Tai Nguyen (or "Mr. Tai" as he's affectionately known) ambled his way into Pho Binh in Houston's Asiatown with a disarming smile and a plastic container of his homemade chili oil. Tai's son Lucky ...

Making the garlic chili oil in advance allows the flavors to meld together, resulting in a richer and more aromatic sauce. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

More importantly, the video put Mr. Tai's Chili Garlic Flakes, that unassuming plastic container of vegetable oil, garlic and chili peppers, on the map. According to his son Lucky, Tai arrived in ...