Anthony Hoy Fong Is Building His NYC Empire

There are not many people who could walk into the White House with a kit full of knives and little plastic bags full of powder. But Anthony Hoy Fong can. He’s done it on many occasions.

He’s cooked for Obama. He’s cooked for Oprah. He worked with Shaquille O’Neal to redesign school dinners in Miami and gave away a US$1 million chicken franchise on American reality TV. Anthony Hoy Fong is kind of a big deal. Is this NZ’s biggest food name you never even heard of?

Anthony comes from a family of market gardeners — his great-grandparents were one of the first generations of Chinese New Zealanders and grew produce from their land out at the back of Māngere. He grew up in Mt Roskill, attended Auckland Grammar, and when his family moved into retail, Anthony became a partner in the family business — running Fruit World in Silverdale.

“I did everything,” he says. “I learned how to trim the cabbages and the cauliflowers, how to drive the forklift, manage the staff, work on the marketing, open the store, close the store, everything. I didn’t realise what I was getting into, but I’ve always been entrepreneurial. I cut my teeth very quickly in all aspects of running a business.”

The experience paid off. For 18 years Anthony has been forging a successful career in America. He runs restaurants and bars, has overseen the food programmes of hip hotels, and is in business with American celebrity chef Guy Fieri. He’s also resolutely Kiwi — after close to two decades away, he checks the New Zealand news every day, pours New Zealand olive oil over his morning Weetbix, and brings his American family home to New Zealand every summer.

And yet he’s a name most New Zealanders have likely never heard of. As it turns out, I’ve been making one of his recipes for almost 10 years, and I had no idea.

If, like me, you were gifted a copy of The Great New Zealand Cookbook many years ago, turn to page 50 (which in my copy is splattered with what must be hoisin sauce, or perhaps sesame oil), and you’ll find a recipe for a crispy skinned melt-in-your-mouth pork belly that should immediately become a part of your dinner party repertoire. The text explains exactly how to ensure the skin crisps up, why you slash the meat, and what to do if the edges go too brown. It’s not just a list of instructions — it’s an education in the perfect crispy pork belly.

The instructional approach makes sense from the guy who co-founded the Top Chef University, an online training program for aspiring cooks loaded with hundreds of lessons and instructional videos, from the basics of hygiene and how to set up a kitchen, right up to foams and finishes.

Other projects have included The Twenty, a dingy dive bar in Brooklyn that Covid put an end to (“That was a bit of a dream,” he says. “I mean, what’s more fun than a bar in Brooklyn? Honestly it breaks my heart.”) and on the day we speak, he is a few weeks away from launching the food and beverage programme for a hip new boutique hotel, Coda in Williamsburg.

“It’s really cool,” he says. “There’s a pool menu, the rooftop nightclub, there’s in-room dining and then there’s this Bali Indonesian-inspired restaurant called Bohemia. And Hoy Fong oversees it all – from the planning, the kitchen layout, the menu (which includes New Zealand produce such as Ōra King salmon and Silver Ferns beef), the music, the signage, the media plans – the lot.

Kiwi chill, American ambition

When you ask Anthony how he got where he is, it’s a story of right place, right time, and just being a good dude. He’s a mix of laid-back Kiwi chill and charm, and American ambition. It’s this mix that saw him walking into the White House with that bag full of knives.

After assisting American celebrity chef Tyler Florence at a one-off White House gala dinner, Anthony was invited back. “They loved me — I stood out because I was a New Zealander. But also whoa! crazy! Asian face,They loved me — I stood out because I was a New Zealander. But also whoa! crazy! an Asian face, a New Zealand accent. They loved the New Zealand attitude, joking around, taking the piss. So they said, ‘You can come back and help us with some meal planning.’” New Zealand accent. They loved the New Zealand attitude, joking around, taking the piss. So they said, ‘You can come back and help us with some meal planning.’”

The first time he visited the White House, Anthony says he was “kind of freaked out”. He had an expiring tourist visa; his legal status was in limbo. But when he handed over his details for the security clearance - social security, passport, visa — no one said a thing.

“You get a badge that you have to wear around your neck the whole time, and when I showed up, I had this bag full of knives, and all my spices, like fajita seasonings, in these little plastic bags . . . And they let me in.”

Anthony went on to consult on staff lunches for the West Wing — not the fancy dinners, but the day-in, day-out, Monday-to-Friday lunch service. And what does the President of the United States have for lunch?

I stood out because I was a New Zealander. But also whoa! crazy! Asian face, Kiwi accent. They loved the New Zealand attitude, joking around, taking the piss.”

“It changes government to government. So when it was Bush, he’s Texan, and it was like meat and potatoes. When Obama was in, it was a lot healthier — lots of vegetables, fajitas with steak and peppers, California sushi and ramen where we’d make the broth from scratch and have it simmering for 24 hours. It was public sector so it wasn’t like we were going out and buying foie gras and caviar. It was reasonable, healthy, delicious and fast.”

Anthony is used to changing things up. Adapting. He says peppers instead of capsicum, and “aluminum” instead of aluminium. He works out with his wife in the morning (“So New York, right?” said with a shrug). And there’s that $1m franchise he gave away on TV (“I know, so American”) as part of the reality show Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime with Guy Fieri.

But ask him about his career highlight. “I mean, the Obama thing — everybody loves to talk about that. And trust me, it was very cool. It sounds cheesy, but honestly, my highlight is always whatever project I have right in front of me.”

With such a busy schedule, there is no typical day in Anthony’s life. He met his wife, Kai, at the French Culinary Institute in New York, and they now live with their two children in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Each morning it’s work out, coffee and school drop-offs, and then Anthony is off — either visiting sites or on a plane, checking in on restaurants, and overseeing launches, hiring and planning and managing with his cheery Kiwi chill.

“Well, I’m old,” he says. “I don’t think I used to be this calm. I’m 45 this year and I’ve figured out how not to get stressed out over things you can’t control. When you’re in a leadership role, you’ve got to set the tone – and panicking doesn’t help anyone.”

Americans will say to me, ‘Oh my god, you’re from New Zealand. What was it like growing up on a farm?’ And I’m like, ‘Auckland is a big city man, it’s a rat race.’

Anthony says that in the 17 years he’s lived in America, New Zealand’s profile has gone through the roof – which he attributes to the trifecta of Lord of the Rings, Flight of the Conchords and Jacinda. “The awareness of NZ has changed so much. I remember I went to Macy’s once, and I handed over my New Zealand driver’s licence, and they thought it was a state in America. Now everyone is like, ‘Oh New Zealand!’. And now everyone wants to go.

“Americans will say to me, ‘Oh my god, you’re from New Zealand. What was it like growing up on a farm?’ And I’m like, Auckland is a big city man, it’s a rat race. When I’m back there, I get on the Gillies Ave on-ramp, it takes half an hour to get to Nelson St. It’s as bad as LA and worse than New York. Auckland at the wrong time just stops. At least in New York, you’re still crawling.”

Even as he expands his empire in New York, Anthony says New Zealand will always be home. “All my family is there, I follow the All Blacks, I watch the Blues, I keep up with my old school. I come home about three times a year, and bring the kids, so they can spend time there and have a relationship with family, and they know their Ma-ma and their Yeh-yeh.”

When he’s home, new restaurants are always on the itinerary. “The scene has changed so much,” he says. “There are so many new chefs and big projects. Last trip back I went to Mr. Morris, Michael Meredith’s place, that was pretty cool down, and swung by Onslow life for a drink. Next trip I want to try Origine, Ben Bayly’s new place. And the beauty of being home is Mum and Dad will babysit.”

Three quick questions

What do you most love about where you live?

We live in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It’s got a great community of young families, good schools and a tonne of small businesses we love to support. It has everything from a great butcher, a vibrant farmers’ market and, of course, really cool restaurants and coffee shops. We’re also right by Prospect Park, which is a huge park we run in, play sports and have picnics . . . HUGE when you live in a big city.

What’s your favourite ingredient?

NZ extra virgin olive oil. It’s grassy, fresh and intense like no other. I put it on everything (including my Weetbix).

What are New York’s must-tries and dos?

Pastis — an NYC Meatpacking District classic. They’re famous for their French bistro fare and amazing atmosphere and dining room decor. I always get the steak sandwich, it’s stuffed with caramelised onions, melted Gruyere cheese and crunchy, bitter frisee lettuce, and the hand-cut fries are the best in the city.

Taikun Sushi in the Lower East Side is an “affordable omakase”, which is all the rage right now. You sit at a counter (it’s an underground bar that’s been flipped into a sushi dining experience) with only five other people. It’s time-limited (60 minutes), pre-fixed price, with a market-driven menu of fresh fish that the chef makes right in front of you. No choice, eat what’s presented, and wash it down with sake pairings. My wife and my go-to date night.

Queens Night Market — an open-air night market that’s packed with a diverse set of independent vendors selling food, art and culture. It’s a super-vibrant experience and everything’s about $5. My kids love the candy artist that makes a lollipop (right in front of you) out of tempered, caramelised sugar in the shape of any animal you choose . . . which, of course, for my son Cameron is an octopus lol.

JB Prince — the culinary mecca where all of NYC’s chefs shop. They have everything you could ever want (i.e. the finest French copper pots) and things you didn’t even know you needed (hello Gray Kunz gold chef’s spoon!)

Coda Hotel — a boutique hotel in Brooklyn and my latest F&B collaboration . . . Start the day off lounging at the Beach Club (one of the few, and nicest, pools in the middle of the city), grab dinner at Bohemia restaurant (a Bali-inspired space with cosy booths) and finish the night on the rooftop club Creatures of All Kind that has amazing skyline views, killer cocktails and DJs playing into the morning hours. There’s an off-the-menu sourdough grilled cheese with fried egg I put on the menu that you can order late at night to soak up the booze.