New Haven’s own Bun Lai was named the “Greatest Person of the Day” by the Huffington Post earlier this week for his work with developing sustainable sushi. In an interview, Lai familiar with the spotlight, talked about his past, his current projects, and his future plans to spread his message.

Lai spoke of his New Haven roots, growing up as the son of a doctor of the Yale Medical School, and how his experience as “an outsider looking in” led him to take a non-traditional route in the art of sushi making.

Lai also spoke of his work with youth in the New Haven community saying:

All year long, I treat inner-city children, who would not normally have the opportunity to experience an acclaimed restaurant that serves food art, to lunches at Miya’s.

Lai’s future endeavors lay past the New Haven bubble, however. He plans to participate in the next season of the Food Network’s television show “Chopped.”