Indo and Nippon Tei are two of St. Louis' most popular restaurants.
Behind the Japanese and Thai flavors that have won major accolades- is the love between a mother and son.
Anne Bognar knew Nick had a natural talent for cooking when she came home one day to find her child had just finishing making a dish from a Thai cookbook.
To date, Nick has received two nominations for Best New Restaurant and Rising Star Chef from the James Beard Foundation and has been named a Food and Wine Best New Chef.
Among other accolades.
But Nick says his mom deserves all the praise when it comes to being a chef.
Nick grew up in the kitchen at his mom's restaurant. He left to work at an upscale sushi restaurant in Austin, Texas and returned to St. Louis. When he came back home, he revamped Nippon Tei and decided to open Indo.
Dishes like shrimp toast at Indo are inspired by his childhood.
Cabbage salad also brings back memories for Nick.
Nippon Tei is located at 14025 Manchester Rd. For more information, visit nippon.teistl.com. Indo is located at 1641D Tower Grove Ave. For more information, visit indo-stl.com.