The Lincoln Experience
It all started in a car ride with my friend Linh. We were driving towards Eden Center, a plaza with Vietnamese grocers and restaurants in Falls Church, VA. I was behind the wheel and Linh was navigating in the passenger seat. As far as I can recall, it was a random week day. We go so regularly that I don’t remember why we went, if not just to eat banh mi and drink boba. “You should do one of these pop-ups,” said Linh as she played a TikTok of someone in New York City creating a meal for an intimate group of friends. I shrugged and laughed the idea off. “That would be fun, but there’s no way I could do something like that right now. I’d have to buy so much stuff, and I don’t have the money for it right now,” I said.
And that was the last of our conversation on that topic. But if you should know anything about me, it’s that conversations sit in my head for days at a time. I’m not an overthinker by any means necessary, but I like to let my thoughts ruminate before acting on them. With a project of this caliber, there was quite the rumination.
After that initial conversation in the car, it took me two weeks to put pen to paper. The first thing I wrote out was a list of items I’d need to buy to make something like those TikToks come to life: plates, bowls, cocktail glasses, water cups, napkins, chopsticks, tablecloths, posters, tables, chairs… the list went on without end.
The plan was to create a five-course prix-fixe dinner experience for eight people at a time. There would be one seating at 6 PM and another at 7:30 PM. It’d be hosted outside in my backyard to keep the living room area open to my five roommates whom I shared the house with.
And… I went for it. Naturally, almost nothing went as originally planned. The backyard was too dark and cold, and the heat lamps I acquired from my landlord wouldn’t suffice. The timing was too rushed, the music too loud, the dumplings too sticky, and many, many, many more problems. But over time, I learned a ton, adjusted, and successfully served over 200 customers across 24 seatings in seven months.
Try Lincoln’s Recipe for…
Chili Oil Whipped Goat Cheese
Ingredients:
21 oz Goat Cheese
8 oz Cream Cheese
Salt
3/4 Cup Neutral Oil
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Black Vinegar
1/2 tbsp Fish Sauce
1.5 tbsp Gochugaru
1/2 tbsp Sesame Seeds
1/2 tbsp Minced Garlic
The whipped goat’s cheese was an adaptation of Barcelona Wine Bar’s whipped sheep cheese. My friends and I went to that restaurant every other week during my senior year, so I knew this was a party trick I had to learn. The restaurant serves the cheese with honey and bread, but having my dishes center Asian spices and flavors. I had to pair it with something a bit more exciting than honey.
I came up with the chili oil recipe about one week before I served it for the first time. And if I were to be honest about something, each time I’ve created the chili oil, it’s been different from the previous. When I’m prepping, I throw the same ingredients in a bowl, hoping for a familiar taste, and so far, it hasn’t failed me. For your sake, I made sure to record the measurements.
In a blender, pulse goat cheese, cream cheese, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Heat neutral oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
In a heat safe bowl, combine soy sauce, black vinegar, fish sauce, gochugaru, sesame seeds, and minced garlic.
Pour heated neutral oil into the bowl and slowly mix. Set aside to cool.
Spread an even amount of the whipped goat cheese onto a plate and pour chili oil over.
Serve with bread or crackers.
Lincoln Le works in digital and media relations. In his free time, he runs The Lincoln Experience. You can follow along with his pop-ups, recipes, and food adventures on Instagram at @thelincexperience or Substack at thelincolnexperience.substack.com.