Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Chef Weii’s story is one of rebellion, discipline, reinvention and an uncompromising pursuit of excellence.
After falling in with the wrong crowd growing up in Queens, New York, he was arrested at 13 and spent 18 months in juvenile detention. The experience introduced him to structure and consistency, but, more importantly, convinced him that he would never return to that life.
The gym became his anchor. Cycling gave him direction. An unexpected injury ended his opportunity to pursue professional racing, ultimately pushing him toward the culinary world.
After dropping out of college, Chef Weii walked into one of New York City’s most demanding Japanese restaurants with limited experience and the confidence to tell the chef:
“You have zero to lose, but you have a lot to gain.”
That opportunity would shape his discipline, attention to detail and relentless standards.
Today, Chef Weii is redefining what a modern chef can become. By combining world-class omakase, luxury hospitality, storytelling and highly intentional social media content, he has built a brand followed by hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
In this episode, Chef Weii and Manning Sumner discuss:
• Spending 18 months in juvenile detention
• How adversity created his discipline
• Why the gym became his place of solitude
• Walking away from a potential professional cycling career
• Dropping out of college to pursue cooking
• Earning an opportunity at an elite New York restaurant
• The brutal mentorship that transformed his standards
• Why he refuses to celebrate before the work is complete
• Building and managing a high-performance team
• Making omakase feel modern, luxurious and culturally relevant
• Growing from approximately 900 followers to more than 500,000
• Why storytelling changed the trajectory of his brand
• Creating an experience people travel across the world to attend
• His vision for expanding beyond the title of “chef”
Chef Weii isn’t interested in copying what already exists. His goal is to create something unmistakably his own, and he believes he is only 10% of the way there.
Watch the full episode and discover how rock bottom, discipline and an obsession with improvement created one of the most exciting culinary brands in the world.
Subscribe to The Big Dawgs Podcast for more conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators and leaders committed to becoming their best selves.
Hosted by Manning Sumner
Presented by The Big Dawgs Podcast
NO DAYS OFF® is never taking a day off on you. It’s a commitment to becoming your best self.
Follow Chef Weii
@omaweii
Follow THE BIG DAWGS podcast
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-dawgs-with-manning-sumner/id1667127648
open.spotify.com/show/4yJuvkdFdVChIdW0wdCm18?si=90ae60d43d2746e3
___________________
Follow Manning Sumner
Instagram: instagram.com/manningsumner
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/manningsumner
TikTok: tiktok.com/@manningsumner
Twitter: x.com/manningsumner
NO DAYS OFF: instagram.com/nodaysoff
_______________
Follow NO DAYS OFF Premium Water
Website: drinkndo.com
Instagram: instagram.com/drinknodaysoff
_______________
LEGACY GYM
Website: legacyfit.com
Instagram: instagram.com/legacynodaysoff/?hl=en
#BigDawgsPodcast #ManningSumner #Omakase #Miami #NoDaysOff #Chefweii #Entrepreneurship
Chef Weii’s story is one of rebellion, discipline, reinvention and an uncompromising pursuit of excellence.
After falling in with the wrong crowd growing up in Queens, New York, he was arrested at 13 and spent 18 months in juvenile detention. The experience introduced him to structure and consistency, but, more importantly, convinced him that he would never return to that life.
The gym became his anchor. Cycling gave him direction. An unexpected injury ended his opportunity to pursue professional racing, ultimately pushing him toward the culinary world.
After dropping out of college, Chef Weii walked into one of New York City’s most demanding Japanese restaurants with limited experience and the confidence to tell the chef:
“You have zero to lose, but you have a lot to gain.”
That opportunity would shape his discipline, attention to detail and relentless standards.
Today, Chef Weii is redefining what a modern chef can become. By combining world-class omakase, luxury hospitality, storytelling and highly intentional social media content, he has built a brand followed by hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
In this episode, Chef Weii and Manning Sumner discuss:
• Spending 18 months in juvenile detention
• How adversity created his discipline
• Why the gym became his place of solitude
• Walking away from a potential professional cycling career
• Dropping out of college to pursue cooking
• Earning an opportunity at an elite New York restaurant
• The brutal mentorship that transformed his standards
• Why he refuses to celebrate before the work is complete
• Building and managing a high-performance team
• Making omakase feel modern, luxurious and culturally relevant
• Growing from approximately 900 followers to more than 500,000
• Why storytelling changed the trajectory of his brand
• Creating an experience people travel across the world to attend
• His vision for expanding beyond the title of “chef”
Chef Weii isn’t interested in copying what already exists. His goal is to create something unmistakably his own, and he believes he is only 10% of the way there.
Watch the full episode and discover how rock bottom, discipline and an obsession with improvement created one of the most exciting culinary brands in the world.
Subscribe to The Big Dawgs Podcast for more conversations with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators and leaders committed to becoming their best selves.
Hosted by Manning Sumner
Presented by The Big Dawgs Podcast
NO DAYS OFF® is never taking a day off on you. It’s a commitment to becoming your best self.
Follow Chef Weii
@omaweii
Follow THE BIG DAWGS podcast
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-dawgs-with-manning-sumner/id1667127648
open.spotify.com/show/4yJuvkdFdVChIdW0wdCm18?si=90ae60d43d2746e3
___________________
Follow Manning Sumner
Instagram: instagram.com/manningsumner
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/manningsumner
TikTok: tiktok.com/@manningsumner
Twitter: x.com/manningsumner
NO DAYS OFF: instagram.com/nodaysoff
_______________
Follow NO DAYS OFF Premium Water
Website: drinkndo.com
Instagram: instagram.com/drinknodaysoff
_______________
LEGACY GYM
Website: legacyfit.com
Instagram: instagram.com/legacynodaysoff/?hl=en
#BigDawgsPodcast #ManningSumner #Omakase #Miami #NoDaysOff #Chefweii #Entrepreneurship
