 plus patrons per day was a big help. Being a fish monger helped with overseeing and handling product from the purveyor’s perspective. Each job increased my practical skills and also optimizing my time and effort. I got lucky that I was able to use the good things from each job and applied it to the next. It definitely wasn’t easy. I read a quote, “You can only truly be successful if you enjoy what you do.” I felt that a lot. Even though I was learning new skills and exploring new environments. I wasn’t achieving all that I wanted and was unhappy. To my present self, im proud of all my years of experience to get me to where I am and what else is there to come.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Easily on the top of my list is a road trip outside of the city of Denver. From anywhere to a drive to Colorado Springs for Seven Falls or Pike’s Peak, Estes Park and hike in the rocky mountains or a drive through Leadville and Independence Pass. The views that Colorado provides are breath taking and blissful. There are times in our lives that we need to escape to nature and clear your mind. As a chef, i’m always looking for the best sip or best bite. Denver doesn’t dissapoint. I have a handful of establishments for food. Uchi, Sap Sua, Hop Alley, Pho Duy, LinLon Dumplings, Safta, Machi Cafe and Kiki’s Tacos are a must go to. Ti Cafe, Welton Room, Novacane and a group of local breweries help wash down all that food. If the time is right, A show at Red Rocks is on a bucket list for anyone that visits me. No words can explain the vibe that emits from a show at Red Rocks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my high school friend, family friend, senior sushi chef and mentor. Loma Xayalinh. I couldn’t have imagined that our goals and career paths would be so intertwined. It all started as 2 people with mutual friends during high school in Florida. Loma had already a few years of sushi chef experience ahead of me, but I was entertaining the thought of giving it a try. As I started my sushi chef journey, Loma had already moved to California and started growing even more. Years go by. I’m moving around from restaurant to restaurant as Loma is moving around from state to state. I was hungry for that chance to do the same thing. The moment came when I had the chance to work under Loma and learn what he had gain in knowledge. Who knew that our chef talks during service hours and after working would be the pinnacle to the drive and focus to be better. Now we both have our respective concepts and respect for each other.

Website: https://rollitupsushitruck.com

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