User:Sparkykarmykl/Bun Lai

Bun Lai (born in 1970) is an Asian American chef, environmentalist, social activist and media personality. He is the owner of Miya's Sushi, the North East's first and only sustainable sushi restaurant.

Personal life
He was born in Hong Kong, the son of Yoshiko Lai, a Japanese nutritionist and restauranteur, and Dr. Yin Lok Lai, a Chinese surgeon and Cambridge University educated professor. He majored in International Relations at Ursinus College, where he wrestled. In 2008, he cornered Sally Roberts to the finals of the National tournament and the Olympic trials. He has coached numerous state and New England Champions as the head coach of Hamden Hall Wrestling. Bun has delivered food for Meals on Wheels and has, also, cooked and served in soup kitchens. He has, also, worked for the Leap and numerous nonprofit children and family programs.

Professional life
During college, Bun was demoted from a waiter to a dishwasher in a Chinese Restaurant for refusing to reuse old rice. After leaving college, Bun went to work at his mother's restaurant, Miya's. He washed dishes and was a waiter for the first four years. At night, after the kitchen staff would go home, he would practice making sushi using cook books.

"My passion is people and food is what I use to delve into ideas about them: In every recipe of mine, cultures harmonize in ways that the people of the world have not yet figured out how to accomplish."

"I see my cuisine, not as fusion, but a natural progression; as the future of what sushi will evolve into as we become more appreciative of human differences and more aware of the need for ecologically sensitive eating."

Awards
Best Of New England - Editor's Selection - Yankee Magazine 2009

Best Of New England - Tourist Guide - Boston Magazine 2009

Best Sushi Statewide - Connecticut Magazine - 2009

Best Sushi - New Haven County - Connecticut Magazine - 2009

Best Overall Restaurant, Best Sushi, and Best Japanese Restaurant - The Advocate Reader's Poll - New Haven Advocate -26 time winner, 1983-2009

www.miyassushi.com

on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=81993202665&ref=ts

Dining; A Year of Standouts Worth the Trip http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9D07E5D61039F93AA35752C0A9639C8B63&fta=y

Backstage: Bun Sui Lai http://www.yaledailynews.com/scene/interview/2009/04/17/backstage-bun-sui-lai/

It's not just pizza anymore: http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/issues/2009_05/nh_food.html

Having Fun With Bun http://miyassushi.com/ctmag.pdf