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 kitchens
• The "open secret" of substance abuse in the hospitality industry

Share Your Story: The Confessions Vault 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefiveyearplanpodcast

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thefiveyearplanpodcast

Substack: https://substack.com/@thefiveyearplanpodcast

Email: [email protected]