Shuai Wang Beats Back The Line at Short Grain

To keep the celebration going for Eater Young Guns, Eater's running photo essays of the 2016 winners all season. Up next: Shuai Wang, chef and owner of Charleston food truck Short Grain.

While some might say it’s a little ballsy to want to work for yourself in your mid 20s, 2016 Eater Young Guns winner Shuai Wang didn’t think so. After putting in time in New York’s restaurant industry then moving to Charleston for a job opportunity that fell through, Wang decided to be his own boss and opened his food truck, Short Grain. "I'm never one to worry about anything. Things just seem to work out," he says. "Our food was a little strange — there was nothing like it around here, but we just had to find our people to love us for who we are." The menu revolves around Japanese-inspired dishes that use local ingredients, like hushpuppy-yaki or rice bowls with locally caught sashimi or hot chicken. Here, see a day’s work on the truck.

Leslie McKellar

Read more: Shuai Wang Uses Japanese Flavors and Charleston History to Drive Change