0:00 So, Raina, being a competitive eater, I feel like your reputation has skyrocketed and precedes you everywhere you go. What happens when you go to restaurants and they know who you are and it's an all you can eat and they're just like, "Oh, you're going to eat us out of business." Do you uh does that ever happen to you where they're like there's a preconceived notion about what you're going to do in there? >> Not really. Actually, the uh the opposite happened the other day where I went to Korean barbecue and the owner knew who I was and she wanted to comp my meal and just kept me bringing more brisket. She was very happy. >> Wow, that's great. >> Because I don't I don't know. I would say like I don't abuse my power. Does that does that make sense? >> Yeah. >> You know, like I'm not I'm not I'm not there to And I honestly I paid. I honestly gave them 100 bucks. Like I I just >> That's great, yeah. >> Like I'm here to help businesses. I'm not there to like just be an ████ >> Yeah. >> And you're not competitive eating all the time. >> No, no. I was just I was just eating
0:50 protein for gym. >> Yeah. [laughter] Yeah, yeah. Did you ever get to this point where you're like, I'd rather just pay than do a deliverable? >> Mhm. >> Um yes and no. My mind is so wired to making content I cannot make a video. So, you know, I wasn't even at the Korean barbecue place to do content for them, but I was already vlogging, you know, like I was doing this and I'm going to show myself at the gym. >> Going about your day, yeah. >> I just my mind is just wired. So, you know, when people say content creation, they want to be a content creator, they don't realize it's a 24-hour job. Your mind gets like so I can't rest. >> Yeah. I was in that phase where we used to do a family vlogs. It was like everything was like a almost recordable moment. >> Yeah. >> And this is your brain is always on and I remember by the when I when I record the final like clip that I know is going to be the end of that day's vlog, I do like, "Oh,
1:43 now my brain can rest for the day." That's what it felt like. >> Yeah. >> How long you've been doing content for? >> 10 years. >> 10 years. And it's just been on IG or >> No, I started off on YouTube and then I did Instagram and then moved on to Facebook and then and obviously Tik Tok and then Twitter and now I just started Snapchat. So I'm >> Oh, how come what made you start it now Snapchat? >> [sighs] >> I still don't understand it but I was like so many requests go make a Snapchat go make a Snapchat. Yeah. >> Yeah, huh. I only opened that so I could send my dick pics to people. I >> I don't even know how to use it. Like I just I just see where like post I post and I go to my next app. I don't even like use it. >> Uh right. You're supposed to say the same thing across the board. >> Yeah. >> Do you have a team? >> No, it's just me. >> Dang, so you're creating content,
2:33 editing content, posting content. >> And managing and rescheduling everything. I'm usually booked >> sponsorships and everything. >> Yeah, I my whole month is already booked. >> That's awesome. >> Thank you. Yeah. >> Dude, what a nice brain you have. >> It's like a computer. It's like I'm thinking about so many things. Yeah. >> Geez, okay. You never like mix up your stuff where you go to the wrong restaurant >> [laughter] >> or wrong day? >> I have. I definitely have but not often. >> Damn dude, that's freaking great. I didn't know that you did all of it by yourself. I had no idea. There was like cuz I when I looked all across your stuff I'm like yeah, that feels like a team cuz I mean Facebook and all your Facebook super blew up. >> Oh yeah, Facebook I feel like it's easier to like share. So like people just share, you know. >> Right and probably like so many boomers discovering you is like huge.
3:23 >> So yeah, and I I do notice that Facebook is way more old-fashioned. >> Yeah. Do you have a process? Is it like uh or is it just whatever's inspiration? Like right now I'm going to do some food then I'll do some gooning stories or is it like throughout the day it's like cuz they're all so separate, you know? [laughter] >> Then I'll do gooning stories. >> It's it really is just depend on my mood. You know? >> So you go I'm going to wake up today and eat a hamburger for content or whatever. >> No, I'm I'm I'm the days I scheduled already. I do have the restaurant like planned. >> Oh. >> But then I don't like really pre-plan too much. I just wake up, see what I got to do. I'm like, okay, and then I mentally prepare myself for that. Um but yeah, no, my mind is all crazy all over the place. Actually, I'll give you an example. I think the other day I had I didn't have to go to any restaurant, but then um I was cooking for my sister, I was wig styling, and I always also doing sets in between waiting for the wig to dry, and also waiting for the chicken to
4:14 grill. So, I was just doing sets with my wigs cuz >> You're a multitasker. >> Yes, I am cuz my main brain is all And then I can't sit still, and I know that, you know, if you know anything about wig styling, you have to wait till it dries before I style it again. So, like maybe like a minute or so, I'm like, all right, perfect. Let's do a set real quick. >> So, you don't like working out at the gym? >> Uh I only like going if I go with my friend cuz he tells me what to do, and then I don't like that. >> I don't even like working out on a static gym. I got to like for me, I have my brain has to be compartmentalized. >> Uh-huh. >> I can't I can't like what you just did, like all these things at once, I can't do that. >> I I actually I don't know what it is. When I can't do something, I get so into it. And actually, the other day, when I was waiting for the food to come out of a restaurant, I went to the bathroom, started doing squats and hinges in the bathroom. >> In the bathroom? >> Cuz I was bored. I was like, I need to I need to ████ move. I need to I feel so bad. I'm about to eat so much food. I need to exercise. So, I just started
5:04 doing sets. And it took some while cuz it usually takes like 20, 30 minutes for food to prep. So, I was just in I was just in the bathroom just doing squats and hinges, yeah. >> That is not what I would expect someone to be doing in the bathroom from waiting. >> [laughter] >> It sounds like squats. What's um what's it like when you're done like when you're not doing anything content-related and you're just chilling with your friend? Like what do you Are you able to just like turn it all off and just like sit back? Or are you still like planning mentally? >> I dumb it down. I don't think it's completely off. >> Wow, okay. >> So, you just turn the intensity down, okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> But >> you're still So, like before I'd be like, gooning material, squats. Uh now it's like, gooning material. >> [laughter] >> school. >> Yeah. Yeah, that's one way to put it. >> Wow. You don't have an off day like once
5:55 a month, once a week, like >> I try to, but man, like I just I I just always find something to do. >> That's just who you are? >> Yeah. >> I see. Interesting. Okay. >> Yeah, I'm just a workaholic. >> when you play games? Is it always like streaming or are you able to just like play offline by yourself? >> the thing. Like I I started off being used to used gaming. I just like do nothing and just zone out. But then now I'm like, I need to turn on my stream. I need to do this. >> Yeah, cuz like you might as well if you're going to be spending all that time playing. >> Yeah. >> Dang. Where do you stream? >> Twitch. Yeah, but but I I've actually been taking a break of playing too much League cuz I I >> You could go back to back to back on >> Yeah. It just it's it's so time-consuming. And then it when I lose sleep cuz of gaming, it's really bad. I need my sleep. >> how much sleep do you get a night?
6:45 >> Well, yesterday I slept at 10:00 and I woke up at 4:00 to drive here. >> Oh, damn. >> Oh, you came here just right now? >> Yeah. >> Oh, ████ >> Yeah. >> You're a gangster. >> Thank you. >> [laughter] >> That's crazy. Okay. >> I drove six country roaches on my own. I'm not afraid of driving. >> You've done how many? >> Six. I've been to every single state. >> That's how you know she's Chinese. >> Leo. >> Is that six? >> Six, yeah. >> Oh, I didn't know that. >> That's not shaka bra. >> [laughter] >> That's cool. I didn't know that. >> Cuz Chinese people could tell you numbers with one hand. >> So instead of going like >> Go, do all the >> Instead of like eight, it'd be a thing like this. So it goes like that. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. I think not. >> How come it's not this? >> One. >> Wait, you said five and 10 are the same? >> No, I think this is 10. >> Oh. >> Cuz my mom would be like growing up my mom would be like, "Oh, look American,
7:35 they so stupid. They need two hands." [laughter] Cuz Chinese people just need one. Six. >> Oh my god. >> [laughter] >> I think my craziest drive I drove from Houston to home in one go. >> Holy ████ That's a three-day drive. >> Without stopping? >> ████ ████ >> only gas stations, but it was just 30 hours straight and I go gas station, take a pee break or something, but I just kept chugging. >> That's like a two, three-day trip. >> What do you do when you drive long distances? What do you Are you listening to Are you watching podcasts or what What's your like >> I'm kind of a psychopath. I can go hours without music and >> You're raw dogging the drive? >> Yeah, cuz I'm just thinking. I just think about life as I'm cruising down. >> You're by yourself, too? >> Oh yeah, I did all these alone. Yeah, cross-country road trips all on my own. >> I can't do that at all. If I'm alone my thoughts, that's very bad. [laughter] You can just zen out without anything
8:26 else around you. >> Yeah, yeah. It's like It's almost like therapeutic, you know, just like I'm just looking around watching everything. >> What What made you want to go from Houston straight back to California without taking the breaks in between? >> Uh I At that point it was like at the end of a trip and I just wanted to get home ASAP. Yeah. >> I would have left my car there and just flew. >> [laughter] >> It's like [snorts] $40. >> Just abandon your car? >> Yeah. And I pick it up next time. >> [laughter] >> That's cool. Wait, you said you went to every single state? What were the ████ states like? >> Wyoming is terrible. There's nothing there. >> My brother went there like to for some mechanic school. I went there as a child. It wasn't Yeah, you're right. It's like nothing but land. >> Oh, because I remember the one food
9:16 challenge I did there it just gave me explosive diarrhea. >> Did um Were people surprised that you were Asian? >> Yes. >> Right? Isn't that crazy? >> No Asians there. >> We stopped by a gas station on the way to Wyoming, right? And then the the people the family that owned the gas station, they literally called the whole town there cuz I was speaking English. >> Oh my god. >> Yeah. >> It was that novel of a thing to >> then >> were telling my parents like, "Where did he learn English?" Like they didn't understand that Asians ████ existed in America. >> At this late of How would 2015? >> No, I was It was like in the '90s. >> Oh, okay. >> But the '90s is not the ████ '50s, bro. It's the '90s. You know? >> That's the day >> I was like eight or six or some ████ Like yeah. And my parents tell me the story. They're like, "Yeah, they were so amazed that you you you could speak perfect English." And then they never
10:06 seen Asians before, so they they told all their friends and everyone came down to meet my family. They felt like a celebrity. Yeah. >> I mean, I guess anything like that's happening in a town like that when they're just seeing the same ████ all the time. >> So like not only is is she a competitive eater, they're probably wow. But then they're like, "That's the first China person I've ever seen." >> That you're probably like an overdose for them cuz you're so many things. It's He He's just Asian. >> That uh I mean, no, that is one reason why I got very popular in the beginning was a lot of Americans because um I actually didn't get popular with Asians till later. Yeah. So my first fan base was a lot of country folk. >> Wow. Oh, because the novelty of it and how unexpect- >> Look at this little tiny girl eating everything. >> And because I ate faster than the big American competitors. Yeah. >> Yeah. Isn't that like a myth that like
10:56 bigger people can eat more? >> Yeah, it is. Because you actually have like um more stomach and like fatness to weigh down your stomach. >> Yeah. >> When you're skinnier, you have more uh space >> elasticity for your body to move. Yeah. Isn't that funny that all those guys that do like, you know, the the Amarillo, Texas steak challenge? And they're like trucker guys, they can't do it. >> And have you done that one? It's fun. >> No, I've always wanted to. I see it all the time on Is it Is it like this big? It's like a toilet seat. >> You should have went to the Barstow one. They were doing a tour. That's what They were They were traveling all across Route 66, so they brought it to Barstow and I went to Barstow to do it with them. >> How Wait, they brought the steaks? >> Yeah, 72-oz steak. >> Oh my god, 72? >> I ate it in 12 minutes. >> 12 minutes? 72 oz? Do you even chew at that point? >> Uh not not as not as much as you think I
11:47 would. I drink a lot of hot water to help. >> So, you just get a chunk of steak and just swallow it basically. >> Yeah. >> I would ████ die. >> Yeah, I would die, too. Yeah. I don't think I could do that anymore. Not even close. Not even close. I could never do that. >> In addition to that, you also have to eat potatoes and salad and >> You got to eat all the sides, too? >> It's not much, but that big potato was big. >> So, the small states that you went to, they were all cuz of work, like because you >> No, it was me traveling around. >> Oh, you just just for fun? You just wanted to see the world? >> Okay, so I I did the road trips because um when COVID hit, it was so bad for me, you know, because I don't really do at-home videos, and it was just so boring. I wasn't having fun. Um I just like I was forcing myself to eat all these fast food. I hate eating fast food just for content. And I was like, "You know what? COVID doesn't exist in Texas. I'm going to Texas." >> Nice. >> So, I went to the restaurants in Texas.
12:37 They're still all open, did all the challenges, and then I really liked watching Man vs. Food growing up. So, I was like, "I'm going to do something similar." So, I went to all these states, you know, did all the challenges, and you know, there there are a lot of challenges in every single state. So, >> Yeah. >> And and then it became like, you know, you got to collect them all. Like, "Oh, I got this state. I got to this state." >> Is there one that you couldn't do? >> There's plenty of us I can do. Right now, I think I have like over 700 wins, and then like maybe 100 losses. Yeah. >> Losses as in like against the clock? >> Against the clock. >> Oh, okay. But capacity-wise, I mean, if timing wasn't an issue, you could always finish most of that stuff. >> No, I'm really bad with pancakes. >> Really? Is it cuz it's so fluffy and absorbs too much water or something? >> hate pancakes. >> You hate pancakes? >> I hate pancakes. It was maybe like 6 lb, but that should like if if it was 6 lb
13:27 >> 6 lb of pancakes? >> But if was 6-lb of noodles I finished that ████ in less than 5 minutes. Yeah, but pancakes ah. >> Have you ever had pancakes from Dupars? >> From what? >> Dupars. It's my favorite pancake place out here. >> So if if you go to breakfast like that's not even something you you'd choose if you for fun. >> No. >> Waffles too? You don't like waffles either? >> I like oatmeal, dude. >> Oh, okay. Would you do a Have you done an oatmeal challenge? >> Nobody is going to do that. Nobody is going to watch that. I like really healthy stuff. And I eat all this but I actually really like stuff really plain. >> Have you ever ate the first hamburger? I really want to try that. >> What's that? >> It's like on the East Coast somewhere. Have you guys seen it? It's where the hamburger was first invented. So it was like back in the 1800s it was uh it was like at a tavern and they said someone came in and they're like, "I don't have that much time. Can you just make something quick?"
14:17 >> What What What state is that? >> [snorts] >> I think it might have been Rhode Island or Maine or something. And then the the the bread is on um it's not a bun. It's like on a toast. >> No, I know exactly what you're talking. It's in New Haven. I was there. Yes, it's in Connecticut. Yeah, I've had it. >> It didn't have cheese on it but it looks delicious. Yeah. >> I'll make that ████ for you right now. >> No, it's the way they make it. >> I got ground beef and toast? >> But the same grill from the 1800s. >> You know you know on the same topic that's from New Haven. Did you know that New Haven is very popular for their pizza as well? >> Really? >> Yes, they are known for white garlic sauce clam pizza. >> That sounds good. >> No, I I I had the same reaction. >> I like a clam pizza. >> I was like I don't even like clam but I tried that and it was it was very unique. And I don't like pizza. So it was not much cheese. It was a little bit of sprinkle of parmesan on the top with
15:08 a lot of garlic sauce and flatbread almost like flatbread. So it was good. Yeah. Yeah, so you know I I like culture too. So I go to all these states learn about the culture and New Haven is actually one like pizza central. >> That's cool. Interesting. Let us know if you guys know of any of your local food challenges in your area in the comments below.
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