He finally traded in his suits for T-shirts and aprons. The story of Spicy Joi’s Lao street food continues... Welcome friends, family, and future friends, family! I personally welcome you to my page dedicated purely towards my passion for FOOD. Not just food, but everything about it. Eating, cooking, sharing, growing, hunting, discovering, culture, and most of all....CREATING! This page is my way of sharing Lao food with anyone who gives me the pleasure to do so. With that said, THANK YOU for being a part of my food world!!! My name is Joi Simmaly. I came to the United States from the war torn country of Laos 34 years ago at the age of four. Along with nine other members of my family which included, my parents, five older brothers, one older sister aka “my hero”, and one younger brother. Coming from a large family, I had many great experiences while growing up here. By far, some of the most memorable moments that I still hold dearly are centered on food. Lunch and dinner in my family was like herding happy sheep to the barn, and some of us even ran! I remember that almost every meal was complete in its presentation, encompassing rice (starch), meat (protein), soup, vegetables, and of course…a spicy dipping sauce! I have always been at awe when it came to my mother’s cooking. I was always the son who hung around my mother in the kitchen like a fly, always observing, helping, and sneaking bites when she wasn’t looking. Until this day, I’m usually the “designated taster” for her, especially now that she thinks her taste buds aren’t as keen as they use to be (due to her age). As a child at the age of about six, I remember fishing trips with my dad. On those trips, we would pack fresh picnic-like Lao food with us which usually included a pickled mustard greens dish (called som pak) in hopes to accompany our fresh catch of the day. This is how I learned to marry certain dishes together. This is also the time I can recall digging my own version of a natural fish broiler from the sandy ground along the riverbed, and using fresh cut branches from the nearby trees to create a “broiler-stick’. This method of cooking freshly caught fish seasoned with simple salt & pepper produced the best fish I’ve ever tasted. Little did I know then, that the whole experience of fishing, preparing, cooking, and eating together was actually what made it more delicious. I was experiencing the highest “Joi” of food by “tasting” the experience. Not much later, at the age of about eight, I started inviting my friends over to my house to eat after a long day of playing. In spite of my parent’s objections, I would cook ramen noodles for them with all the “fixings” (eggs, veggies, and shrimp) to share with my little buddies. Every time I cooked noodles, they always had the same reaction saying that I made better noodles than their parents ever did. On the other hand, my mother would tell me that they were just complimenting me to use me. Although she eventually felt differently, I didn’t care because I sincerely loved to share my cooking and never saw it her way. Since then, I have always continued to cook and entertain people in my life. In college, I prepared a back to back Thanksgiving feast for friends and neighbors who couldn’t go home for the holidays. I also helped many friends prepare what they called “gourmet” style dishes using ingredients from their own refrigerator of which they never knew they had. Another time, I utilized some of my fellow Santa Barbara beach bum friends to stop sun bathing and help me harvest delicious local clams off the beach. 15lbs of clams later, I prepared a “clams & beer” feast. Yes, I was remembered mostly as the food guy in college but I’m proud of that. Cooking to me is both a passion and a calling. Food transcends the idea that it is just a necessary way for us to stay alive. Food is a powerful commonality that links us as people and reminds us that we are in fact one in the same. We all need it and depend on it for life. A familiar aroma can instantly take us to a deliciously happy place from one moment in time to another. Every culture takes pride in their cuisine. Every one of us knows that someone with a “special unique dish”. When we share in our most joyful experiences, food is there to enhance it. This is what food means to me. Will you be the next person I have the pleasure to share my ongoing cooking and food experience with?
