Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Podbit · Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Steve Aoki

Explore episode Jun 22, 2026
History
Rocky Aoki: The Evel Knievel of Restaurateurs

Steve Aoki · Jun 22, 2026 History

Rocky Aoki arrived in New York in 1961 with no English and a dream. After an ice cream truck failed in Harlem, he invented a concept that didn't exist in Japan — cooking in front of diners — and nearly went bust until a single New York Times review turned everything around. He went public in 1983, then spent the profits racing offshore boats, starting a porn magazine, and flying a hot air balloon across the Pacific.

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