Elizabeth Kao

*Changemakers is a Cross Cultures series spotlighting inspiring women who are creating and doing in the F&B ecosystem; eading the way and helping better the world.

Elizabeth “Liz” Kao is a former lawyer, who completed her Master of Laws at Harvard Law School– and decided to pursue her life-long passion for food, and turn it into a full-time career. She started her own food media company, Taster (美食加), and her own personal blog, Self-Taught Gourmet (美食家的自學之路 ), published 2 books; launched her own hot sauce– and most recently a podcast, Keywords for Food (美食關鍵詞), which is available on Spotify. She was listed on Asia Tatler’s Generation T 2019.

Tell us about you. Where were you born, raised, and what you are making or doing at present?

I was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan. I am a food writer and I love to eat! Now I run my food media company, Taster, as well as my personal blog, Self-Taught Gourmet.

How did you end up working at your present career? How long have you been doing this/ When did you start?

It was funny that I actually studied to become a lawyer. Practicing law was my dream job, and I did it— I went to law school, passed the bar exam, and worked at an established international law firm in Taipei. It was after I completed my Master of Laws degree in the United States and came back to Taiwan that I felt something was wrong. I was struggling, and started to panic, horrified by the thought that I would go down this career path for the rest of my life. The motivation was lost, and I needed a life-long passion.

At that point, food came to my mind. Thanks to my food-loving father, food has always been the biggest obsession in our family, and we enjoy eating out as it is a major entertainment.

While I was still working as a lawyer, on an evening that I didn’t have to work overtime, I created a food blog called Self-Taught Gourmet. That was March 2011. I quit law In 2012, and at the end of the same year, I published my first book themed on ingredients and the food culture of Japanese cuisine. Ever since then, I have forayed into the culinary industry and never looked back.

In 2018, I started my food media company, Taster. It is based on my desire that I want to connect the dots in the food community, whether it be people, places or objects. I want to expand the focus on all things related to food, including dining experiences, chef interviews, cooking tips, and books and shows that we love. We continue to produce online content on our website, and we set foot in e-commerce starting from 2019. Our first product is a hot sauce named after me— Sauce Elizabeth! Currently we are building a new e-commerce platform launching soon in June/ July.

In 2019, I published my second book, Liz’s Keywords, which centered on foodie culture, culinary guides, fine dining, and Taiwan’s food scene.

What was the biggest challenge you have faced?

The biggest challenge was finding my voice and persuading my father. I was unsure if I could make a career out of food writing, and when faced with my father’s anger and disappointment due to my decision to quit law, I had a rough start. For about two years my father and I would argue and get frustrated almost every time we spoke.

How/ what did you do to get over it?

I just stuck by my belief. I continued to write and build connections in the industry. Friends of my father began to notice me online or in the news paper, sending him regards. I was also very fortunate to have come across many benefactors and amazing opportunities. I am grateful for all that.

What is the best advice you can give to anyone wanting to get into or excel in your field?

Be curious. Be open-minded. Work hard. Eat, drink, read, travel. (Although the last part is not practical at the moment 😂)

What is your favorite thing about your culture or living in your city?

Taiwan is young and our written history has only been 400 years. We have been ruled by many different regimes, each of which brought their culture to this territory. As of today, I would say Taiwan is a mixture of China, Japan, America and Southeast Asia. I enjoy how versatile and multi-dimensional our culture is. There is also true freedom in many aspects. Taiwan is the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage!

As the capital of Taiwan, Taipei is an international metropolis and a melting pot, and yet it has also retained a quaint and quiet character. It is also a city suitable for taking a walk. I always love to wander into alleyways, explore the neighborhood, and dive into a cute cafe for some quality time.

How are/ have you been spending your days during this COVID-19 quarantine period? (*If your city has recently opened up, please feel free to share a little bit about how things are.)

We are very lucky that all activities in Taiwan have stayed open the entire time since the outbreak of COVID-19. Our government has taken swift and effective measures from the very beginning, e.g., health screening of flights from Wuhan since December 31, secure and increase mask supply, border control, big data analysis, strict quarantine and proactive testing. Our people are cautious and self-disciplined. I am very grateful that life has remained pretty much the same.
 
That said, in March and April when the situation was more severe, I stayed home mostly and did not dine out. I cooked more, and I spent more time with my family. I read the books I didn’t have time to read, and I learned new knowledge. I started new projects, one of which is my first podcast show! I feel excited that I get to share my thoughts on food in a different format. I guess we all have to be proactive and make the best out of this period.

Please tell us about TASTER PLUS, and how readers can take part in it.

This campaign was actually initiated by Orchid Restaurant in Taipei. They reached out to me and asked if I’d like to take part in a video shooting where several chefs would call on public support of the restaurant industry. Of course I said yes. I wrote a script and each of us read a few lines in the video. In a way I ended up being this campaign’s spokesperson.

In addition to the video shooting, I suggested to create a list of restaurants that are offering takeout options and/ or implementing safe dining-in measures. When we launched the video, we encouraged readers to tag restaurants or leave comments with restaurant recommendations. We would then gather all the information and compile a list and a corresponding map. The video, the list and the map were all published on our website Taster. This campaign was successful— We reached out to many restaurants and got many requests to be included in the list. We were also told by several restaurants that they actually got customers coming in because of the campaign.