--- product_id: 1600470 title: "L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food" price: "Β₯6142" currency: JPY in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1600470-l-a-son-my-life-my-city-my-food store_origin: JP region: Japan --- # 4.7/5 from 1,886 reviews 70% memoir, 30% recipes Top #35 Korean Cooking book L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food **Price:** Β₯6142 **Availability:** βœ… In Stock ## Summary > 🍴 Taste the city, live the story β€” don’t miss out on LA’s culinary revolution! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food - **How much does it cost?** Β₯6142 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.jp](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1600470-l-a-son-my-life-my-city-my-food) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - β€’ **Visual Feast:** Color-saturated photos bring LA’s vibrant food culture right to your coffee table. - β€’ **Recipes That Break the Mold:** From SPAM banh mi to abalone porridge, discover fusion dishes that redefine comfort food. - β€’ **Authentic & Raw Storytelling:** Unfiltered language and heartfelt moments make this more than just a cookbook. - β€’ **Critically Acclaimed & Loved:** Join thousands of readers who gave it a 4.7-star rating and counting. - β€’ **A Culinary Memoir Like No Other:** Dive deep into Roy Choi’s gripping life story and the LA food scene that shaped a generation. ## Overview L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food is a bestselling hybrid memoir and cookbook by Chef Roy Choi, blending 70% personal narrative with 30% innovative recipes. Celebrated for its authentic storytelling and vibrant photography, it ranks #35 in Korean Cooking and boasts a 4.7-star rating from nearly 2,000 readers. Perfect for foodies craving a behind-the-scenes look at LA’s iconic food truck culture and fusion cuisine. ## Description L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food [Choi, Roy, Nguyen, Tien, Phan, Natasha] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food Review: Excellent Read - I found out about this book watching The Chef Show, which Chef Roy co-presented with Jon Favreau. I'm so glad I saw the show because this book spoke to my heart (and my stomach). The book is about 70% gripping memoir and 30% recipes (some classical, some fusion) and I found it extremely hard to put down. To quote Iron Man, there is "language" in this book, so if you have sensitive sensibilities, you may want to cover your eyes. That said, he's had an amazing life. Personal favorite chapter was about cooking for Rokusaburo Michiba. I watched every episode of the original Iron Chef and hearing about apprenticing in the Iron Chef's kitchen was awesome. For the recipes, I immediately felt at home. As a kid who grew up on Oahu, you know you're in good hands when one of the ingredients listed for the dishes in the book is SPAM (defined as "SPAM. Gotta have SPAM"). Now I finally have real recipe for SPAM banh mi, French onion soup, and abalone porridge. Some of the ingredients aren't in your corner store, but I know I'll have fun trying to find them. If you're interested in the twists and turns, the drive and persistence, and the craft and skill that created the Kogi food trucks, you don't want to miss this one. Someday I will get to have a real Kogi taco... Looking forward. Until then, I'll reread this and do my best on the recipes. Review: An unconventional cookbook, a great memoir - I bought this book ostensibly for my husband, after he recommended I listen to Mr. Choi's NPR interview. The interview he gave on Fresh Air was smart and funny and engaging, and even though I don't live in a town with a bustling food truck population, I have read my fair share about them. This book is has great recipes, wonderful and at time heartbreaking stories from Mr. Choi's own life, and these great, color saturated photos. This is one book that I'd recommend the hardcover over the Kindle version, just so you can lay it out and pore over it. The recipes are varied, interesting, and for the novice as well as the pro. You may not want to buy it for your mom if she is offended by pot smoking and f-bombs, but everyone else will adore it. (Your mom will probably like it, too.) I love a cookbook that's as great to cook from as to read! ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #113,463 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #35 in Korean Cooking, Food & Wine #115 in Culinary Biographies & Memoirs #568 in Celebrity & TV Show Cookbooks | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,886 Reviews | ## Images ![L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91eEP3lcznL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent Read *by M***A on March 26, 2022* I found out about this book watching The Chef Show, which Chef Roy co-presented with Jon Favreau. I'm so glad I saw the show because this book spoke to my heart (and my stomach). The book is about 70% gripping memoir and 30% recipes (some classical, some fusion) and I found it extremely hard to put down. To quote Iron Man, there is "language" in this book, so if you have sensitive sensibilities, you may want to cover your eyes. That said, he's had an amazing life. Personal favorite chapter was about cooking for Rokusaburo Michiba. I watched every episode of the original Iron Chef and hearing about apprenticing in the Iron Chef's kitchen was awesome. For the recipes, I immediately felt at home. As a kid who grew up on Oahu, you know you're in good hands when one of the ingredients listed for the dishes in the book is SPAM (defined as "SPAM. Gotta have SPAM"). Now I finally have real recipe for SPAM banh mi, French onion soup, and abalone porridge. Some of the ingredients aren't in your corner store, but I know I'll have fun trying to find them. If you're interested in the twists and turns, the drive and persistence, and the craft and skill that created the Kogi food trucks, you don't want to miss this one. Someday I will get to have a real Kogi taco... Looking forward. Until then, I'll reread this and do my best on the recipes. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An unconventional cookbook, a great memoir *by A***A on January 4, 2014* I bought this book ostensibly for my husband, after he recommended I listen to Mr. Choi's NPR interview. The interview he gave on Fresh Air was smart and funny and engaging, and even though I don't live in a town with a bustling food truck population, I have read my fair share about them. This book is has great recipes, wonderful and at time heartbreaking stories from Mr. Choi's own life, and these great, color saturated photos. This is one book that I'd recommend the hardcover over the Kindle version, just so you can lay it out and pore over it. The recipes are varied, interesting, and for the novice as well as the pro. You may not want to buy it for your mom if she is offended by pot smoking and f-bombs, but everyone else will adore it. (Your mom will probably like it, too.) I love a cookbook that's as great to cook from as to read! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fascinating read. The LA Tony Bourdain. *by F***R on June 21, 2014* Chef Choi is a well established figure in the LA food scene. What he dishes out here is an autobiography with recipes. There is something compelling about smart bad boys finding themselves in the CIA (Culinary Institute of America, the "Harvard of culinary schools" per Chef Choi) as a means of changing their life's path. Tony Bourdain came from upper middle class roots in northern New Jersey. Roy Choi is from the quintessential Korean entrepreneurial family. I lost count of the number of degrees, positions held, and businesses created by his parents. Roy's youth is an interesting tale of excess and hubris. The ups and downs of the culinary world of modern Los Angeles are a fascinating read. But: Roy's Korean standards and his innovative Latin, Korean, SOCAL mashups are incredible. Now I know why certain foods are stocked by H-Mart and how they are used in Korean cuisine (those inexpensive roasted chestnuts that I've been using for Classic French pastry belong in a stew!). The world of cooking is being changed by the Internet, however cookbooks like this one will always find a place in my library. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - πŸ›’ **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** β€” Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** β€” Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - πŸ’° **No Hidden Fees** β€” All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - πŸ”„ **15-Day Free Returns** β€” Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - πŸ”’ **Secure Payments** β€” Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** β€” Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1600470-l-a-son-my-life-my-city-my-food](https://www.desertcart.jp/products/1600470-l-a-son-my-life-my-city-my-food) --- *Product available on Desertcart Japan* *Store origin: JP* *Last updated: 2026-10-04*