The Kareem Rahma Interview on Canal Street Dreams *FREE SUBSTACK PREVIEW*

Summary

Canal Street Dreams: The Kareem Rama Interview – Episode Summary

Release Date: June 13, 2025
Hosts: Eddie Huang and Natashia Perrotti
Guest: Kareem Rama, Host of "Feed the Meter" Podcast

---

1. Welcoming Kareem Rama and Light-Hearted Banter

The episode kicks off with Eddie Huang humorously presenting a fictitious T-Mobile offer to Zoe Saldana, setting a playful tone. By [01:10], Eddie officially welcomes Kareem Rama, introducing him as his good friend and the host of "Feed the Meter." The conversation is filled with camaraderie as they joke about having multiple celebrities on the show, with Zoe playfully engaging in the banter.

Notable Quote:
Eddie Huang ([01:10] - [01:22]):
"Yo, welcome back, Canal Street Dreams. There's a real celebrity in the house today. Kareem Rama, my good friend, but also the host of Feed the Meter."

---

2. Navigating Relationship Dynamics

The discussion transitions to the dynamics of their marriages, focusing on the balance between freedom and boundaries within their relationships. Kareem shares his perspective on maintaining a healthy marriage by allowing freedom while being mindful of invisible boundaries.

Notable Quotes:
Kareem Rama ([05:40]):
"My wife lets me pretty much do whatever I want, but I'm very, I always feel, because I have so much freedom, that I'm always walking on thin ice or that it's like a tightrope walk."

Zoe Saldana ([02:12]):
"Like, you have really, I think when you talk to other men and you hear about, like, what they have going on, how do you feel?"

---

3. Understanding and Building Parasocial Relationships

Eddie and Kareem delve into the concept of parasocial relationships—one-sided relationships where one party extends emotional energy and interest, while the other remains unaware of their existence. They discuss how Kareem approaches his podcast audience, balancing personal connections without overexposure.

Notable Quotes:
Kareem Rama ([09:57] - [10:32]):
"He was just like, the parasocial relationship's important. And I felt like as a 38-year-old adult man with a kid and a wife and all that stuff, it's hard to do it in the way that young people do it..."

Eddie Huang ([11:58] - [12:07]):
"I think you've mastered that. You're the people's champ, late night show."

---

4. Social Media Interactions and Personal Anecdotes

The trio shares amusing stories about social media interactions, particularly focusing on the challenges and humorous missteps of managing online relationships. Eddie recounts a humorous incident involving Instagram interactions, highlighting the awkwardness that can arise from parasocial engagements.

Notable Quotes:
Eddie Huang ([03:03] - [04:20]):
"We are not going to say this person's name, but I had a biz Dev dinner... She tagged me in a post on a story. She goes, 'Would you like me to tag?' No, no, no..."

Zoe Saldana ([03:34] - [04:44]):
"I'm pretty sure there's two."
"Girls with no careers, besides, they might want a job popping their pussy, trying to get jobs."

---

5. Exploring Egyptian Cuisine and Its Rich Heritage

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Egyptian cuisine. Kareem enthusiastically describes various Egyptian dishes, emphasizing their unique flavors and cultural significance. The hosts discuss staples like kushari, hawawshi, and fufu, highlighting the diversity and depth of Egyptian culinary traditions.

Notable Quotes:
Kareem Rama ([15:12] - [16:37]):
"Egyptian food is like the Mediterranean meets some sort of West African kind of."
"Kushari is the OG kind of street food of Egypt, which is literally lentils, rice, noodle, macaroni noodles, fried onions, tomato sauce..."

Eddie Huang ([17:04] - [18:22]):
"Egyptian cuisine is one of the most slept on."
"I had never had Egyptian cuisine until my late 20s, and it completely blew my mind."

---

6. Recommendations for Authentic Egyptian Restaurants in New York

Kareem shares his favorite spots in New York for authentic Egyptian food, recommending places like Abu Kir and Hamido in Queens. He emphasizes the authenticity and quality of these establishments, noting their popularity and unique offerings.

Notable Quotes:
Kareem Rama ([21:41] - [22:54]):
"There's one really OG place that I love called Abu Kir... they have fresh seafood, it's all fish, and it's really good."
"Right up the road is another place called Hamido, which offers a wide variety of Egyptian foods."

Eddie Huang ([21:18] - [22:43]):
"I want to go, though. That looks incredible."
"Egyptian cuisine still very undiscovered."

---

7. Discussing Culinary Entrepreneurship and Pop-Up Concepts

The conversation shifts to entrepreneurial ideas within the culinary world. Kareem contemplates launching a pop-up restaurant featuring traditional Egyptian dishes like kushari, drawing parallels to successful food models such as Chipotle. They brainstorm innovative ways to introduce and popularize Egyptian cuisine to broader audiences.

Notable Quotes:
Kareem Rama ([23:17] - [24:33]):
"I think kushari is poised to be the dish... Maybe I should do a pop-up."
"You should put your truck there because they're showing movies."

Eddie Huang ([24:23] - [24:57]):
"Whether it's the bauhaus guy, the shein famous foods guy... Once the person takes it out, we're getting out."
"That's when you know your cuisine is cooked for the next five years."

---

8. Parenting, Lifestyle, and Balancing Family Life

Towards the end of the episode, Eddie, Kareem, and Zoe discuss the challenges and joys of parenting. They touch upon how having a child influences their daily routines, cooking habits, and relationship dynamics. The conversation remains light-hearted, blending personal anecdotes with relatable humor.

Notable Quotes:
Zoe Saldana ([31:11] - [33:55]):
"He is obviously like the better cook, but I just cook more by default now because of our son."
"I was making green curry with shrimp."

Eddie Huang ([33:38] - [34:15]):
"If you have expected sex, it's got to be like, in a bathroom."
"We were never trying."

---

9. Concluding Remarks and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the diverse topics covered, from relationships and social media to culinary arts and parenting. They underscore the importance of authenticity and passion in both personal and professional endeavors.

Notable Quotes:
Eddie Huang ([34:33] - [35:11]):
"Podcasts are a pretty close companion... You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads."
[Note: Promotional segment skipped as per instructions]

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Key Takeaways:

• Relationship Balance: Maintaining freedom while respecting boundaries is crucial in a healthy marriage.
• Parasocial Relationships: Building meaningful but balanced connections with audiences enhances podcast engagement.
• Culinary Appreciation: Egyptian cuisine offers a rich, diverse flavor profile that's ripe for broader recognition and appreciation.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Innovative approaches, such as pop-up restaurants, can effectively introduce and popularize authentic cuisines.
• Parenting Dynamics: Navigating family life requires adaptability, especially in balancing personal interests and responsibilities.

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This episode of Canal Street Dreams offers a blend of humor, insightful discussions on relationships and social dynamics, and a deep dive into the underrated world of Egyptian cuisine. Whether you're a podcast enthusiast or a culinary explorer, Eddie Huang, Kareem Rama, and Zoe Saldana provide an engaging and enriching conversation that resonates on multiple levels.

Transcript

[Eddie Huang]

Hi, Zoe Saldana. Welcome to T Mobile. Here's your new iPhone 16 Pro on us. Thanks. And here's my old phone to trade in. You don't need to trade in. When you switch to T Mobile, we'll give you a new iPhone 16 Pro.

[Kareem Rama]

Plus we'll help you pay off your.

[Eddie Huang]

Old Phone up to 800 bucks and you still get to keep it. There's always a trade in. Not right now. At T Mobile.

[Zoe Saldana]

I feel like I have to give.

[Eddie Huang]

You something in return for karma. That's okay. I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender. I'm good. Seriously. Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints. Really, I'm fine. Oh, I have raisins. I'm a mom. Wait, wait one sec. I've got cupcakes in the car. It's our best iPhone offer ever. Switch to T Mobile. Get a new iPhone 16 Pro with Apple intelligence on us. No trade in needed. We'll even pay off your Phone up to 800 bucks with 24 monthly bill credits. New line, $100, plus a month on experience beyond finance agreement. $999.99 and qualifying. Ported for well qualified. Plus tax and $10 connection charge. Pay off via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days credits end and balance due if you pay off early or cancel mobile.com. yo, welcome back, Canal Street Dreams. There's a real celebrity in the house today. Kareem Rama, my. My good friend, but also the host of Feed the Meter.

[Kareem Rama]

Keep the meter running.

[Eddie Huang]

Keep the meter running. Subway takes. And also the subway takes pod now. Yes, as well. Fresh off a Guggenheim appearance, you know. My man. Very excited to see you.

[Kareem Rama]

Thank you for having me. I'm not the only celebrity. There are three celebrities here.

[Zoe Saldana]

I'm pretty sure there's two.

[Eddie Huang]

Wifey.

[Zoe Saldana]

I. I listen.

[Kareem Rama]

I mean, all wives are celebrities in my book.

[Eddie Huang]

Absolutely.

[Kareem Rama]

And women in general. Yes.

[Zoe Saldana]

A very wise Greek woman once said, it's the man is the head and the woman is the neck. I turn head whichever way it goes.

[Kareem Rama]

I don't think it's possible to do anything without a wife's permission. If you want to be a good husband, he can. No, he can.

[Zoe Saldana]

You get the soft.

[Kareem Rama]

You get the soft permission.

[Zoe Saldana]

No, we have a very, like. He has such an interesting, like, married life because he. I feel like I give you permission to do anything.

[Eddie Huang]

But it's a test.

[Kareem Rama]

Like, it's a test.

[Zoe Saldana]

No, no, no. There's not, like, there's just boundaries that he like, can bump into. That will piss me off. But in. Inside of those, in the. In the boundaries are wide.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Zoe Saldana]

Like, you have really. I think when you talk to other men and you hear about, like, what they have going on, how do you feel?

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, no, I live a good life. I'm a free range animal. I'm a free range animal.

[Zoe Saldana]

Amount of freedom this man has is crazy.

[Kareem Rama]

No, I think you need the.

[Eddie Huang]

I have. She gives me a lot of freedom, but there's, like, an invisible electric fence that sometimes I run into. Like. Like, she's like, you could go out, but then if, like, I accidentally get tagged in someone's Instagram story or accidentally follow, like, that's not okay.

[Zoe Saldana]

No, he'll go out, and he'll go out by himself.

[Kareem Rama]

Dangerous.

[Zoe Saldana]

I don't go out. And he'll follow girls while he's out.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah, but that's business development.

[Zoe Saldana]

Girls with no careers, besides, they might want a job popping their pussy, trying to get jobs. I get it. Popping my pussy used to be my career.

[Eddie Huang]

Yo, I got to put somebody on blast, though. Yo, you will. You will feel me on this. We are not going to say this person's name, but I had a biz Dev dinner, right? Meeting was meeting some investors and people, and somebody had brought, like, some personality, you know, people to the dinner.

[Zoe Saldana]

Personality people.

[Eddie Huang]

Personality.

[Zoe Saldana]

People paid for hosts.

[Eddie Huang]

She, she. She tagged me in a post on a story. She goes, well, she put up a story and goes, would you like me to tag? No, no, no, no. I was like, don't tag. She's like, well, I'mma follow you. Will you follow me? I was like, yeah. Like, you can't say no to somebody when they're like that.

[Kareem Rama]

If you have a wife and a.

[Zoe Saldana]

Kid, you would say no.

[Kareem Rama]

I would go, yeah, yeah, I will. And then I would run.

[Eddie Huang]

See that? I got to do that. This story gets worse. All right, so then what happens is I follow. Because I'm like, yeah, yeah, quit poop.

[Zoe Saldana]

Corny fucking weirdo.

[Eddie Huang]

I'm a dumb ass. Not a horny weirdo, okay? But a dumb ass for sure. Then maybe two weeks later, her homie is like, yo, I just saw that Eddie follow so and so. And I matched her on Raya, yo, but she never hit me back after we match. Do you mind asking him what her deal is? I was like, my man is dry, Eddie.

[Zoe Saldana]

And I. I'm just like, I have. I don't care. So I was like, oh, do you know this girl? Like, is she cool? And Eddie's like, all weird. About it. And I was like, oh, what's that?

[Kareem Rama]

And was there a fight? There was no fight.

[Zoe Saldana]

No, I was just. I just told him. I was like, well, next time when I go out and a guy asks me for my number, I'm gonna give it to him and I'll give him my Instagram.

[Eddie Huang]

There are rules, and I'll follow punished.

[Zoe Saldana]

No, no. My thing is just like, however you move in the world, I'll match you. I'll do the exact same thing. So if you want to go out and follow girls, know that I just followed 10 guys and liked all their photos.

[Kareem Rama]

That's. Mathematics is wrong.

[Eddie Huang]

I did not like. That is crazy.

[Kareem Rama]

That's not equal.

[Zoe Saldana]

That's not even crazy crazy. If I really wanted to get activated, how I get crazy? Like, I would have gone out that night with some old dude that I used to hook up with, and I would have been like, no, we're just hanging out. We're friends.

[Eddie Huang]

Can I borrow money from him?

[Kareem Rama]

Business development. That's business development for the game.

[Zoe Saldana]

A great way that I could get paid from him.

[Eddie Huang]

No, no, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. Hey, how's the podcast?

[Kareem Rama]

The podcast is great. The podcast is great.

[Eddie Huang]

Your podcast.

[Kareem Rama]

No, I like talking about this podcast. I feel like I'm an intermediator right now.

[Zoe Saldana]

So, anyways, how's your relationship?

[Eddie Huang]

How's your marriage?

[Kareem Rama]

Well, no, I have a very similar vibe, but I like. My wife lets me pretty much do whatever I want, but I'm very. I always feel, because I have so much freedom, that I'm always walking on thin ice or that it's like a tightrope walk.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

So I try to.

[Eddie Huang]

It's a trap.

[Kareem Rama]

It's very much so. Could be a trap. The traps are all over the house. I mean, I feel like Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible going through the lasers and all this shit. But I usually. I'm pretty successful, but I kind of do this thing where I'm like, hey, by the way, I'm doing a thing on Friday, and I'm doing a thing on Sunday, but maybe Saturday we do a date night.

[Zoe Saldana]

That's smart.

[Eddie Huang]

I like that.

[Kareem Rama]

Negotiating. He's like, the art of.

[Eddie Huang]

I like that I belong to her during the days. I belong to my family during the days. Every once in a while, she lets me go back outside at night.

[Zoe Saldana]

No, you can. I like when you go outside at night.

[Eddie Huang]

The flower shop at night.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah, I like to do weird. I'm an introvert. I don't want to go out So I do, like, weird shit in the house. No, not even crafts, but I want to, like, just. I mean, it's not even weird. Just what people do. Like, I want to eat cheese in the living room and watch, like, the Real Lives of Mormon Wives and, like, sometimes. And, like, with a face mask and, like, be gross. I don't. It's, like, embarrassing in front of you sometimes. My opinion, because he's, like, on, like, the Criterion Collection, watching, like, acclaimed films, and, like, I just want to watch the Real Housewives. I don't want to watch, like, some French film most of the time. I don't want to watch subtitles at night. Like, I just did subtitles with my toddler all day, Right. He's like, I. I'm trying to interpret what he's saying. I don't know. I want to watch.

[Eddie Huang]

Just trying to watch new wave cinema in bed and see when he goes.

[Kareem Rama]

Out and try to get that movie subscription fired up.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. I'm trying to check my distributor.

[Zoe Saldana]

100. And whenever he goes out, he comes home with, like, more money, so something.

[Kareem Rama]

Oh, that's great. Wait, we should be hanging out. Start that. I come home always with less money, bro.

[Eddie Huang]

I come back every time with a new job.

[Kareem Rama]

I'm like, I thought you meant, like, a bag.

[Zoe Saldana]

No, no. If it was a bag of cash, I'd be like, please go out every night. But every time we go, I'm just like, go.

[Kareem Rama]

I'm like, I have to go out. It's part of the job.

[Eddie Huang]

You got to be around People need a parasocial relationship.

[Kareem Rama]

You got to be around. You got to talk to people. That's where everything comes from. 100 people who will stay home are not getting the bag.

[Zoe Saldana]

I'm not getting the bag.

[Eddie Huang]

I remember talking to you, top of 20, 25. You were like, I. I'm. My fans. They need the parasocial relationship with me.

[Kareem Rama]

This year, which is why we started the pod.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. How. How's. How's the parasocial relationship with the audience been going, bro?

[Kareem Rama]

I think it's good, man. I think it's good. I mean, it is. You've been in this position, I think, for a long time, but it's really interesting to have people come up to you and say, like, I love you.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Or, like, catch up on something that you talked about.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

That you don't remember that you talked about. And they're like, oh, by the way, like, you know, send my regards to Karina after her, like, LSAT test. I'm like, how do you know about the LSAT test. And I realized that I said it somewhere.

[Eddie Huang]

I'm like, you're on everybody's tick tock every day. I remember having lunch with you at the Greek taverna.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

On University. Incredible. We order from there all the time.

[Zoe Saldana]

Oh.

[Eddie Huang]

And you were like, yo, like, I'm doing the pod. I'm gonna build the parasocial relationship. I'm like, you already got it. And you're like, no, I don't. And then two girls just stopped. You was like, oh, my God. Oh, my God, I need the photo. And then I was fucking around. I was like, I'll take the photo for you. I will take. I took the photo for them.

[Kareem Rama]

I don't. I don't know. I mean, this guy actually is the one that put this idea in my head. His name is David Cho. Do you know David Cho? Do you know David Cho?

[Eddie Huang]

I know, like, 70. There's like 75.

[Zoe Saldana]

Never heard of the name.

[Kareem Rama]

David Cho's just. I don't even know what he does. He's just a guy that everyone keeps referencing, but he's like a homies, like, around. But I don't know what he does for. I don't really know what he does for a living.

[Eddie Huang]

Wait, is it Dave show the painter?

[Kareem Rama]

No, no, no.

[Zoe Saldana]

Oh. I was like, you're different.

[Eddie Huang]

That's our day.

[Kareem Rama]

No, but there's another one. It's kind of like.

[Eddie Huang]

No, there's like 75 million. Dave chose in.

[Zoe Saldana]

Like, you were being funny. I thought you're being, like, facetious. Like, I don't know him.

[Kareem Rama]

No, there's another David show that's kind of around in New York and is, like, loosely involved in media.

[Zoe Saldana]

Okay.

[Kareem Rama]

But, like, maybe not. Like, he's like the guy that works with.

[Eddie Huang]

The guy that works with. It's. Oh, yes. That Dave Cho. They used to work at Grantland. Yes.

[Kareem Rama]

And he's kind of started the Wirecutter. I think he's just, like, friends with, like, a lot of people in media.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

But we went out to lunch once, and he was like, you got to do the parasocial relationship.

[Eddie Huang]

He has, like, a very small dog. I think that's.

[Kareem Rama]

I've never seen.

[Eddie Huang]

I remember had a very small dog.

[Kareem Rama]

I've never seen.

[Eddie Huang]

Because I was like, you're a very tall Asian man with very small dog.

[Kareem Rama]

He's a tall Asian.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, that's him. He had a very small dog.

[Kareem Rama]

I didn't see the small dog.

[Eddie Huang]

Ask him about his very small dog.

[Kareem Rama]

I will ask him. I'll ask him Right about right after this.

[Eddie Huang]

That's. Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Now come to think of it, I think he does have small dog.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. Because my mind usually goes to Dave Cho. The painter.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

The degenerate painter.

[Kareem Rama]

My.

[Eddie Huang]

My man's cancel Dave. And then this is just Dave with the small dog.

[Kareem Rama]

This is clean Dave.

[Eddie Huang]

Un canceled. This is un.

[Zoe Saldana]

No allegations as of yet.

[Kareem Rama]

As of yet.

[Eddie Huang]

As of yet.

[Kareem Rama]

As of yet.

[Eddie Huang]

That dog. Sorry.

[Zoe Saldana]

Sorry, Dave.

[Kareem Rama]

Joe, look, we don't need to get into allegations on the show.

[Zoe Saldana]

No, no, no, that's not our.

[Kareem Rama]

No allegations.

[Zoe Saldana]

We're not into allegations.

[Eddie Huang]

Take this whole inappropriately touch that dog in Tompkins Square Park.

[Kareem Rama]

He. He humping another dog, put it on the Internet, no consent. Fucked up.

[Eddie Huang]

So he just gave you unsolicited advice to develop a parasocial relationship?

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah, he was just like, the parasocial relationship's important. And I felt like as a 38 year old adult man with a kid and a wife and all that stuff, it's hard to do it in the way that young people do it, which is to constantly be on the phone being like, I'm doing this podcast today. I'm going to the flower shop. I'm doing this. I'm going to this coffee place, I'm having dinner at this place. Oh, look at me, I'm hanging out with my friends and blah, blah, blah. Like that's how they do it.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Is you're constantly on stories, overexposure, like posting dumps and blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, that's not me.

[Eddie Huang]

It's not you. Because I always thought, like, since the top of the year, because I love talking to you about your career, like, this is just like an interest of mine is your career. But I look at it and I was like, oh, the parasocial strategy, that was interesting. I was like, that came out of left field because the way I've seen you and your career is that like everyone has always been like, who's the next great late night host? Who's the next great interviewer? And I would say the three people that are doing interview and kind of late night television in an interesting way are you Sean Evans and John Mulaney. Right. All three of you are breaking form. You're doing it in a different way. But the content that you're giving us is late night television. Right. It's that type of interview for sure. And with the late night guy, it's like you don't. You don't necessarily want the parasocial. You kind of need them to be like, nameless, faceless, but extremely clever.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

Have a sense of what to ask that the audience wants to ask your conduit.

[Kareem Rama]

Right.

[Eddie Huang]

I think you've, like, mastered that.

[Kareem Rama]

Thank you. I appreciate that. It's taken many years.

[Eddie Huang]

You're the people's champ, late night show.

[Kareem Rama]

I appreciate that. I mean that when you came on Subway Takes Live, that was so fun.

[Eddie Huang]

It was fun. It was. No, I had a great time. I just. You know what happened is because she let me out that night, everyone's like, what are you going to do? And I remember I went on stage and talked about her putting a finger up my ass.

[Kareem Rama]

Oh, yeah, you did.

[Eddie Huang]

That's your.

[Zoe Saldana]

We were beefing that day. I like, I'm so sorry. I was going to go and then I was like, you. I'm not going.

[Kareem Rama]

Oh, well, that's why.

[Eddie Huang]

That's why I went like.

[Zoe Saldana]

I was just like.

[Eddie Huang]

I got in trouble that day. I can't remember what I got in trouble for. And she's going to remember.

[Zoe Saldana]

I don't know. I think I was just hormonal or something.

[Kareem Rama]

Like.

[Zoe Saldana]

There was really nothing you did.

[Kareem Rama]

I was just talked about you figuring his butthole for. For.

[Zoe Saldana]

At least you're fingering my butthole. It was more than I was fingering yours.

[Kareem Rama]

No, because it was crazy because you were. You were just cooked on stage. Just fully baked.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

And then just for like 15 minutes.

[Zoe Saldana]

But it works.

[Eddie Huang]

Demonstrated. I demonstrated.

[Kareem Rama]

It was really funny, but it was completely out of left field.

[Zoe Saldana]

Oh, my God.

[Kareem Rama]

I don't remember. You said booty holes.

[Zoe Saldana]

How did you get.

[Kareem Rama]

I do remember that.

[Zoe Saldana]

How did you get onto booty hole?

[Kareem Rama]

I don't remember how we got there.

[Eddie Huang]

Yo. I don't. Somebody.

[Zoe Saldana]

That's like a weird question.

[Eddie Huang]

What was the video? Because it went from the Italian question. Then what was the second video? Oh, yeah.

[Zoe Saldana]

The question was, wasn't it if Italians are black?

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Zoe Saldana]

Oh, I'm half Italian. Do you think I'm half black?

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

Gingers are black.

[Zoe Saldana]

Gingers are black.

[Kareem Rama]

Gingers are black. All Irish people black.

[Eddie Huang]

Gingers are black.

[Kareem Rama]

Gingers are black.

[Eddie Huang]

I'm still waiting for the Chinese to be black.

[Kareem Rama]

They were already black.

[Zoe Saldana]

There's some. I think there is.

[Kareem Rama]

I think there's some Chinese people already went through the black phase. Now they're out. Now they're just Chinese.

[Eddie Huang]

My mom did have a full afro, and that's the best. Anytime that picture goes up, people are just like, yo, yeah, we need the 23 and me on Eddie's mom right now.

[Zoe Saldana]

I think you have the.

[Kareem Rama]

Have you done 23 of me? Either of you?

[Eddie Huang]

Mine is the most boring. It's like 99.9% Chinese from southeastern China.

[Kareem Rama]

No, that's tight. I like the single origin. You're like a delicious coffee. Single origin. Once one region. Yeah, that's it. That's amazing. And. And you got half Italian, half Greek.

[Zoe Saldana]

I haven't done it yet.

[Kareem Rama]

Oh.

[Zoe Saldana]

But I don't know, I feel like it'll probably be like Greek people have like Turkish and all of like the other things.

[Kareem Rama]

And then I had a 20% Ethiopian, which I thought was a lot.

[Eddie Huang]

Oh, I would have guessed a lot of Egyptian.

[Kareem Rama]

I know, but. But I think 20%, like, I could see like 9%. Eight, seven out of highly 20 Ethiopian maybe means that like my great grandpa or something.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah, like somebody like kind of close nose, jaw.

[Eddie Huang]

Who knows? Jaw, Jaw rule.

[Kareem Rama]

I was like, nose job.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah. I was like, that's more my lane.

[Kareem Rama]

Yes. Somebody somewhere suit like shortly was. Was Ethiopian. Which is weird because I always grew up thinking that I was like pharaonic, if that's a word. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

100 Egyptian.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah. I thought I was like a lineage from the pharaohs.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

I guess I'm African.

[Eddie Huang]

Yo, Egypt, do you cook Egyptian food? Are you, like, familiar chef?

[Kareem Rama]

But I do eat.

[Eddie Huang]

You eat Egyptian. You know what? You know it well.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah, yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

How would you. For an. For an audience, how would you, like, explain the tenants, the pillars of Egyptian food?

[Kareem Rama]

It is kind of like. I mean, it's very rice driven, like many foods from that region. Not a lot of cheese, unless you're just eating with like bread and pita. But to me, it feels like Mediterranean meets like, like some sort of like West African kind of.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

You know what I mean?

[Eddie Huang]

North African.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah, yeah. This West African Mediterranean mix where you're going to get like chunks of lamb in a stew with like rice and then a bunch of like spices on. But you also might get like a grilled branzino style fish, but with its own Mediterranean flavors that are not Greek flavors or Italian flavors. So, yeah, it's like a weird mix because it is in a weird spot. It's not like turkey, which is like half literally in Europe and half literally in Asia, but it is a weird, like Egypt is in. In Africa, but it's also Mediterranean, but it's very close to like the Arab Gulf peninsula. Like, it's in a weird, interesting spot.

[Zoe Saldana]

Kind of my favorite flavor profile.

[Kareem Rama]

Egyptian food.

[Zoe Saldana]

Well, I love Egyptian food in that zone because it is. I love Mediterranean food. I Grew up with it. But it's like almost like if Mediterranean food was just better, like, just turned up a notch. There's like a little bit more of a spice profile, which I personally like, and I think the. The flavor is intensified, which is what you're saying, because it's like a lot of stew, like lamb stews, things like that. Like Moroccan food. I love Egyptian food. I love. You do, too.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. I feel like it's. It's like the graph of Middle Eastern Arabic food. If Lebanese is like the bottom left corner, the most neutral, the cleanest. If you drive north to, like, Iran, Persia, it's, like more stewy, you know, and heartier. I think slightly more like winterish food. But then if you drive all the way east to Egypt, like, that's the L to me, where you get, like, more spices.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

And it's. It's kind of more summery. Yeah, I would say it's more summery.

[Kareem Rama]

I think so, too.

[Eddie Huang]

A little spicier. And I really love some of the, like, the Egyptian innovations with Middle Eastern flavor. Like the pizza, you know, they call it pizza, but it's really like laffer with the meat and the pine nuts inside, and then seared like that. Egyptian pizza is, like, out of control.

[Kareem Rama]

I think it's because Egypt is like the. I mean, they call it mildunia, which means the mother of the world. So I bet so much stuff was pushed through there, like. Like. Like during, like the trading days or whatever. Like. Yeah, I got everything there, so I think they just ended up mixing so much stuff.

[Eddie Huang]

No, absolutely.

[Kareem Rama]

Whereas all the other places kind of are their own little zones, But Egypt is like the place where everyone met. What is it called? The Spice Road. Silk Road.

[Zoe Saldana]

Silk Road, yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

But even in the days of Alexander, like, Egypt just had all of the produce. It had everything. It had all the wealth, all the riches. Like, so I think Egyptian cuisine is one of the most slept on. Cu.

[Kareem Rama]

I agree.

[Eddie Huang]

I had never had Egyptian cuisine until, like, my late 20s, and it just. It completely blew my mind. And it was one of the reasons I was, like, excited to have, you know, like, we got to talk some. What. What are you think. What would you say are, like, some of the, like, seminal dishes in Egyptian cuisine?

[Kareem Rama]

Like, the real OG shits are, like, which is this green, slimy plant that they turn into, like, a soup, and you pour it on your rice, but the consistency of it is. It's, like, gelatinous. A little bit. Like, it's weird. It's a weird.

[Eddie Huang]

Asians, like, Gelatinous. America's not so much.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah. That's why I think it's never caught on here. So it's strangely gelatinous, but it's. And it's also green. It's also fucking ugly. It's just like a weird. And I don't know what the American, like, plant is called. It's just called Malachi, from what I know. But they put on the. Like. If you go to, like, a hood restaurant in Egypt, like, they'll put on, like, a Molochaya show. Almost like when somebody brings out bottle service with the sparklers, but it'll be like a guy with, like, two pans being like. It's like a rainbow.

[Zoe Saldana]

Oh, wow, that's really cool.

[Kareem Rama]

And they'll do a little dance.

[Eddie Huang]

I have a noodle dance at Mr. Chow.

[Kareem Rama]

I have a really good dance. You gotta do a really good video. I'll send it to you. But it's like a guy going like this, and they're all singing, and it's like. It's sick. And then I also think kushari, which is the OG kind of street food of Egypt, which is literally lentils, rice, noodle, macaroni noodles, fried onions, tomato sauce, but, like, the ghetto kind. Like tomato paste. Not even sauce. Not marinara. It's like the paste. It's pretty much leftovers.

[Eddie Huang]

This is an incredible dish.

[Kareem Rama]

It's the best.

[Eddie Huang]

This is an incredible. It's like the Egyptian stoner dish and looks humble. I've had it out of control.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

Very similar to the feeling when your mom makes the green bean and tomato thing.

[Zoe Saldana]

The stew.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. What's that called?

[Zoe Saldana]

Oh, my God. I'm, like, blanking on it.

[Eddie Huang]

Oh, bad Greek.

[Zoe Saldana]

Naughty Greek. Sorry.

[Eddie Huang]

Okay, what's another one? What's another one?

[Kareem Rama]

And then Hawawshi, which is, like, this. The thing that I recently got into because when we were growing up, my mom never made hawawshi. But it's essentially. It's like a panini. It's like an Egyptian panini. And that place called Zuba. Do you know Zuba? Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

They closed. It was on the corner, like, by Cleveland place.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah. But they brought Hawaii to New York, and that's at least the cool zone.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

It's more like a panini, though. You know, it's like. It's like a. It's. It's a. There are a couple of different kinds, but, like, the most classic one is, like, ground beef pita bread lathered and soaked in fucking butter and then just pressed and it's very simple. But I think one of my favorite things is, like, the spices. I don't even know the spices. I think they use a lot of cumin. A lot of. I think a lot of it is proprietary.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, it is. Everybody has their own little mix.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

But, like, is there a good Egyptian restaurant? Because I got excited when they opened, and I went probably the first month they opened, and then when I came back to New York, they were closed, because I think they opened right, like, 2019, right before the pandemic, maybe. Are there any other good Egyptian restaurants in New York?

[Kareem Rama]

In Queens, where most find foods are the good food. There's, like, one really og place that I love called Abu Kir, and it is very Egyptian Mediterranean style, but, like, not a fusion. It's like the. It's Alexandria. It's an Alexandria restaurant. So it's all fresh seafood, it's all fish, and it's really good. And they don't have a menu.

[Eddie Huang]

I've seen this on Instagram.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

The Egyptian fish market, they go. There's a line outside all the time.

[Kareem Rama]

But it is blew up because of Tik Tok.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

You know what I mean? Like, it wasn't. It wasn't a thing. I mean, I. I've been going there for five years.

[Eddie Huang]

I want to go, though. That looks incredible.

[Kareem Rama]

So good. And then right up the road is this other place called Hamido, which is, I think used to be one of the guys that worked at Abu Kir, started his own thing, but that one is more a wide variety of Egyptian foods and dishes, not just, like, the Alexandria zone. Not just fish.

[Eddie Huang]

I kind of want to do that.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah. I think you should go.

[Zoe Saldana]

I like a hardier sometime.

[Kareem Rama]

I just went there actually recently with Rami, and we hit us.

[Eddie Huang]

Next time you go.

[Kareem Rama]

We really had a feast. It was great. Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

No Egyptian food. Straight up. One of the most slept on cuisines. Like, it's gonna be whack when New York magazine writes about, like, the Egyptian restaurant that opens in the West Village in three years. But, like, that's when you know your cuisine is cooked for the next five years. But right now, like, Egyptian cuisine still very undiscovered.

[Kareem Rama]

That's how, you know, Egyptians are still black. We. We don't have a Mr. Job. We don't. We don't have a fancy. No one goes, oh, you know, a lot of white people are like, oh, I want fancy Chinese tonight.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Which is good. Fancy Chinese is good. All Chinese is good. But there. There hasn't been a fancy Egyptian that's true.

[Eddie Huang]

Do you see yourself opening a Mr. Ramas?

[Zoe Saldana]

You could be the fancy Egyptian.

[Eddie Huang]

Get some glasses from Moscow.

[Kareem Rama]

You know, Mr. Rama, I think kushery is poised to be the dish, like, and that's this kind of the slop meal of the leftovers. The macaroni, the lentils.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

I mean, it's the opposite of what people are eating right now, which is why, I think, because it's all carbs. There's literally not a single vegetable in it. It's all carbs. But I think that that, like some sort of chipotle model.

[Zoe Saldana]

Oh, my God. You like kava it?

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah, but then it's kind of a.

[Eddie Huang]

Whack and it's terrible. It's.

[Zoe Saldana]

But then you're like. And you're like, yeah, I'll put the carbs on the carbs. On the carbs. On the carbs? Yeah, on the carbs.

[Kareem Rama]

But you could white it up a little bit, like add pickles or something.

[Eddie Huang]

So we talk about the timeline of cuisine, right? This is fun. So at first, every good cuisine, it starts in Queens. It's done authentically, just like it is at home or your mom's house. That's the best version of it. Then somebody from your community who is an incredible person, you know, maybe somebody. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Capitalist. Maybe somebody like myself. Shy's burger, the Egyptian shy burger. They pop it up at time again, and it's still very, very good, but for a new audience. Then that person gets the brick and mortar. Still very, very good hits. And then from there, the copycats in the West Village, then. Then you're completely.

[Kareem Rama]

And I think that there is. Yeah, very. I mean, I think this step, the one that the enterprising young man or woman does, that's the person that takes it out the hood.

[Eddie Huang]

Yes.

[Kareem Rama]

They're like, we're getting out.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

And I'm gonna be the one that takes us out. Me and my kusher.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, yeah. Whether it's the bauhaus guy, the shein famous foods guy, the Scheisberger guy. You like we said usually the sun.

[Kareem Rama]

I guess it's the son.

[Zoe Saldana]

It's usually the.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. Once the person. Yeah, the son that went to NYU touches it, they. They maybe do one good one, and then they're like, white friend from NYU copies it, and then it's done. It's done. It's over.

[Kareem Rama]

But I. I think, man, I do think that the kushery, maybe it doesn't. Maybe I should do a pop up.

[Eddie Huang]

You should.

[Kareem Rama]

Maybe it should. Because maybe on the menu, it's just. That's it.

[Zoe Saldana]

Just that. Just come try this dish that you probably never had.

[Kareem Rama]

Because, I don't know, I guess hamburgers are just hamburgers.

[Eddie Huang]

You'll pop it up at the next gazebo, bro.

[Kareem Rama]

Yes.

[Zoe Saldana]

Summer kushery.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah, I'll have to figure out how to make it.

[Eddie Huang]

No, you show me the most important part.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah, just fire your mom out.

[Kareem Rama]

My mom makes the best one. Yeah, but, yeah, maybe. Or maybe it's a truck. Put the truck somewhere.

[Eddie Huang]

Truck is such a pain in the ass, man. Then you gotta, like, fight with the Department of Transportation.

[Kareem Rama]

Right. Unless I put the truck in my house.

[Eddie Huang]

Oh.

[Kareem Rama]

Oh.

[Eddie Huang]

He got a parasocial relationship and a very big brain.

[Kareem Rama]

Wait, also, there's, you know, there's those, like, empty lots with buildings, like where buildings are supposed to go every once in a while in the Lower east side. You'll see just like a place where there's supposed to be a building.

[Eddie Huang]

Yes.

[Kareem Rama]

I'm like, why doesn't someone rent that out and make it, like, a little vibe? Vibe.

[Zoe Saldana]

We have one by our house where they're showing movies.

[Kareem Rama]

See that?

[Zoe Saldana]

It's an empty glass.

[Kareem Rama]

Put the truck there.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Then you don't.

[Zoe Saldana]

So you should put your truck there because they're, like, showing movies.

[Kareem Rama]

And I mean, that's what that guy from. That's what that guy. The lot radio.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

Oh, yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Like a thing in the center of the street.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Where there probably should have been a building. And he was. Can I just borrow.

[Zoe Saldana]

That was the cool part about LA is, like, people just like. There was a guy, I think it was in Silver Lake. I forget the name of his. Now he has a brick and mortar pizza shop. It was the same thing, just the guy, he was, like, making pizzas out of the bed of his truck. He, like, put the little oven in there, and it was just like, in a liquor store parking lot.

[Kareem Rama]

That's.

[Zoe Saldana]

And it was good fucking pizza.

[Kareem Rama]

I was like, oven in the truck.

[Zoe Saldana]

He had a pizza oven in the bed of his truck. And then they had, like, a little tent where you could go and just be like, okay, like, this is where I'm paying. And, like, getting a Coca Cola. And then I think they shut him down eventually. It was like. It was like mid pandemic. And then I think he shut down. And I think, do you know who I'm talking about?

[Eddie Huang]

No.

[Zoe Saldana]

Okay, well, whatever. It was really good. And I think now he has his own real, like, brick and mortar pizza truck.

[Eddie Huang]

No, it would happen a lot. Like. Like, the tire shop, tacos and things like that. And then there was a. A guy making sandwiches under the bridge by the reservoir in Silver Lake, too. It's cool stuff.

[Kareem Rama]

Those people are the heroes. Because I. I, like, started thinking about. I'm like, am I really going to stand outside for eight hours and make food?

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. From feed the meter. Where were some of the best spots that cab drivers took you to eat?

[Kareem Rama]

There's a bunch, but Dera is this Pakistani place. Queens, of course. And it was really unexpected because it was huge. Just like a food hall, but it's all Pakistani people eating there. There's no tourists. And it was so good. Like, I've never really had Pakistani food like that, you know, like. Whereas, like, truly Pakistani, it's not like, there's just no. There's no. What is the word? Compromise.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

It's unapologetically, like, Pakistani. So that place was fire then. The. The biggest thing for me was the. The, like, West African food. Fufu. Do you know Fufu?

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Fufu's fire. But I forgot the place. There's. There's one place that loved. Which was in the Bronx, actually, which is. Was one, which was a sleeper hit when it came to the restaurants. Like, I was. They were always taking me to the Bronx.

[Eddie Huang]

Did you get any good Jolof rice? Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah. I got to look at my map.

[Zoe Saldana]

Okay.

[Kareem Rama]

And figure out where those places were. Exactly. Because I know the name. I could look right now. You guys talk.

[Eddie Huang]

Take a look. Take a look.

[Zoe Saldana]

I feel like I'm on.

[Kareem Rama]

You guys talk about something right now.

[Zoe Saldana]

On the eternal hunt for jollifra.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

Okay. I. I'll have it right here for.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. Caduce. My boy Caduce swears Sierra Leone got the best Jollof rice. That's. That's his choice.

[Zoe Saldana]

Caduce took us somewhere in D.C. right. And it was really good.

[Eddie Huang]

That was really good. It was a Sierra Leone place. It was that he took us to. That was his homie spot. But, like, I would. I would. Pakistani food. It was interesting. The first two Pakistani restaurants I ever went to were both named Lahore, and they were both phenomenal.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

One was the Lahore down here in Soho. Procel took me there. A lot of cab drivers ate there. And then the Lahore in London is just out of control.

[Kareem Rama]

I've never been there. I don't even know if that is.

[Eddie Huang]

Huge restaurant, late night. Everybody goes after partying or after just drinking at a bar. Excellent, excellent. Grilled meat, like lamb chops, things like that.

[Kareem Rama]

What is your favorite kind of food?

[Eddie Huang]

My favorite well, my favorite kind of food. I mean, I'm very partial to Taiwanese food, obviously. But then like, I, I'm a big fan of Caribbean food. I really like Jamaican food. I really like a good Dominican por. Puerto Rican diner. I would, I'm very into Greek food and Persian food and I would say, you know, her family's not going to like me saying this, but Turkish, AKA like greater Greece. I really like their food.

[Kareem Rama]

So you're an all foods matter kind of guy.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, yeah. But I didn't pick European, you know.

[Zoe Saldana]

Oh.

[Eddie Huang]

I'm into Spanish food too. I really do like Spanish food.

[Kareem Rama]

Okay, I gotta, I'm gonna have to. My bad.

[Eddie Huang]

I answer with like 7.

[Zoe Saldana]

I don't think like you like all, but I'm thinking this when you're answering that question.

[Kareem Rama]

Guys, I'm gonna have to share this later.

[Eddie Huang]

Share later. Sure, later.

[Zoe Saldana]

You can.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, I think right now I'm very, very into Mediterranean and Spanish food. But traditionally I've always been Taiwanese, Korean, Caribbean. Like, those are, those are my.

[Kareem Rama]

You know, the Taiwanese, they had the come up with Windson. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

I taught, I taught them how to make their rice balls.

[Kareem Rama]

And that's. But that was the come up for China, for, for Tai.

[Eddie Huang]

The end. That was. I'm gonna keep it real. That was the end. That was end. That's. That's the Asian dude with the white friend that opened the restaurant.

[Kareem Rama]

That was the guy that was like, I'm gonna exploit this.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No, fully exploited. But that's just. Yeah. It's like shout out, shout out whatever they're doing.

[Kareem Rama]

And who cooks in, in this household?

[Eddie Huang]

She cooks more.

[Kareem Rama]

Okay.

[Eddie Huang]

She cooks more. I'm on the baby food diet to lose weight.

[Zoe Saldana]

He is obviously like the better cook, but I just cook more by default now because of our son. Yeah. So it's really like when everyone wants to eat. Like when I cook, no one's really eating it. Like, even our son is like, cool.

[Kareem Rama]

Just for sustenance.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah. Everyone's like, I guess we'll just like have to survive. But when he comes through and he's like, I'm making a dish, like, everyone's actually enjoying themselves and having the best night.

[Kareem Rama]

See, I've been wanting to do that because of the baby. Okay. Like, I kind of want to be the chef. Chef.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. Because can. Are you. You got you chef.

[Kareem Rama]

No. Oh, but I would learn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you learn through doing.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

But I was thinking, like, because my wife is really good at making like salmon and, and like Healthy bowls and.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

You know, like Martha Stewart Living.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah. But she's not doing, like, tonight, I'm making green curry with shrimp.

[Eddie Huang]

She's not putting her foot in the pot.

[Zoe Saldana]

Right.

[Kareem Rama]

That's what I was thinking I would do.

[Eddie Huang]

You don't do that, bro.

[Kareem Rama]

I'm gonna make a. Like, I'm gonna make, like. Yeah, I'm gonna make Joel off.

[Eddie Huang]

Put your foot in the pot, bro. Yeah.

[Zoe Saldana]

It's so hot when, like, he does that.

[Kareem Rama]

That's what I mean.

[Zoe Saldana]

Because I'm just like, oh, fuck.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Zoe Saldana]

Like, one last thing I have to do today, and it's actually good. Like, I'm making stoner food.

[Kareem Rama]

See, that's.

[Eddie Huang]

I'm making.

[Zoe Saldana]

Casey.

[Kareem Rama]

I want to make. I want to make, like, my kid, like some pad Thai.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah, I know that's.

[Eddie Huang]

But my food will put you in a conundrum because it. You'll be incapacitated on the couch, but then horny, you know? So. Yeah, it's. What are you gonna do?

[Kareem Rama]

That's. That calls for saving it for the morning.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Zoe Saldana]

Or the evening.

[Eddie Huang]

I'm a big saving for the morning person. Because, you know, if you're. If you're comatosed on the couch, incapacitated, you don't want to, like, fart in the middle of a good session.

[Kareem Rama]

No, no.

[Eddie Huang]

Like, I don't. I don't want to rip.

[Kareem Rama]

Your balls will remain full until the morning.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, I wait till the morning and then do the morning. I'm a morning guy.

[Kareem Rama]

I'm a morning guy, too.

[Zoe Saldana]

Yeah.

[Kareem Rama]

I mean, I just get so tired by the end of the day.

[Zoe Saldana]

Well, you know, I'm like. I'm into, like. I think since we've had our kid, like, a middle of the night thing, we're, like, we're awake because, like, someone had to go get the baby. And then we're awake now. So I don't know, like, maybe a nice little treat before we go back to sleep.

[Kareem Rama]

A little midnight snack.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah.

[Zoe Saldana]

And then the morning is nice, but morning kind of stops when you have a kid because our kid wakes up so early, so it's hard.

[Kareem Rama]

I'm like, but the nanny comes.

[Zoe Saldana]

But, like, I'm a. Once I'm out of bed, I'm out of bed. I'm not getting back in that thing. We're making the bed. I'm not getting back in there.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah, it is hot because she'll put the baby down, get back into bed. I'll be, like, kind of hard because she rubbed against me, you know, just Grazed me. I'm like, hard.

[Zoe Saldana]

It's kind of like the best because it's unexpected.

[Eddie Huang]

I put the baby down.

[Zoe Saldana]

Then there's nothing worse to me in life than expected.

[Kareem Rama]

Good life. Yeah.

[Eddie Huang]

Expected sex is like.

[Zoe Saldana]

It's like your anniversary and you go out to dinner and then you have sex. I'm like, ew.

[Eddie Huang]

Well, that's expected sex.

[Kareem Rama]

I don't know how you guys conceived of your child.

[Eddie Huang]

If you have expected sex, it's got to be like, in a bathroom.

[Kareem Rama]

Well, did you guys do the we're trying or did you just. You just.

[Eddie Huang]

No, I just, like, watch. You're pregnant.

[Kareem Rama]

That's what I.

[Eddie Huang]

You're pregnant. You're pregnant. You know, we were never.

[Zoe Saldana]

We were never trying.

[Kareem Rama]

Sometimes when people are like, we're trying, or like, we just started trying, I'm like, oh, so you're doing the.

[Zoe Saldana]

And then the ovulator.

[Kareem Rama]

You're doing the thing. You're doing the, oh, we have to have sex tonight. And I'm kind of, like, odd. I think that's a. Kind of like a. Like maybe six to nine months. In you go, we're trying. But I think before that, I think you just nut as many times.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. And also, even if you are trying or whatever, you gotta not make it seem like you're. You can't even. I. I don't even say we're trying. I just start shooting the club.

[Zoe Saldana]

I think that there's different levels. Like, just like, I. For sure I empathize because they're right. If it's hard to get pregnant, sometimes you're doing ivf, you're doing the, like, ovulating thing. And I get that's like, you have a plan and you need to execute on that plan. And I get that. But for. For fun sex, when it's not in that realm, expected is, like, weird.

[Kareem Rama]

Yeah.

[Zoe Saldana]

I don't wanna. Unexpected is the way to go. And I think he. I don't know. I feel like it's bad to say this, but I do think, like, the unexpected sex, like, when it's real, that's how you get pregnant.

[Eddie Huang]

Yeah. I think. I think people need to be nutting for pregnancy to happen. Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now, and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn Ads, go to Libsynads. Com. That's L I B S Y N ads.com today.