Raina Huang, aka Raina is Crazy on social media, made a trip to Denver last week to eat, eat, and eat some more. The California-based influencer and professional competitive food eater has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, with fans from all over the world. This time, she was in Denver for three days to challenge, try, and conquer the food scene.
The public schedule she shared consisted of four stops over three days, which included the five-pound XXXL beef noodle soup at Yu’s Noodle Shop in Lone Tree, the 50-piece sushi challenge at Chubby Fish Sushi in Thornton, and 10 buns and 25 pieces of sushi in under 10 minutes at Ma’s Kitchen in Denver. She did it in two minutes and five seconds.
Not only that, but after crushing the buns and sushi in honor of Ma’s X Okinawa Pop Up, she went on to eat 50 dumplings right after. While those were certainly accomplished (as you can see on her Instagram feed), she did so much more.
We caught up with Huang in the middle of her tour when she visited Toki Ramen & Sushi in Denver to participate in the Hellfire Spicy Ramen Challenge. Huang and five other spice lovers (including this writer’s own 12-year-old son) were tasked with finishing a bowl of super spicy soup crafted with four chilies by the restaurant’s owner. Yes, she won, finishing in under two minutes.
But, before that, we sat down with the pro eater to learn more about how and why she does this.
When and how did you get inspired to start competitive eating for a living?
I’ve always made videos and I like to entertain. Then one day I just stumbled across a food challenge, a four-pound burrito. I ate it in six minutes, and that just got a ton of views. Ever since then my focus was food challenges because I was like, ‘Oh, I guess people like to watch me eat.’ I’ve now traveled all the states and 12 different countries doing food challenges in all of them.
This isn’t your first time in Colorado…are there any places you want to go to that aren’t on your eating schedule?
I’ve done a lot of local challenges here already. I think today I’m also going to just visit local eateries, you know, that people recommended, and just try it out. I don’t have to eat a lot all the time. I literally just want to try out some really cool foods.
One of them is a place called Lucy’s Burgers or something [Lucy’s Burger Bar]. They have this cheese-filled burger that looks really cool. And then I’m going to a hot pot restaurant, and then I think also a taco truck.
Nice! What are some of your favorite foods to eat when you’re not doing it for work?
Oh, dumplings. Dumplings are my favorite food.
So today is the Toki Ramen & Sushi Hellfire spice challenge, what did you do to prepare today?
For the spicy challenge? Nothing really. My spice tolerance is actually pretty high, so I’m just going to hope it’s not, like, too bad, but I think I should be able to handle it.
I have to ask, yesterday I watched everything you were doing on Instagram…how did you do three in a day?
Well, after the first one, I was just at the gym for three hours, and then I went to go do the next one, and then I was at the gym for another two hours. I did chest day yesterday and my chest is really sore.
That’s a lot of gym time, what do you do while you’re working out?
I’m just, like, on my phone or editing., I edit and work out at the same time. That’s how I have all the videos out so fast. I think that’s another element that not many people realize, I edit in real time. Most people have editors and stuff. I still do everything on my own.
Do you have any tips for people that maybe want to try their hand at a big challenge?
I think just, like, honestly, just have fun with it. I didn’t really train or whatever. I think what would help is intermittent fasting. Like, you know, a lot of bodybuilders, they have one big meal of the day. I just eat fast, but I’m pretty sure they eat more than me.
I do [intermittent fasting] when I’m not doing challenges. So, like, the whole day I would just starve, and then after a workout or whatever, I just go eat protein.
Do you eat really fast normally?
No, no, no, no. For the challenges I do eat faster than normal. And it’s also because, like, if you eat faster, your brain doesn’t kick in to say, ‘Oh, you’re full, stop.’
And finally, I just wanted to know, when you do these challenges, do you ever have to customize things? Or are there ever foods that you won’t eat?
I don’t eat raw stuff. So, like, yesterday at the sushi challenge, I told them, ‘No raw fish.’ I’ll never touch bugs. There were a lot of bugs in Thailand. That scared me. I can’t eat balut (a fertilized duck egg boiled and eaten mainly in the Philippines). But I do eat sticky tofu, because I’m Taiwanese. It’s just really pungent. I also eat pork intestines. That’s not too bad, but I don’t liver or kidney or heart.
So no bug challenges and no balut challenges…
No, no, no, no! It’s just funny because I do have a big Filipino fanbase, and they do have a lot of balut eating contests. I can’t do that.
After the spicy ramen challenge Huang went on to visit numerous other spots not on her “official” list, including Kona Hawaiian Barbecue, Kassai Sushi, Panda Dim Sum & Dumplings, Bong Bong Hot Pot, Lucy’s Burger Bar, Nana’s Dim Sum Central Park, Com Nha Kitchen & Bar, San Julian Mexican Restaurant, Wings & Burgers Prime, and Yummy Hot Pot. See her eat a ton of food at all of them at @rainaiscrazy.
