From San Juan’s Kitchen to Hell’s Kitchen: Anthony Vo’s journey to becoming an executive chef
“Cooking saved my life,” said Anthony Vo as he caught up with his former culinary teacher, Sandi Coulter, at San Juan High School on Oct. 7. This is the first time in 10 years that Vo has visited his alma mater, including the kitchen where he spent years learning how to cook.
As a ninth-grader, Vo joined the Culinary Career Technical Education program at San Juan and after two classes of learning about food and knife cuts, he was immediately hooked.
Vo was part of the first class to benefit from the new culinary facility which once started as a small 1930s home economics room with hard-to-clean honeycomb tile and hardwood maple floors.
Today, the culinary facility has five main rooms: a classroom, a home economics kitchen, a bakery, a commercial kitchen and a restaurant/cafe.
When you walk into the commercial kitchen, you are met with dazzling stainless steel, giant commercial ranges, grills and a three-compartment sink.
The entire space is a true showcase of San Juan Unified’s commitment to preparing students for post-secondary education and career paths.
“The thing is a lot of the other school districts around us have started culinary programs, but no one has this facility. They’ve never put the money into it to get it, and this is by far probably one of the best facilities in the state,” Coulter said.
Not only do students have the tools to succeed, but they are also learning skills that will prepare them for their future careers, even if it is outside the culinary arts.
Katherine Cox, a current San Juan culinary teacher, said students learn many procedural skills, as well as teamwork and conflict resolution.
“Safety and sanitation is probably the most important thing that any chef needs to know, I would argue,” Cox said. “[Students] are often in teams when they cook things, they have different jobs that they have and they have to learn how to work with each other even through some conflicts.”
Vo found his future career inside of San Juan’s facility and was shaped by the constant exposure to high-quality, real-world culinary experiences.
“I would have a terrible day at school, but once I stepped into that corner of the kitchen and put that white jacket on, nothing else mattered,” Vo said.
He became addicted to the sounds of the kitchen, the structure cooking brought to his young life and the freedom to be creative. He recalls that by the age of 17, he already knew that he wanted to become a chef.
“[Cooking] was my ticket out. I wasn’t the smartest kid in school. I didn’t really have too much money to go to college or anything else and culinary was always there, but I never knew I could make a living out of it,” Vo said.
Vo has done more than make a living out of becoming a chef. His story is a testament to how supportive academic programs and career exploration can prepare students for life after high school and beyond.
A recent victory for Vo is being chosen to compete in one of the most-watched cooking competition shows, Hell’s Kitchen with Chef Gordon Ramsay.
Vo used the words intense, rollercoaster and precious to describe his experience on the show. He is grateful for the validation he experienced competing against other talented head chefs.
Coulter and Cox are so proud to see Vo represent San Juan and Sacramento every week.
“I remember that Anthony was a very focused student,” Coulter said. “There are a lot of people on [Hell’s Kitchen] that are the in-your-face kind of cooks and Anthony is more of the cool, laid back, I am doing my own thing and I am in my groove kind of person on the show.”
That is Vo’s secret weapon. He said he enjoys proving himself by his actions and work ethic.
“I am just more excited about the journey after this. I put in the hard work over the years and now watching the flowers grow and I am just so blessed and so happy that the city is behind me, family is behind me, friends, old and new mentors. It is very surreal, and I am ready for it,” Vo said.
Hell’s Kitchen: Head Chefs Only is currently airing every Thursday at 8 p.m. When asked what we can look forward to, Vo said, “Look for me to be more assertive.”
“I’m starting to get a little more comfortable. I am starting to understand the challenges,” Vo said. “Look for me to really represent Sacramento and put forward my Asian cuisine.”
Vo is proud to represent San Juan on the national stage. “This goes for the kids at San Juan. I understand exactly what you guys are going through. Believe in yourself, stay true to you, believe in your dreams and take it seriously,” Vo said.