Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Grew Up… in the 1990’s in San Francisco with her two parents. As an only child with busy parents who ran a shop, Sasha had to be self-sufficient. Luckily, she always had Marcus Kim, her best friend and neighbor. The Kim family treated her as a daughter, regularly welcoming Sasha over to homemade Korean dinners. Marcus’ mom taught Sasha everything she knows about cooking, but she tragically died when Marcus and Sasha were in high school. Sasha lost her virginity to Marcus in the back seat of his car after the funeral, but they went their separate ways after that.
Living… in Los Angeles. Sasha used to live with her fiance and manager, Brandon Choi, who is a restaurant developer who leads the global branding for A-list culinary stars. But weeks before the wedding, Brandon said he wanted to postpone it so he could join the famous chef Jose Andres on a venture in India for six months. Brandon said that they should have an open relationship during that time to make sure that they are right for each other. When Sasha saw him on TV canoodling with the gorgeous Top Chef star Padma Lakshmi, Sasha realized that their relationship was over and angrily confronted Brandon. She told him she hopes he has terrible karma and comes back in the next life as a nasty little lizard who gets stepped on by someone on a hike.
Profession… celebrity chef who has been on the cover of Food & Wine magazine. Sasha runs a famous restaurant, Knives and Mercy in Los Angeles. She throws herself into her work, and though she loves what she does, she often lets it come before everything. She’s now opening a new high-end restaurant in San Francisco.
Relationship Status… single. Sasha is getting back into the dating world. She’s now involved with a man who she’s having the best sex of her life with. Another plus: he looks a lot like Keanu Reeves.
Challenge… dealing with a blast from the past. When she needed electrical work done on a mansion she is renting in San Francisco, she is surprised to see her old neighbor Marcus Kim show up for the job with his dad who he is in business with. Although many are impressed with Sasha’s success, Marcus thinks she’s changed (and not in a good way). He makes fun of her “phone voice” and he thinks her food is a bit too precious for his taste. But it’s also clear that they still have undeniable chemistry.
Personality… funny, driven, and caring. Sasha might come across as cutthroat and work crazy, but she is so immersed in her career only as an effect of the immense love she has for it. She would do everything for anything or anyone that she loves. She is not afraid of confrontation and faces her passions head on, carrying out both grand gestures but also subtle ones she won’t get credit for.
