I chatted with the co-owner of Nong Lá Vietnamese Cafe, Elaine Phuong, to discuss what it takes to navigate the modern restaurant world as a small Vietnamese business serving food “traditional to her.” Plus, a food review of their phở, bánh mì, and more.

We all know and love Din Tai Fung, the world-renowned Chinese restaurant chain famous for their 小笼包 (xiao long bao). In fact, I’m no stranger to the Century City location, as I’ve been there a number of times with family and friends. My personal favorite is the garlic…

On Saturday mornings, I would take an one hour train ride with my parents to Grand St, the heart of the Fujianese, a southern Chinese province, enclave in New York City’s Chinatown, where their restaurant, their second home, laid. Menus were taped against the door outside to give…

In the latest issue of Pacific Ties (pages 16-17), I wrote an article entitled “Balancing Culture and Conviction,” exploring  the experiences of Asian American vegetarians and vegans.  Because of space limitations in the print issue, I wasn’t able to include veg-friendly recipe and restaurant links. So, here in…