Influencer VIP List, Meadow Lane with Jimmy V, Potato Pancakes with Aliya LeeKong

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bobby on the Beat

Host: Bobby Flay
Episode: Influencer VIP List, Meadow Lane with Jimmy V, Potato Pancakes with Aliya LeeKong
Date: December 15, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Bobby Flay explores the intersection of food, media, and personal heritage through three engaging mini-segments. He first chats with judge and chef Aliya LeeKong about the realities of judging and the nuances of cultural food traditions. Next, he interviews the vibrant duo behind the VIP List, digging into food influencer culture and their food knowledge. The show then features a field review from Bobby’s friend, Jimmy V., at the much-hyped Meadow Lane gourmet grocery. Listeners also get a culinary demonstration from Bobby, who whips up his take on potato pancakes (latkes) with a twist, before closing with some reflections on culinary nostalgia, cultural fusion, and the restaurant industry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Judging Food & TV Shows (00:19 – 01:03)

• Bobby introduces Aliya LeeKong as both a friend and an experienced judge from shows like Beat Bobby Flay and Triple Threat.
• Aliya describes the difference in show energy:

  “There's a levity to be [on Beat Bobby Flay]...we're celebrating. It’s really fun. Where Triple Threat...there's more on the line.” (00:26)

2. Influencer Food Culture & VIP List Interview (01:03 – 06:09)

• Bobby raises concerns about food influencers, both their impact and their credibility as critics.
• He introduces the VIP List duo: two lifelong friends whose social media success started during quarantine with a love for “eating, drinking, and partying.”

  “Everyone always says you’re supposed to do what you’re passionate about and then find a way to monetize it.” (02:11)

Notable Moments:

• The VIP List are candid and humorous, sharing stories about late nights, friendship, and why they don’t live together (“Hell, no. Hell, absolutely.” (02:36))
• They explain their approach: mostly positive reviews, but transparency if something’s overpriced or disappointing (“At some point we're paying $2,000 for a meal and it isn't good—I don't feel bad about roasting it.” (02:52))
• On caviar:

  “Is it at least 8 ounces a week?”
  “Minimum.” (03:05–03:09)

• Bobby runs them through a rapid-fire food quiz, which the duo tackles enthusiastically and (mostly) accurately, impressing him with their knowledge and teamwork (“You guys did a great job. This is my whole point: you're out there having fun, but you also know your stuff.” (05:55–06:05))

Reflection:

• Aliya and Bobby agree that authenticity and humility define respected influencers.

  “Those are the kind of people that are going to last...as long as they feel like they actually know what they're eating and what they're doing.” (06:14)

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3. Aliya’s Culinary Heritage & Cultural Food Discussion (06:41 – 08:50)

• Bobby highlights Aliya's unusual academic journey (Brown, then Columbia) and pivots to her upbringing and food roots.
• Aliya explains her mixed Pakistani and Tanzanian heritage, noting the lack of representation of these foods in restaurants.

  “East African food from Tanzania is this sort of confluence of spices...a food that you can’t eat everywhere.” (07:06)

• On the difference between Pakistani and Indian cuisine:

  “For the most part, beef is not eaten in India. It's eaten in Pakistan.” (07:55)

• Discussion on the cultural significance and “underserved” nature of breads and pastries from these regions.

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4. Restaurant Industry Real Talk (08:23 – 09:15)

• Aliya shares her hesitance about opening a restaurant after seeing the financial risks firsthand (“It was like one rent raise away from just closing down.” (08:31))
• Bobby reflects on his own restaurant career and asks if he should open another.

  “Now I have none. Do you think I should open another restaurant?”
  Aliya: “I absolutely think you should, because you can.” (09:00)

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5. Culinary Demo: Bobby’s Potato Pancakes with a Twist (09:21 – 10:59)

• Bobby demos his take on potato pancakes (latkes) with sushi-grade raw tuna and pickled chilies, highlighting texture and creative flavor combinations.

  “You don’t see, like, tuna crudo on potato pancakes very often. It’s usually like, smoked salmon, but the crispiness is important.” (10:28)

Aliya’s Review:

“Classic Bobby touches on so many notes. Texture, crispy juxtaposed with tuna and the creaminess from the creme fraiche...the salty, briny caviar...just always just perfectly seasoned.” (10:40–10:59)

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6. Heritage Pastries, Food Innovation, and Restaurant Energy (11:10 – 13:37)

• Bobby predicts the rise of bakeries focused on global breads, and Aliya discusses the power of tweaking traditional recipes for texture.

  “It’s ripe for disruption because...slight tweaks you can make to change the textural component of them that would make them kind of shine in a different way.” (12:09)

• Bobby likens his relationship to restaurant work to an athlete’s nostalgia for competition:

  “I kind of feel like a retired, like, athlete that wants to come back, you know?” (12:58)

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7. Jimmy V.’s Hot Take: Meadow Lane Review (13:38 – 16:57)

• Bobby introduces Jimmy V. as his “every-guy” food critic, sent to review the viral grocery store Meadow Lane.

• Jimmy V. tours the upscale, boutique grocery. He finds the produce solid, prepared foods varied. Mixed feelings on the house staples—the chicken salad (“needs a little crunch”), “not grandma’s meatballs,” but rates the gluten-free chicken nugget as his favorite.

  “This is my favorite by far, the chicken nugget. I’ve never had people stare at me other than my mother when I was doing something stupid.” (16:27–16:41)

• Verdict: “A little bit bougie for me, but I can see the popularity.” (16:51)

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8. Chicken Salad, Meatballs, and Home Cooking (17:00 – 19:04)

• Discussion about what makes a good chicken salad (Bobby prefers it light, flavored, with crunch and fresh herbs).

  “If there's mayonnaise in it, I literally thin it out with, like, with some vinegar and...the chicken has to be flavored.” (18:07)

• Aliya surprises Bobby by admitting she uses a meatball mix for hamburgers ("So good. It’s so good." (18:40)), which sparks a playful debate.

• Bobby dreams up a new segment—Sundays at Aliya’s—where he’ll crash Aliya’s family dinners. She promises “52 different meals over 52 weeks.” (19:25–19:32)

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Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• “There’s a levity to [Beat Bobby Flay]...It's joyous. We're celebrating. Where Triple Threat...there's more on the line.”
  — Aliya LeeKong, (00:26)

• “At some point we’re paying $2,000 for a meal and it isn’t good—I don’t feel bad about roasting it.”
  — VIP List, (02:52)

• “Those are the kind of people that are going to last...as long as they feel like they actually know what they're eating and what they're doing.”
  — Bobby Flay, (06:14)

• “East African food from Tanzania is this sort of confluence of spices...a food that you can’t eat everywhere.”
  — Aliya LeeKong, (07:06)

• “Classic Bobby touches on so many notes. Texture, crispy juxtaposed with tuna and the creaminess from the creme fraiche...the salty, briny caviar...just always just perfectly seasoned.”
  — Aliya LeeKong, (10:40)

• “I kind of feel like a retired, like, athlete that wants to come back, you know?”
  — Bobby Flay, (12:58)

• “A little bit bougie for me, but I can see the popularity.”
  — Jimmy V., (16:51)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Judging Food & TV Shows: 00:19–01:03
• VIP List Interview: 01:57–06:09
• Aliya’s Culinary Heritage: 07:06–08:50
• Restaurant Industry Real Talk: 08:23–09:15
• Potato Pancake Demo: 09:20–10:59
• Jimmy V. at Meadow Lane: 13:38–16:57
• Chicken Salad & Home Cooking: 17:00–19:04
• Aliya’s Family Dinners: 19:18–19:32

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Episode Tone & Takeaways

The episode is spirited and informal, marked by Bobby’s signature wit and openness. There’s a strong emphasis on authenticity—whether in the influencer world, the kitchen, or cultural food traditions. Bobby and Aliya celebrate culinary knowledge and experimentation, all the while sharing honest, sometimes critical reflections on food trends and industry pressures. Listeners leave with recipe inspiration, industry insights, and a deeper appreciation for food as both a personal and communal experience.

Transcript

[A]

Bobby on the Beat.

[B]

Exciting day today. Make sure that you follow us on YouTube. Bobby on the Beat podcast. We're having fun with it. I hope you are too. You want to listen to the audio version? Just go to wherever you get your favorite podcast. So today we. We are talking to a friend of mine, Aaliyah Lacan. So good to have you today.

[C]

Yeah, thank you.

[B]

Well, I know you as a judge. I beat Bobby Flay, and then you were nice enough to judge Triple Threat. What are the differences in those two.

[C]

Shows from a judging standpoint? I think there's a levity to be. Because it's. So many of your friends are on it. It's joyous. We're celebrating. It's really fun. Where Triple Threat has. There's more on the line.

[B]

How do you decide where to go to restaurants? Do you follow, like, some influencers out there?

[C]

I think it's a combination of. I mean, Instagram has everything. So, you know, you're on the social media platforms, you see all these restaurants, you see all these reviews that are great, and then friends, obviously here and friends that know restaurateurs or chefs. It's. It's kind of a combination of all of that.

[B]

I want to show you something, because the whole, like, food influencer thing has, like, exploded. And, you know, some food influencers get pushback because people have put their heart and soul and, you know, sometimes all of their money into. Into a restaurant as a chef or a restaurateur. And then people who can just start a site on Instagram or TikTok or both can come in and start trashing your restaurant, you know, or saying that it's good. What I'm doing is I'm trying to find some people who I think are interesting out there in the food influencer critique world. I'm trying to accredit them. I'm trying to look at the positive way of things because I think that they're important. It's the way things are now. And I think that they send a lot of people to restaurants. So I interviewed these two ladies from the VIP list. Do you know them?

[C]

Yes, I do know that one.

[B]

They are fun.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Wasn't sure was whether or not they knew what they were talking about. So let's see what they got.

[A]

All right, Bobby on the Beat.

[D]

How did this all happen?

[E]

We were FaceTiming during quarantine in the middle of lockdown, and we were getting drunk on FaceTime and watching concerts on YouTube. And we're like, there has to be a more productive way to Use our time.

[F]

And then we were like, so everyone always says you're supposed to do what you're passionate about and then find a way to monetize it. And at the time, we were like, so what are we passionate about? Eating, drinking, and partying. We're like, okay, perfect. Like, that's a great business idea. That's literally how we saw you. We were at the strip Club till 2am last night.

[B]

Really?

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

How long you guys been friends for?

[E]

Since preschool.

[B]

Really?

[E]

Yeah.

[F]

So 24 years?

[B]

Yep.

[D]

Are you guys roommates?

[E]

Hell, no. Hell, absolutely.

[D]

When you go in and critique restaurants, most of the time you're, like, really positive. Every once in a while, somebody kind of gets under your skin and you guys let them have it.

[E]

You gotta be honest.

[D]

I hear you.

[B]

I hear you.

[D]

Do you ever feel bad about it or do you. Like, that's just the way it is.

[E]

We don't go in, like, wanting to roast the place, but, like, at some point we're paying 2,000 for a meal and it isn't good. I don't feel bad about roasting it.

[D]

I just feel like you're always eating caviar.

[C]

Obviously.

[F]

That's my favorite food.

[D]

You guys are the caviar queens.

[E]

Is it at least 8 ounces a week?

[G]

Minimum.

[D]

I came up with, like, a series of questions that I think, like, my food influencers should have a pretty good handle on. Nobody's ever gonna get them all nervous. You guys ready for some pop quiz?

[F]

Yeah, we are.

[D]

Define wagyu.

[F]

A massaged cow.

[E]

It's said barley and beer, and it's deeply massaged. And I'm pretty sure they not put it in sunlight or something.

[G]

I don't know.

[F]

They get treated real nice. There's a lot of marbling.

[E]

The cow goes to a spa day, and then it ends up on my.

[F]

Plate and it melts in your mouth like no other.

[D]

That's exactly right. It means Japanese cow. Baklava is made with what type of dough?

[F]

Phyllo.

[B]

Both. Got it.

[D]

I know you guys like cocktails.

[E]

Yes.

[D]

What are the three ingredients in a negroni?

[E]

Gin, Pongari. Vermouth.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

This is what I love about you guys.

[B]

You're really good at teamwork. This is awesome.

[D]

French dip sandwich. What is the dip made from?

[E]

Oh, oh, Choux.

[B]

Oh.

[E]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

You know what that is?

[G]

The cheese broth.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

It's the broth.

[D]

What's a wider noodle, pappardelle or fettuccine?

[F]

Pappardelle.

[D]

What is the predominant spice that flavors? Gin, elderflower, that's what everybody keeps saying. But it's not a berry.

[B]

A gin berry, a juniper berry.

[E]

I said that.

[F]

That's what I said.

[D]

What's a larger clam? A little neck or a cher.

[B]

Cherry stone.

[E]

Cherry stone, right.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

Uni is another name for what? Do you know what confit means?

[F]

Duck confit.

[E]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

What does it mean?

[E]

The way it's cooked.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

Confit is cooked in its own fat.

[B]

So when you.

[D]

So when you make confit, you cook it very slowly in duck fat.

[E]

We need to learn how to cook for you.

[D]

I'll give you guys lessons.

[B]

Please.

[E]

I'm trying to be way.

[D]

Porterhouse steak. When you look at a porterhouse, it looks like a T bone. So there's two different cuts.

[C]

Meat.

[G]

Oh, no.

[B]

Filet.

[E]

New York shrimp, right?

[B]

Yep.

[D]

Sake is made from what, rice.

[B]

Correct.

[D]

Do you know what a soft shell crab is?

[F]

You can eat the shell.

[D]

It's a crab that is molting, and their shell has fallen off but hasn't grown back yet. So that's why it's seasonal. So you eat them in the spring. Fish and chips. What would most likely the fish be in? A classic fish.

[B]

Correct.

[D]

Chimichurri. Originates in what country?

[E]

Argentina.

[B]

Correct.

[D]

Classic cheese used to gratin a French on.

[F]

Oh, gruyere.

[B]

Correct. Tuna.

[D]

Toro Refers to what?

[E]

The belly.

[B]

Yeah. Right.

[D]

Bonus question. What is the super premium toro?

[B]

Correct.

[D]

I knew they'd know that.

[B]

Super premium. They're, like, all over.

[D]

A classic affogato combines what?

[F]

Ice cream and espresso.

[B]

Dang. Great job.

[E]

Yes.

[D]

No, seriously, I love this. No, you guys did a great job. And this is my whole point. It's like you guys are out there having fun, but you also know your stuff.

[B]

Yes. Yeah.

[D]

And that's what I love about you guys.

[B]

It's so awesome.

[A]

Bobby on the beat.

[B]

They did pretty well.

[C]

They actually did better than you thought they were going to do.

[B]

Well, see, because this is what happens with them. Like, they. They have very big personalities. They come in there as, like, the, Like. Like the party girls of the. Of the night. What's impressive is that they know a lot about food. Those are the kind of people that are going to last, the ones that get respect from the entire industry, no matter what they say, as long as they feel like they actually know what they're eating and what they're doing. Totally. You know?

[C]

Yeah. And they know what they don't know.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[C]

I think that, too, is important.

[B]

You're very different than a lot of people who are Chefs in this industry, you decided that one Ivy League school wasn't enough. You needed to go to two. So you went to Brown, and then you went to Columbia for business. Right?

[C]

Yeah.

[E]

Wow.

[B]

You know, I dropped out of high school when I was in 10th grade.

[C]

You're not doing too bad, Bobby.

[B]

No, I know, but it's. I mean, every journey is different. Like what? Like, was the. Was cooking always there for you, even when you go into school?

[C]

It was there for me more in holding onto my heritage. Pakistani, East African. East African food from Tanzania is this sort of confluence of spices. You know, Zanzibar, Spice island, all these spices were coming in. But then you had the local produce in East Africa, which is coconut and cassava and all of those types of things. So it's very much, you know, a food that you can't eat everywhere. There's still, to this day, not a lot of restaurants you can go to to eat the food that I grew up eating.

[B]

Like, when you say the food that you grew up eating.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, I'm still trying to, like, navigate through that.

[C]

Well, I mean, I grew up eating, to be clear, everything, you know, my.

[B]

Mom, but that doesn't help me.

[C]

No, no, no, no, no.

[B]

Okay. Okay.

[C]

My mom's a surgeon, but she would still cook Pakistani food, and she would learn some of these African dishes.

[B]

What's the difference between Pakistani and Indian cuisine?

[C]

For the most part, beef is not eaten in India. It's eaten in Pakistan.

[B]

Okay. But the spices are very much alike.

[C]

Spices are very much alike. And the breads, and there's a lot.

[B]

Of the breads in that part of the world are amazing.

[C]

I. It's like, I really feel like baked, like breads, pastries, anything dough related is underserved in the, like, cultural market.

[B]

Why don't you open a bakery?

[C]

I know, I know. That's literally all weekend. That's all we talked about.

[B]

Really.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Because you've never really opened your own restaurant.

[C]

I haven't. I went to business school, remember?

[B]

Right. So I know you're actually being smart about this.

[C]

Well, the first time I. There was a chef that I was working with many, many years ago, and he and I had spoken about opening something together, and he sent me the model for the restaurant that he currently had. And what he was looking to do, it was like one rent raise away from just closing down. It's always been something that I would love to be part of, but I'm a little reticent to do because of.

[B]

That 30 something years I've had restaurants in New York, some two. Usually between two and three restaurants at a time. And now I have none. Do you think I should open another restaurant?

[C]

I absolutely think you should, because you can. You have access to. To the market. You have, like, a blueprint for what to open. I mean, if. If I were you, I would. And you love being in the kitchen.

[B]

Are you gonna come and work there with me?

[C]

Yeah, sure, I'll.

[B]

Because I'm gonna need. I'm gonna need people to help me for sure. All right. I'm gonna make you a snack.

[C]

Oh, I'm excited.

[B]

It's really quick. And I'm gonna show you how I made it. I'll be right back. All right.

[A]

Bobby on the beat.

[B]

Okay.

[H]

Potato pancakes with some raw tuna and some pickled chilies.

[D]

We're gonna start by making the potato.

[H]

Pancake, also known as latkes, of course. Some russet potatoes. I'm gonna. That starch, all that juice gotta come out. Want them nice and dry after you grate them.

[B]

And then we're gonna add some eggs.

[H]

Some wonder flour, some baking powder, some salt and pepper, and then you have the mixture. And if you notice the potato pancakes in my pan, in my house, there's never one that is exactly the same shape.

[B]

We don't like it that way.

[H]

We want these to look homemade.

[B]

And they're gonna.

[H]

Okay, make sure they're nice and crispy in some oil. And then we're gonna slice up some raw tuna. Obviously you want it to be sushi grade because we're not cooking it. We're gonna slather some creme fraiche, some snippets of chives over the crispy potato pancake, and then some thin slices of the tuna. Some pickled chilies. These are Fresno's. Some more chives. Put them on a plate. Now, if you don't like tuna, you can use smoked salmon. And for those people who like the old school ones, some applesauce or some sour cream. You do you.

[A]

Bobby on the beat.

[B]

I gave you some caviar. I know you like. You don't see, like, tuna crudo on potato pancakes very often. It's usually like, smoked salmon, but the crispiness is important.

[C]

Classic Bobby.

[B]

Really? What's classic Bobby?

[C]

Classic Bobby touches on so many notes. It's like you got the texture, you got the crispy juxtaposed with this, like, tuna and the creaminess from the creme fraiche. You've got the flavor profiles, you've got the salty, briny caviar, and it's just always just Perfectly seasoned.

[B]

See, that's.

[C]

That's the body.

[B]

This is. This is why I love you as a judge, because you like. Because you like my food. And I mean that, like, in a. In the. In the. In the most genuine way.

[C]

People ask me all the time because they're like, is it real?

[B]

Yeah, of course. Right?

[C]

Everyone's asking if it's real.

[B]

TV is never real. Of course. Right, right.

[C]

And I'm like, it is. This was great.

[B]

Thank you. So, you know, it's interesting, like you said, about the breads and the pastries from, like, the sort of India part of the world, you know, which is so, like, it's bound to happen, let's face it, right? I mean, somebody's gonna do some amazing job, and you're gonna be like, I should have done this. You know that. You know that's gonna happen because you can feel, like, the influence from those flavors and that part of the world, basically canvassing, like, all the. The important food cities of the United States now, it's sort of. It's either there are lots of restaurants that are serving just that food made by chefs from that part of the world, or there's sort of. Let's call it new American cuisine, where on every fifth dish, there's those kinds of flavors and spices.

[C]

Totally. And I think. I think I said it was ripe for disruption because, you know, some of these pastries are made in hot climates with what's readily available. And there are slight. And this may be controversial, but there's slight tweaks you can make to change the textural component of them that would make them kind of shine in a different way.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So where there's, like, a dense bread, it would become something so much lighter.

[B]

Oh, I know.

[C]

I made. My girlfriend. My girlfriend's from the Dominican Republic. I made her cocoa bread kind of my style. She was like, oh, my gosh. This tastes. This is a different version of it, but it still tastes like cocoa bread. So, you know, that's kind of what I'm talking about. I think there's a space there for that. I know now I have to go do something about it.

[B]

I love all those. Well. Well, you do or you don't.

[C]

Yeah, right, right.

[B]

You can always. You can always, you know, do it at home and stuff like that. But it's like. That's the thing. It's like, I love cooking at home. I cook at home for my friends and my family all the time. But cooking in a restaurant is very different. There's a different energy for me at Least, anyway. There's a different energy. There's a different sensibility. It's kind of like. It's kind of like my athleticism. I kind of feel a little bit like a retired, like, athlete that wants to come back, you know, I mean, it's like I can see that. I totally can. Should I leave the uniform, you know, in the draw or should I put it back on? I mean, that's. That's sort of. That's. That's kind of where I'm feeling anyway, so I want to. Do you know my friend Jimmy V. I don't think you've. Have you met him?

[C]

I've never met him.

[B]

You've never met him? Well, he's becoming very, very well known. He's America's food critic. So basically, I sent Jimmy V. Out. Now, Jimmy V. Is like this old friend of mine. He's an Italian American, you know, New York guy and loves food and actually is a very good cook. Cooks with me all the time, but loves food more than anybody I've ever met. But he's kind of like the every guy. And so, like, I'm sending him out to sort of these viral places if you know, in New York and some other places as well, to see what he thinks. Because just because there's a line doesn't mean it's good, right?

[C]

Oh, for sure.

[B]

All right, so I don't know if you've been to this place, but I want to check it out. Okay.

[A]

Bobby on the beat.

[G]

Jimmy V. America's food critic. Here at Meadow Lane. It's a brand new, super trendy, upscale grocery. Has a line around the block. So we're going to check it out and see what it's all about. I typically go to grocery stores that have the best produce possible, really good meats and fishes. You pay a few dollars more a pound for those things, but as long as you're getting quality, I'm okay with that. If they're just charging you extra money because it's an upscale grocery store and it's trendy, not so much. What the heck is this? Look at the line. Have you been here before?

[E]

No, first time. I'm very excited.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Why?

[E]

Simply because it's been talked about for 17 months.

[G]

What do you think you're going to find in there?

[E]

There's a lot of hype. I don't know if it'll live up to the hype.

[G]

Wow, that's hard, right? You set the bar high.

[E]

Yeah, I've heard the chicken salad's amazing.

[G]

Jimmy V. America's food critic. I don't wait in line for anybody checking out the produce over here. High end quality stuff. Grandma's secret meatballs. They ain't my grandma's. The grapes look great.

[B]

Small.

[G]

Not your typical, you know. It's a very small boutique grocery. The layout's really nice.

[B]

Hello.

[G]

Yes, I made a friend. We need the grapes. You want to taste the grape?

[C]

Go ahead. Thank you.

[B]

Thank you so much.

[G]

You're welcome. They're really super sweet.

[B]

Right?

[G]

No joking. Good bite. I bet you those will be good too. So is the prepared food like your gig? Is that what you're zoning in on? Yeah, we're a prepared food market. Everything else just complimentary?

[B]

Kind of.

[G]

You got your chicken salad.

[E]

Very excited.

[G]

Nice. I might have to try the. The chicken salad, if that's the way to go here. The chicken salad. When it ever says the and it's in capitals, the. It better be. Frequently. It's good. It needs a little crunch. Maybe Grandma's meatballs. Tasty. I think there's some sausage in there. And I'm not a big fan of the sausage being in a meatball. It's tasty. It's not grandma's meatball. And it's not mine either. This is cacia pepe Mac and cheese. It's tasty. Gluten free chicken nugget. This is my favorite by far, the chicken nugget. I've been eating food my whole freaking life and I never had people stare at me other than my mother when I was doing something stupid. All right, here comes the chocolate chip. It's an excellent chocolate chip cookie. Jimmy V. America's food critic here at Meadow Lane. Did some food surfing inside. Did some tastings. Really good. A little bit bougie for me, but I can see the popularity. I'm done.

[A]

Bobby on the beat.

[C]

He actually liked it more than I thought he was going to get.

[B]

Yeah, exactly.

[D]

I mean, that's the thing.

[B]

It's like. I think Jimmy is. Surprises people with his like food, with his palate. When I want to go to like a sushi, a new sushi place, I call him.

[C]

Oh, really?

[B]

He knows. He knows what he's talking about. Here's what I'm gonna say about Mandalay. This kid that opened it, I should. I shouldn't call him a kid. This guy that opened it has been at this for a long time. And he ran into all the New York opening of opening a food business in New York City issues like one thing after the other. And so they, they've been Sort of at it, but they've actually made a thing about it on social media to the point where when he finally opened, there were people like, I mean, I'm not kidding you, like, three blocks long. This guy Sammy is the owner. He's a native New Yorker. He's a New York City guy. He basically says, like, we're a chicken factory. Like, there's, like, four different chicken things that sell all the time. I have this thing about these chicken salads, these prepared chicken salads. I don't like any of them. That's just me. And I'll tell you why. I don't like the texture of them.

[C]

I don't either.

[B]

They're very mayonnaise forward. They. Most of them don't have any seasoning, but people flip out over it. It's just not my thing.

[C]

What do you do to your chicken salad?

[B]

For me, like, if I'm gonna. First of all, the dressing is incredibly light. You know, if there's mayonnaise in it, I literally thin it out with, like, with some vinegar and some such and something else. And the chicken has to be flavored. It has to have seasoning the chicken itself and the dressing. Right. And it has to have something crunchy in it, so celery or onion or something that's going to kind of cut and contrast it. And also, I want some fresh herbs in there. Like, tarragon's a classic.

[C]

That's what I was thinking.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

And also, controversially, he was talking about meatballs. I use a meatball mix for my hamburgers.

[B]

What does that mean?

[C]

Oh, you do so good. It's so good.

[D]

You and I are going to have.

[B]

A fight about this.

[C]

I'm going to make one for you one night.

[B]

I'm going to surprise you. Okay. I'm going to knock on your door. It's going to be Sunday night, and I just want to eat what you happen to be making for dinner for you and your family. Like, I want. I want to see your husband and your kids there, and I want to, like, just. I want to pull up a chair, and I'm just. What would that be? It could be anything, though. That's my point.

[C]

It could be anything.

[B]

All right, well, anyway, thank you so much for being here. This has been so fun. I love hearing about, like, your heritage and flavors and all those things. I'm still not exactly sure what your. Your family's cuisine is. There's not just one.

[C]

It's not one.

[B]

There's many. There's many. So great. So I'll be knocking on your door. That's going to be my new segment. Sundays at Olia's.

[C]

Okay, let's do it. I'm ready for that.

[B]

Sounds good. And by the way, we'd have. I think we'd have 52 different meals over 52 weeks.

[C]

Oh, for sure.

[B]

Amazing. Okay, so where can. Where can people find you on social, etc.

[C]

It's all just my name, Alia Lee Kong. So on Instagram, Facebook.

[B]

Okay, great. Thank you so much for watching. Next week, I'm gonna have a very special co host. Her name is Sophie Flay. You may know her as my daughter and you never know. She's a wild card. We'll see what she has to say. Make sure you follow us on YouTube on Bobby on the Beat podcast. Make sure you subscribe. So we know that you want to keep watching some more of this stuff. And of course, if you want to listen to us on audio podcast, wherever you get your favorite podcast, we will be there.

[A]

Bobby on the Beat.

[B]

And we'll see you next week.

[A]

Bobby on the Beat.