“I voted for Obama,” Kevin tells me as we sit at Ikko—a dark, quiet Japanese restaurant known as one of Orange County’s best. Kevin is not only a foodie, but a chef as well. And let me tell you, he doesn’t pinch pennies when it comes to food. It’s something he takes very seriously, and Ikko is a very serious place. The food is incredible, and I am realizing how much I have been missing out on by stinging around at fast food joints. At the same time, I stare across the table at Kevin as he masticates on his $10 piece of sashimi, thinking how many would view him as an enemy to the Second Amendment by default. “Many of his views I supported whole heartedly and some I completely disagreed with,” Kevin tells me. “Despite all the talk about the bans and restrictive laws on firearms from the very beginning, which indeed infuriated me, I still voted for Obama. He just had more views that I supported than his conservative opposing runner.”

Kevin may have voted for Obama, but he also celebrated Governor Jerry Brown’s veto of SB 374 (The California “assault weapons” ban) last October by parading around the streets wearing a Gadsden flag as a cape and shouting, “DON’T TREAD ON ME!” This amusing and patriotic spectacle was a lot more than many gun owners did. I didn’t see anyone else as enthusiastic as Kevin the entire weekend. Here was a liberal-leaning, Vietnamese-American wearing a Gadsden flag as a cape and a huge smile on his face. As I looked at him smiling I knew exactly what it meant: His dream of owning a Saiga 12 was safe for now. Maybe Jerry Brown wanted a Saiga 12 too. After all, he is a gun owning liberal.

As a person born and raised in Orange County, now in my mid-20’s, I’m used to having half of my gun-owning friends being liberal. That’s just the way it is here in the young shooting community. They are into fashion, they are keen to what’s new, they eat at the best restaurants, drink at the best bars, enjoy electronic music, indie rock, classic rock, record collecting, and some are covered in tattoos. It wouldn’t be uncommon for them to shop at American Rag Cie and then drive out to Palm Springs to shoot and then go to pool parties, all in the same day. The point I’m making is that gun ownership isn’t the same as it once was. Young people across the board are on board for guns in record numbers. Call it the Call of Duty effect, the action movie effect, the result of coming-of-age during the War in Afghanistan and during the fear of terror attacks at home. Whatever the cause, young people are stocking up and suiting up regardless of their political affiliations, and giving the middle finger to whoever tells them that they have an unhealthy fascination with firearms or fashion.

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How did you get into shooting?

Growing up, my parents taught me that guns were terrible things. This anti-gun brainwashing didn’t come to a much needed end until high school. A friend and his brothers all had guns. Guns of all sorts, calibers, actions, you name it. At first I was fearful even to hold one when offered, but after much hesitation, I picked one up. It was a Mossberg 500. A very reliable, very fun firearm I must add. Once it was in my hands, I did what every gun enthusiast usually does: aimed it and looked down the sites. Damn, it felt good. It felt right. It felt like an extension of my own arm. So I asked, “When can we go shoot?”

To Lytle Creek we went one day. I was nervous, anxious, and excited. It was a wonderful cocktail of emotions. We set up on the shotgun range, I put my ear and eye protection on, loaded up a shotty, then I yelled, “PULL!”, and there went the first clay. I pulled the trigger, an instant success. I nailed it. Then another, after another, after another, I didn’t miss a single one. That was then I knew that I loved guns. I loved shooting, I loved the thrill of hitting your target. A few days later I went to Big 5 and bought my first gun. An H&R Pardner. I love the thing. One shot is all I need (ongoing alcohol-related joke).

Why do you prefer shotguns?

What’s there not to love about a good shotty in the right hands? 1) I rarely miss a clay at any distance or speed. I like them because I’m good at them. 2) Pump actions. They feel manly. Why, you ask? Don’t you watch action movies? That’s how I feel. 3) Zombies. 4) Home defense. I hate thieves, my home has been robbed once and it sucked. Bastards. Shotguns are a great home defense weapons. Put a slug up in the chamber and say goodbye to whatever is in its path.

Tell me more about when your house was robbed.

Well, I went to work for a short shift that day at my kitchen job at a local Japanese joint. Five hours went by and I went home. At the time, my folks and grandma lived at home, so as I entered my home, something felt strange. It was dark and I felt a breeze in the house. I went to the hallway and saw that the rooms were partially closed so I thought my grandma had come home from her trip to Seattle. I opened her room door and saw shit just scattered everywhere. I immediately thought to myself, “OH CRAP.” I went to my parents’ room and saw more stuff scattered everywhere and a broken window from which they entered. The most alarming thing was that I saw a knife from the kitchen on my parents’ dresser. That wouldn’t have done anything if I was home. So I went outside, called my Dad, and then 911. The cops came took some evidence but the robbers were never found. I hope they’re rotting somewhere.

So why did you decide to pursue the culinary arts?

It was an accidental love. I was working as a dishwasher to make a paycheck just to spend on stuff I wanted and to pay for a bit of school. I was originally studying Environmental Science to do some Captain Planet stuff, you know. Save the world. One day, they asked me if I wanted to try to cook. It came with an increase in pay so I took the offer. My first job as a cook was to make the udon every morning. After a few batches, my chef told me I made it better than he did, which was a surprise. I was good on the line, food came out on time, quality was great, I was an immediate hit, and the best employee there. I found out that I was really good at cooking, and I had no idea. My Dad always cooked and my Mom does pastry, so I guess it’s blood. I knew even if I finished studying Environmental Science, I would hate doing the job. The pay would’ve been ridiculously good, but I would’ve hated it. Why do people even hold a job they hate? I don’t get it. All the money but no happiness. I mean, money is dope; I  love money, and I have plenty of it right now for my age, but it’s because I get it from doings things I love. Cooking and other stuff. So I said screw it, I’m dropping out. So I traded my lab coat for a chef’s coat.

Tell me about your passion for food.

Every dish I make is a reflection of myself, my personality, my skills, my ideas, on a plate. Just like a painter and his paint on a canvas. People enjoy paintings visually and people enjoy food by tasting. There’s nothing better on this planet than a well-constructed dish. The joys of that perfect first bite are unforgettable. Seeing people enjoy a plate, hearing that compliment, seeing your work on a plate looking all majestic…it’s thrilling, it feels good, almost orgasmic. The feeling after a hard day’s work, when you’ve pushed out hundreds of covers, success. I can’t get enough of it. My passion thrives off of it, feeds off of it. I love it. I need more, I can’t stop. Such a pure high.

Why do you dress the way you do?

If I look good, I feel good. I’m always looking fresh, ALWAYS. Except for four reasons: 1) I’m sick. 2) I’m sleeping. 3) I’m really drunk…which I don’t have to worry about anymore because I quit. 4) I’m dead. Even then I’d probably be in a casket somewhere IN a suit. Some of my favorite feelings, other than the ones I get from cooking, are compliments on my outfit, double takes, and admiring stares. It’s a nice fuel for the ego. Looking good makes me confident, It makes me more charismatic. How I’m dressed reflects on how I think. Now, back when alcohol and good appearances were in the mix, it made me a complete douche. Glad those days came to an end. I was out of control. Dressing well says a lot about yourself. If you dress well, people will see that you take good care of yourself, you have great taste, and it’s a plus with the women. Trust. Tom Ford once said, “Dressing well is a form of good manners.” Which I totally agree with.

What look do you go for and what are some of your favorite brands?

The Dapper look. I love Dapper. I love the classics. You’ll rarely see me out of a button-up. I do wear regular shirts, but it depends. Usually a button-up though. Paired with a nice pair of slacks or jeans and dress shoes. I rarely stray away from that combination. I used to wear a suit all the time but it gets annoying taking all my suits to the dry cleaners, so that ended. I like things that make me look sharp and still look simple. Like Don Draper said, “Make it simple, but significant.” Great guy. Favorite brands? I shop a lot at J.Crew, their stuff is perfect. Pretty much exactly what I try to go for. Simple and perfect. Straight to the point and fresh. I absolutely adore Prada, got some shoes, wallet, can’t get enough of Prada. Prada’s my favorite. Ray-Bans are dope too. Very classic, simple.

Places I shop at? J.Crew, Prada, Theory, Club Monaco, you start to see a common theme. I go to Saks Fifth—got a friend there who doubles as a personal stylist—and Bloomies too of course. Even my dog, Connor, is receiving his Gucci collar in the mail soon. Might have gone too far there. Purchasing some new shoes from Andres Sendra soon; custom, handmade to order beautiful shoes from Spain. Great stuff. Also, to all those gents out there reading this: If you buy a suit, make sure you get the damn thing tailored. A suit is nothing without a tailor.