Alexandre Vovan, also known as Oncle Vov (@onclevov) online, is a Montréal-based chef whose niches include food, recipes, local restaurants and Asian cuisine in an accessible format. With over 90.1k followers and 602.7k likes on TikTok, he brings fun and delicious home-cooking content to his audience. We recently had a chance to catch up with him to learn more about his work and future plans as a content creator.
What is your YouTube channel/Twitch stream/podcast/etc called and what is it about?
My main TikTok channel is @onclevov, which is the same for all my other social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch). @onclevov is all about Asian food, recipes, restaurants, etc.
I also create content on another popular TikTok channel, @lechoppedepeche, where I share sportfishing videos about lures, techniques and stream live broadcasts during numerous fishing outings.
When did you start it? What motivated you at the beginning?
I first started sharing Vietnamese recipes on my website because I realised it was nearly impossible to find my mother’s cooking in nearby restaurants. It was my way to perpetuate authentic recipes, but also to make Asian cuisine accessible to everyone. A trip to Vietnam with my wife confirmed my passion for Asian food and the need to share culinary delights to as many people as possible.
Who were you inspired by? Any influences?
My mother is definitely my first and most important inspiration. She spent most of her free time in the kitchen or in the garden. Without giving me explicit cooking lessons, she shared her art by being passionate about everything she did.
In the digital world, I have a lot of admiration for Emmymade, who has got to have the most amazing communication skills, as well as really cool and creative recipe ideas!
How would you describe your audience?
I love the fact that the digital world is inclusive and does not discriminate. As such, our audience is extremely diverse, from people who don’t cook (yet!) to the American chef who wants to know more about Asian methods. Since I post mostly on TikTok, the age range is very wide, going from teenagers who thrive on trendy ramen to retired epicurean aficionados…
What is your creative process? Do you have people who work with you?
I work with my wife, who is the creative mind, constantly feeding me with video ideas, new recipes, trends, etc. I’m more of the « traditional », introvert type, but I truly need her ideas as they help me become a better version of myself. She takes me out of my comfort zone, and that’s what makes our content evolve. I extensively test new recipes before posting, and I’m very picky about it. We even have a few friends whom we ask to taste our recipes, in order to get objective feedback.
How do you monetise your content? Do you also have another job?
As a Canadian TikTok creator, I do not get paid by TikTok as it does not provide a Creative Fund for us, but I teach Computer Science in college.
What is your favourite piece of content you have created?
Personally, I’m proud of my General Tao chicken recipe because it uses authentic methods while being accessible, but my wife’s favourite is the Bangkok Soup, as it was one of her childhood favourites that I re-created to her taste. I also consider it as a personal success.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The kindness of my followers is definitely the best part of being a content creator. They don’t hesitate to tell me that they’ve tried and liked one of my recipes, and that is immensely gratifying. As a teacher, I also love it when I find out that I’ve helped someone understand or perfect a cooking method. The worst part is the condescending attitude that some people have with digital content creators and influencers. Dealing with this misunderstanding can sometimes be frustrating.
What are your future plans for your channel?
I want to continue offering recipes and streaming live cooking sessions, but I also want to use my channel as leverage to shorten the bridge between digital media, influence marketing and traditional media. A recipe book is also in the works.
Where can we follow you?
Website | TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Canadian content creator that you love?
Definitely Bob le Chef, who shares his art in an unpretentious way.
