Chef Nathan Ng: From Neuroscience to the Kitchen

He's cooked for Taylor Swift. Jennifer Lopez. And almost became a neuroscientist? In this episode, Anna sits down with Nathan Ng - sous chef at TOCA inside the Ritz Carlton Toronto - who walked away from the "perfect" academic path as a neuroscience student at the University of Toronto to chase something far less certain... and at times, more brutal. This is less of a polished success story and more about what it actually looks like to choose a different life. Join them as they get into: What it really takes to drop out of the best university in the country at the age of 18 when everyone expects you to stay The weight of immigrant expectations and what happens when you don't follow them The uncomfortable truth about the commodification of Chinese cuisine Being an Asian chef in elite, European-dominated kitchensThe "open secret" of substance abuse in the hospitality industryShare Your Story: The Confessions Vault TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefiveyearplanpodcastIG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiveyearplanpodcastSubstack: https://substack.com/@thefiveyearplanpodcastEmail: [email protected]