Toddler’s Daily Meal Requests Go Viral. When He Asks for Oxtail, Gordon Ramsay Responds (Exclusive)
One toddler’s culinary exploration caught the eye of one of the most beloved chefs out there.
Jack Zhang, a professional chef in his own right, decided to share with the world his explorations of food with his toddler son, 2-year-old Levi. Documenting his reactions to different recipes on TikTok, the dad found his videos gaining a lot of traction.
“Some of my close friends actually encouraged me to start making cooking videos earlier this year,” Zhang tells PEOPLE. “I decided to start cooking fancy meals for my 2-year-old son, Levi and get his reaction and it took off. The responses from everyone have been incredible.”
The videos reached new heights, however, after Levi happily gnawing on delicious oxtails caught the eye of none other than Gordon Ramsay, who stitched his commentary in a viral TikTok.
Reacting to Zhang making Levi the delicious dish, he marveled, “12 months old, I don’t believe it!” and even joked about the dad “braising for someone barely one year of age.”
“This is proving to be a delicious masterclass for Levi,” Ramsay complimented, later joking, “Levi, I’m telling you it’s gonna be a different color in your diaper, let me tell you that.”
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“We didn’t even find out until our family texted us, ‘Have you seen it?'” Zhang shares. “It felt completely surreal seeing Gordon react to my cooking and commenting on how adorable Levi is!”
As the video spread, more people reached out sharing their appreciation of the toddler’s tasty adventures.
“It is very motivating and inspiring to hear people say how much our videos brighten up their day and bring families together through cooking,” Zhang says.Zhang and his wife Emmy continue to be inspired by Levi’s love of food.
“The food that surprised me the most was sea scallops,” he shares. “He loves them and finished his whole plate, then asked for more! He’s enjoyed most of the seafood he’s tried including shrimp, salmon, crab, and lobster.”
As they continue to try different recipes with their little boy, Zhang’s hope is that these videos will always mean something special to Levi as he grows.
“I hope Levi can look back on these videos and appreciate the culinary journey we embarked on together and the amount of joy he has been spreading.”
