We were lucky to catch up with Garrett Morris recently and have shared our conversation below.
Garrett, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I first started cooking Sichuan food for family and friends to share the wonderful flavors I experienced while living in China. I would host educational dinner experiences pairing the food with a photo presentation of the cuisine. Word got out, and the next thing I knew I was cooking for people I hadn’t know prior. Then I began doing public popups and catering for parties. Allowing the business to develop organically led to a natural rise in my abilities, confidence, and self-esteem. The outward gratitude and joy my guests express from eating the new flavors I offer has helped me build the confidence to take on bigger events.
Sometimes I feel like I am not as well suited to share about a cuisine of which I was not born into. However, I have come to realize that I am in a unique spot to bridge the cultures/cuisines from the East to the West. Living in Nepal and China for over 6 years – much of which was spent revolving around food and agriculture – I have a good understanding of the region’s cuisine. And being from the USA, I understand which aspects of the cuisine are new and interesting from a Western perspective. I am able to articulate and reveal aspects of Chinese cuisine in a personal and digestible way to folks in San Luis Obispo. Thus, I reassure myself that I am a worthy ambassador for Sichuan Cuisine on the Central Coast.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
The origin story of Sichuan Kitchen SLO is one of passion, romance, voids, and patience. The seed was planted back in 2012 when Garrett spent 1 semester of his Cal Poly Nutrition course in Sichuan, China. He quickly fell in love with Sichuan’s culture, cuisine – and eventually a woman there… but that was to come some years later. After returning to Cal Poly SLO and finishing his BS in Nutrition, he was quick to return to Asia, this time to Nepal to be a Peace Corps Food Security Volunteer. Emerging into a new culture and way of life was an invaluable experience for him. The people of Nepal taught him more about life, farming, and cooking than any graduate course or culinary school could have. Even though he felt he could stay in Nepal forever, he could never forget his time in Sichuan. Nearing the end of his 3rd year as a Volunteer in Nepal, he met Coco – a Sichuanese woman traveling in Nepal teaching yoga. The two hit it off and when Garrett’s Peace Corps duties concluded, they moved to Sichuan, China together. They spent the whole year of 2019 in China. Garrett finally got to dive deep into the culture and cuisine he tasted 7 years before. Studying from local, restaurants, and Coco’s family he took in as much as he could before things took a turn in January of 2020. Days before the COVID initiated lockdown in China, the couple was able to escape, returning to Nepal. Together, they endured the pandemic, spending their time volunteering as an organic farm advisor. After nearly 2 years, Garrett made his way back to SLO. Unfortunately alone. Visas to the USA are extremely difficult to attain for most people in Asia. “The decision to leave the love of my life to start a career in the USA was the hardest thing I ever did,” Garrett says.
But they were determined to stay together. Garrett applied for a Fiance Visa for Coco and the waiting game began. Meanwhile, Garrett picked up jobs working on a farm, a local landscaping company Carmichael Environmental, and at Saints Barrel Wine Bar. He was eager to share the culinary adventures he experienced in Nepal and China, and would often host educational dinner parties for friends. Cooking and sharing the food he enjoyed in Nepal and China helped him stay connected with the places that were so influential to the person he had become. Garrett began bringing Sichuan Cuisine to the public through monthly popups at Saints Barrel. His private home Sichuan Educational Experiences took wind and he began getting regular bookings. After 2 years of waiting, Coco’s visa finally came through and she was able to come to the USA in June of 2023. With the duo finally together, Sichuan Kitchen SLO was ready to blossom. With the help of Slow Money SLO and the Cal Poly Small Business Development Center, Coco and Garrett started a weekly Monday Night Takeout at their commissary kitchen. Shortly after, Garrett was fortunate to connect with Hotel SLO and Chef Ryan gave him the opportunity to do a weekly Tuesday Popup on the roof-top High Bar. With various catering opportunities, popups, Educational Dinner Parties, and their weekly Monday/Tuesday gigs, Sichuan Kitchen SLO became a full-time operation.
The lack of authentic Chinese food in SLO poised a fertile medium and hungry population for the traditional flavors Chef Garrett and Coco were offering. Cultural education and utilizing local ingredients are also important pillars that round out the Sichuan Kitchen SLO experience. Chef Garrett’s Educational Sichuan Dinner Experiences were recognized by Edible SLO Magazine as one of the Top 10 Culinary Experiences in SLO. In the 2024 Newtimes readers poll, Garrett was voted Best Chef in SLO County.
“When I first heard the news, I was humbled and somewhat astonished that the award didn’t go to one of our area’s big-time chefs,” Garrett remarks. “In reflection though, I do have a unique and diverse approach to being a chef in SLO. There are not many chefs in the area who have done such a range of events as we have… Popups for local public high schools’ lunch; dumpling classes for Boys and Girls Club fundraisers; Educational Dinner Parties to teach about a mystified Chinese cuisine; organizing Sustainable Green Chef Cooking Competitions; partnering with farmers to grow crops never grown in SLO before; or do popups working as Chef, server, busser, and cultural ambassador all at the same time.”
Garrett says the most common question he gets is “When are you going to open a restaurant?”
His reply, “Right now we are still exploring the possibilities of popups and catering. I am working on building a street food tricycle which are common in China and would be super cool to use at markets and festivals. My goal would be to have a kitchen space of my own to have a relaxed lunch/dinner service a few days a week as well as catering.”
Garrett and Coco are very grateful for the support of the SLO community – from the businesses which have given us space to pop up to our loyal customers. They feel gratitude for the recognition they’ve received thus far and look forward to bringing more bold Sichuan flavors and unique cultural experiences to SLO.
Where to Find Sichuan Kitchen SLO:
Every Monday 5-8pm Sichuan Takeout – Mynful Kitchen Collective (977 Foothill Blvd, SLO)
Every Tuesdays 4:30-8pm SLO’s rooftop High Bar Sichuan Popup
Every Friday Home Delivery Harvestly.org
Rest of the week: Public popups throughout the county, Edible Magazine recognized Educational Dinner Parties, event catering, and cooking classes.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Authenticity – Not only in cooking but in character. I am genuinely passionate about cooking and providing enjoyable experiences through learning about and tasting new foods and flavors. Personally, I love to eat new and exciting foods, so I am very driven to shared these experiences with others.
Perspective – Living in Nepal for 5 years gave me a more holistic perspective on life. The people there taught me about accepting impermanence and focusing on what we have, not what we do not. Many of the things we worry about are quite trivial, including our concepts of outward success. I cook because I enjoy it and that positive energy can be felt in the food. Of course, I get nervous before big events, and some level of anxiety helps us perform better, but I always try to keep perspective and focus on enjoying the moment. The only true failure is in not trying at all.
Openness – I am always open to hearing what others have to say and talking to customers. You never know from what encounter your next opportunity will unfold. Openness must be balanced with some level of focus and commitment to your own values/interests, but it never hurts to hear someone’s critique or advice and make your own decision.
To folks early in their journey, I would advise them to be patient yet driven. Good things take time, but they won’t come if you wait for them. Always listen to feedback and make adjustments when necessary. Try many angles to achieve your goals. Be genuine with your audience and give them your best.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
As I have started to book bigger events, I need to simultaneously build my experience and knowledge. I have been fortunate enough to work under the talented and humble Chef Ryan from Ox and Anchor at Hotel SLO for their large parties and off-site events. Chef Ryan and his team have taught me many skills to be successful. Other local chefs such as Jose Dahan, Debbie Dugan, and Alana Gillen have also been very influential to me. I have gained invaluable inspiration and knowledge by observing how they work. From how they scale up their recipes to their interface with the client, my time with these chefs has allowed me to grow exponentially.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SichuanKitchenSLO.com
- Instagram: @sichuankitchenSLO
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076593596132
Image Credits
Rebekah Fancher
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