Food is its own language. It creates the opportunity for connection, creative expression, celebration and understanding. For Mike Truong, ’17, it inspired a new wave of content creation — and a once-in-a-lifetime award.
Truong became intrigued with cooking at a young age. When he was just 9, he decided he was tired of eating the same meals every week and opted to cook for himself. His first creation, a white fish with Fruity Pebbles cereal on top, didn’t turn out as planned. But it sparked an interest in expressing creativity through food and embracing failures when they happen.
Truong’s love for cooking continued through his college years at Oregon State. A double major in computer science and pre-med, he worked for Levy, a restaurant and hospitality company, preparing food for Oregon State athletes. Immersed in the culinary world, he was inspired to challenge the idea of food — and how to present it in a unique, visual way.
Truong connected with Shinji Kawai, a faculty research assistant in the College of Agricultural Sciences, to learn more about using vegetable breeding to create a particular culinary taste. He studied under Kawai and other faculty members and worked at high-end restaurants across the country during his summer breaks. While he wanted to shift to food exploration full-time, his parents requested he finish his degrees.
“I was stuck in life not wanting to disappoint tradition and family but also wanting to pursue what made me personally happy,” Truong says.
So he found a way. He continued his studies while documenting his cooking experiences through digital mediums like Instagram. He photographed each of his dishes, showing how he built them with ingredients from the Corvallis Farmers Market. All the while, he absorbed as much video content as he could from YouTube creators like JKFILMS and Wong Fu Productions.
“Seeing other Asian Americans like me on a screen made me want to do the same,” he says.
Truong’s passion for authentic, homemade dishes and desire to share untold stories culminated in one single idea: the All the Homies Network. Created by Truong in collaboration with friends who share his love of food, this YouTube channel features videos of the meals they create together and the meaning behind them. Each gives a glimpse into life as a food creator. The homies are all owners of Portland-area businesses, including Portland Cà Phê, Hey Day, Matta, Baon Kainan, Salvie Donuts and Deadstock Coffee. All the Homies videos are broken into different segments, including recipe sharing, restaurant events and more.
In one segment, Richard Le of Matta and Ian Williams of Deadstock Coffee cook meals while camping in the Oregon outdoors, working to decrease the fear and misunderstanding underrepresented communities face in these areas — encouraging them to get out and explore.
Truong says these stories represent each of the homies’ authentic selves. While food is a key component of their storytelling, it is just the starting point.
“Sometimes humanity can be very difficult to understand, but a good meal shared makes it a lot easier,” he says. “I’m inspired about sharing other people’s stories, specifically the difficult ones because it shows the truth in being human.”
Truong found his calling — in the place he had always wanted to be. And the road that led him there continued to Chicago, where the All the Homies Network earned a coveted James Beard Award.
The James Beard Foundation — a nonprofit organization that celebrates people in the world of food and culinary arts — presents awards each year to groups and businesses that exemplify exceptional work and a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the culinary arts, hospitality, media and broader food system.
The homies’ video submission featured a restaurant takeover by Matta, owned by Richard and Sophia Le. At Portland’s Whiskey Library, they prepared and shared authentic Vietnamese-American dishes that paid homage to Richard’s aunt, grandmother and late mother, Teresa Le. These included her favorite snack — rice dumplings — and a crab and tomato salad based on the soup she loved. It was so well received that it beat all the competition, including entries from Bon Appetit and Top Chef Bravo.
“For me, winning a James Beard Award gives hope, not just to people who grew up in similar circumstances as me but to anyone who believes that these goals are unattainable,” Truong says. “Moments like these are only unattainable if you don’t try.”
Moving forward, Truong says the homies plan to continue creating genuine, relevant content and may even branch out to include more lifestyle pieces, including a magazine that’s in the works.
Like the content creators who inspired him, Truong is now doing the same — showing others that any path is possible.
Learn more about the All the Homies Network at allthehomiesnetwork.com or on YouTube and Instagram @allthehomiesnetwork.