SONIC DISH: TOMMY BOY x D.J. RYAN PARKER
“If this dish were a track, what would it sound like?”
Tommy Boy, from Jenny Love Lee + Tommy Ballinger, is a seasonal Korean pop up cart and love letter to Korean culture through Hudson Valley farms. We paired Tommy Boy with 20-year veteran D.J. Ryan Parker, a Capital Region native known for seamlessly blending eras of dance music - house, rap, disco, rock - in his open format local residencies at McGeary’s, Emry’s Garden, and the Lucas Confectionery.
Photo: Smoked beef bimimbap by Tommy Boy. | Kaytranada album art work.
Jenny + Tommy, can you describe your dish?
The Dish: Smoked Beef Bibimbap (Korean rice bowl)
Ingredients: “We use beef from Kinderhook Farm that we smoke in-house, and rice, cucumber, pickled beet daikon, carrot, organic egg jidan, zucchini, shiso and sweet chili sauce.
The backstory/inspiration: The inspiration of the dish comes from “bulgogi” which is a Korean bbq marinated meat that is either grilled or cooked on the pan. Although usually a ribeye cut that is sliced paper thin, we sourced ground beef from Kinderhook Farm and smoked it to add depth of flavor. We also go through a process of smoking our house-made Korean bbq marinade before coating our meat. The smoked meat then tops our bibimbap (Korean rice bowl) which is served for customers to mix prior to eating — hence the name bibim (mix) bap (rice).
Our bibimbap is a bit different than the traditional, where it feels a lot more fresh and vibrant. You can really taste all our ingredients even after mixing it all in with our house-made sweet chili sauce.”
Ryan, you’ve seen the dish + heard the backstory. What does this dish sound like to you?
The track: I chose “At All” by Kaytranada (Sango remix) by Haitian-Canadian producer, Kaytranada. He came up during the early 2010s with his creative sounds and remixes from J Dilla-inspired hip-hop beats to woozy house grooves. His unique “Kaytranada” sound has a timelessness and a core feeling that creates a connection and inspires people to dance. Kaytranada cites Dilla & Madlib as major inspirations for their use of complex sample chopping, and he incorporates Haitian, Afro House and dance styles from the mid-90s into his music with a focus on drum patterns to create danceable rhythms.
The inspo: “After reading The Dishing interview with Tommy + Jenny of Tommy Boy, I knew I wanted to pick a song that was the result of a collaboration between two artists who support, love, and respect each other. Whether speaking about Tommy + Jenny, or Kaytranada + Sango, their commitment to process and quality over quantity really spoke to me, and I tried to find a song as layered as their dish.
The sound: Adjectives like “textured,” “organic,” and “warm” described both the artists’ production and chefs’ choice in this case, and it felt like I had captured the spirit of both with this track selection. The way Tommy describes growing up “crawling on the floor of nightclubs” led me to this particular genre and Tommy Boy’s menu includes “modern takes on traditional dishes” which sounded like the culinary version of a “remix.”
Sango also has a degree in graphic design, similar to Jenny, and designs many of his own album covers and art, much like Jenny has designed Tommy Boy’s packaging and visuals. I wanted to pick a track that sounded as unique as their story, one that captured global influences as well as the essence of passion and hard work.”
Listen to “At All” by Kaytranada (Sango remix)
DJ Ryan Parker: Capital district native Ryan Parker has been a professional DJ for over 20 years with the Boston based Northern Lights Entertainment Company, in addition to his local residencies in the 518 at McGeary’s, Emry’s Garden, and Lucas Confectionery. | IG: @rjp1897
Tommy Boy is a seasonal summer pop up cart at The River Garden of The Stewart House, Athens, but they have a winter pop up coming soon. Read our tastemaker interview with Tommy Boy here | IG: @tommyboy.club
Photo credits: Tommy Boy by Konrad Odhiambo/The Dishing. | DJ Ryan Parker: Provided.