Feast Meets West (Heritage Radio Network)

Ever wonder how curry became one of Japan's most popular dishes? Tomoko Omori, President and CEO of Go Go Curry USA, joins Lynda and Iris in the studio to discuss what makes Japanese curry different, why it's so well-loved, and why the Go Go Curry franchise has been so internationally successful.

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Today, we’re talking about sesame noodles and the family that made it a staple in New York City’s culinary landscape, and helped define Chinese cuisine since the 60s, pioneering the craze for fiery Sichuanese. Chef Chen Lieh Tang and James Tang, son and grandson to the legendary Shorty Tang, join us in the studio to talk about the popular dish and the return of their restaurant Hwa Yuan on East Broadway.

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Our first Nepalese guest, Fulpa Jangbu of Momo Delight, joins Lynda on our second to last episode of the year to talk about Nepalese and Tibetan food, and why New Yorkers love momo!

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We're talking about a Chinese cuisine we’ve never covered before on Feast Meets West - and that’s Yunnan cuisine. Yunnan’s best known for its “crossing the bridge noodles”, which is a soup based rice noodles dish. It's also the signature dish at the new noodle shop “South of the Clouds” in Greenwich Village. Joining us in the studio is Chef & Owner Liheng Geng.

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Ever wonder why there's so much Spam in Asian food? Chef and owner of the Talde restaurants and former Top Chef contestant, Dale Talde, joins Lynda and Iris in the studio to discuss this fascinating aspect of Asian cuisine!

We're talking about Taiwan’s beef noodle soup. The beef noodle soup is typically a meal onto itself. A hearty bowl of wheat flour noodles in beef broth, with slices of braised beef, often accompanied with suan cai (Chinese sauerkraut), and scallions, and sometimes other leafy vegetables. Richard Ho talks to us about perfecting the beef noodle soup at his shop Ho Foods.

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For our last episode of the season, we’re talking to Chefs Jenny Dorsey of Studio ATAO and Helen Nguyen of Saigon Social in the second segment of a continued series on Women in Asian food. Most of the questions have been sourced from The Cosmos - a fast-growing community for Asian women creators, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and artists to flourish and thrive. We’ll be covering topics such as career changing into food, appropriation vs. appreciation of a cuisine, navigating the industry as a woman of color, mental health, and more.

Image courtesy of Saigon Social.

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We've talked about tea before, but on this episode, we go back to where it all began: Chinese tea. The very knowledgable founder and CEO of Tea Drunk, Shunan Teng, talks to Lynda and Iris about what we need to understand about Chinese tea in the modern day. Plus, a bonus interview clip from Yisheng Organic in Hong Kong on why organic and fairtrade tea is important!

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Eric Sze, owner of the contemporary Chinese noodle bar The Tang, talks to Lynda and Iris about Chinese noodle culture and one dish in particular: zha jiang mian. Tune in to find out more about this iconic Beijing noodle dish and why he calls zha jiang "the mother sauce."

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We continue our Corona Diaries conversations with Chef Lien Lin of Bricolage, the Vietnamese gastropub in Park Slope, and Owner Maiko Kyogoku and Chef Emily Yuen of Bessou, the modern Japanese comfort food restaurant in Soho. Tune in to find out how the pandemic fast forwarded Lien’s plans to move her family to the West Coast, complete with a cross-country RV adventure. Hear how Maiko and Emily have been adjusting Bessou for takeout, taking on projects to support frontline healthcare workers, and more. 

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Feast Meets West on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Image courtesy of Melissa Hom for Bessou.

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This week Lynda and Iris share the pilot episode of Feast Meets West recorded at the HRN studio back in October 2016! They talk to Esther Choi, who is the Chef/Owner of Korean ramen joint mokbar. Check out this very special episode to find out why kimchi is so essential to the Korean people, its health benefits, and why non-Koreans are embracing it now.

Joanne Kwong, President of Pearl River Mart, the iconic NYC “friendship store” specializing in Asian goods since 1971, joins us to chat about her favorite Asian snacks! We find out what the best selling classics are at the store, as well as what’s new and trending. Joanne will also speak to the history and progression of the Pearl River brand, and give us a sneak peek of the soon-to-be opened fourth location dedicated to Asian foods.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

Photo courtesy of An Rong Xu.

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Stephen Cheuk, founder of S10 Training and co-founder of House of Matcha, is very passionate about the health benefits of matcha. He joins Lynda and Iris in the studio this week to tell his story of how he discovered this Japanese tea, talk about how he came to launch a matcha brand, and tell us why making a daily habit of drinking matcha could improve your life.

In Feast Meets West's first installment of the "Asian Breakfast Series", Lynda and Iris discuss why Asian breakfast hasn't quite yet taken off in the US. Chef Yo of seasonal Thai restaurant, Pinto Garden, joins them in the studio to shed some light on what breakfast looks like in Thailand, and to talk about Pinto Garden's new Thai-inspired brunch menu.

Lucas Sin, Chef of Junzi Kitchen, and Amelie Kang, Founder of TOMORROW, join us to talk about changing the perception of Chinese Takeout in the City with their fast-casual concepts. Delicious, colorful, convenient. We discuss how a simple and humble thing like takeout can drive the education of Chinese culture.

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These days, soy sauce is found in practically every pantry worldwide. Tune in to learn about one of the world’s oldest condiments, originating from China, and the backbone to so many Asian dishes. Josh Grinker, Co-Owner and Executive Chef of Kings County Imperial in Brooklyn, joins us to chat about their soy sauce on tap, why it tastes different from your bottle of Kikkoman, and how he uses it to make their delicious Chinese food.

This Valentine's Day, we are talking about a beloved dish that will warm you up inside and out. Hotpot is one of the most popular and oldest dishes originating from China over a thousand year's ago. In the studio with us is Yu Li, Founder of Tang Hotpot, where he serves up an authentic yet upscale Sichuan hotpot experience.

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Simone Tong, Chef-Owner, and Emmeline Zhao, GM and Partner, of Little Tong, Little Tong Noodle Shop, and the soon-to-be opened Silver Apricot talk to us about their culinary progression from introducing mixian at Little Tong to showcasing what it means to be Chinese-American today at Silver Apricot. We'll chat about this coming of age for Chinese-American food--a clear distinction from the American-Chinese food born out of economic necessity.

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Paul Chen of Fan Fried Rice and Layla Chen of Maya Bed Stuy join us to discuss the topic of rice as a comfort food. They also share some parallel experiences as shop owners that specialize in a rice dish that pays respect to their heritage: for Paul it’s fried rice and for Layla it’s congee, their approach in combining tradition and modernity on their respective menus, and setting up shop in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn.

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Karen Lin, Executive General Manager of Bar Moga, and Leif Huckman, Creative Director of Hidden Pearl, join us to talk about the Japanese influence at their bars and within cocktail culture in the City.

We wrap up the season with a talented bunch putting Vietnamese food at the forefront of NYC’s best restaurants lists with their interpretations of the cuisine. Listen to Hanoi House Co-founder Sara Leveen and Chef Daniel Le, and Di An Di Co-owner Kim Hoang and Chef/Co-owner Dennis Ngo discuss the new wave of Vietnamese restaurants in NYC.

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There's more to Japanese cuisine than sushi, sashimi, onigiri, and miso soup! Maiko Kyogoku of Bessou talks to Lynda and Iris about Japanese comfort food, as well as her influences for the seasonal, home-style food served at her downtown restaurant.

Rick Smith, owner of NYC's first and only premium sake shop Sakaya, joins Lynda and Iris on the show to unpack the fundamentals of this Japanese beverage. Plus, a special interview clip from Hong Kong with sake sommelier, Ayuchi Momose!

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On this week's episode, we talk about one of the oldest and most popular street food items in China--jianbing. It’s a crispy and savory crepe packed with delicious flavors, textures and color. Brian Goldberg, Founder of Mr. Bing, first fell in love with jianbing when he studied Chinese in Beijing in the late 90s; he bought jianbing everyday outside of his school from a nice lady who made them fresh on the back of a bicycle cart. Tune in to learn about this tasty treat and its journey to NYC.

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Instead of talking about a particular dish, this week Lynda and Iris delve deep to understand one country's cuisine: The Philippines. Leah Cohen, chef/owner of Pig & Khao and former Top Chef contestant, joins them in the studio to shed some light on Filipino food, and to discuss what took so long for the cuisine to get the recognition it deserves.

Originating in Taiwan in the 1980's, boba or bubble tea has been an international hit, but this new beverage is still evolving. Joining Lynda and Iris in the studio is Bin Chen, co-founder of the extremely popular Boba Guys. Boba Guys opened their first store in San Francisco in 2013. Today, they have 4 locations in SF, 1 in NYC - with another opening this month in Greenwich Village. Tune in to learn the brief but interesting history of this drink, why it's so big in the West, and what people like Boba Guys are doing to make it even better.

Jordan Andino is the Chef/Owner of Filipino Tacqueria, 2nd City. He joins Lynda and Iris on the first episode of our Fall Season to explain what Filipino breakfast looks like (mmm...longanisa). They also discuss his brand new Cooking Channel show--"Late Nite Eats"!

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Early last year, Eric Huang left his sous chef position at Eleven Madison Park to open his own restaurant. However, the pandemic forced Eric to switch gears. It led him back to his family's restaurant, Peking House, where he started Pecking House—a delivery concept for chili fried chicken dinners, so successful it has an 8-week long waitlist. Tune in to hear Eric talk about his new culinary path, one that he never expected but is far more rewarding and fun than he ever thought it would be.

Photo Courtesy of Daniel Brennan

Keep Feast Meets West on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Chef Floyd Cardoz of Tabla and Top Chef Masters fame joins Lynda and Iris in the studio this week. He sheds some light on what home-style Indian food is and how it differs from the Indian cuisine in restaurants. They also discuss his casual modern Indian restaurant, Paowalla, which opened last year.

Jet Tila, Celebrity Chef, Culinary Ambassador of Thai Cuisine, and cookbook author of 101 Asian Dishes You Need To Cook Before You Die, joins Lynda in the studio to talk about the Philosophy of "Yum", and how you can incorporate this concept into your cooking.

The East Village, or should we call it "Chinatown North," is now flush with Chinese restaurants dedicated to changing the perception of Chinese food in NYC by serving up a variety of delicious regional cuisines in pleasant dining environments. To talk about this development, and their new ventures is Eric Sze of 886, who is bringing Taiwanese street food culture to New York in a refined way, and Chao Wang and Dong Lu of Hunan Slurp, who are featuring artistically presented Hunan rice noodles and dishes in their contemporary eatery.

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Don’t be scared, fusion is not the f-word, especially when it’s executed in a responsible and thoughtful way. Tonight we’ll talk about how to approach the fusion of western and eastern ideas, ingredients, and techniques that’s creative and productive with the help of Chef Xiaowei Zheng of Chiko and Donovan Tian of Daily Provisions.

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Lynda and Iris talk to Los Angeles-based food blogger and cookbook author, Jeff Keasberry, about the "rijsttafel" - how it's integral to the Indo Dutch cuisine, one the world's oldest fusion cuisines, and why you need to know about it.

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Elaine Chen of The New York Times and Wilson Tang of Nom Wah Tea Parlor join us to talk about the evolution of Chinatown -- one of the few historic immigrant working class neighborhoods left in Manhattan. We dive into Elaine’s experience writing her Times article “As Manhattan’s Chinatown Changes, Food Vendors Keep a Bit of the Old with the New”, Wilson’s experience running the iconic Nom Wah Tea Parlor in Chinatown, and we discuss the broader cultural trends of a changing neighborhood. We attempt to get to the essence of what makes Chinatown, Chinatown.

Photo by Mary Inhea Kang for The New York Times

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For the last episode of the season, we chat with Tracy and Tiffany Pham of Red Boat Fish Sauce, a product beloved by chefs and home cooks around the world. Tracy and Tiffany tell us about what makes their fish sauce special, what the company is making beyond fish sauce, and what it’s like to work with the Red Boat founder, their dad, Cuong Pham. The sisters also reveal a new product launching this summer.

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Feast Meets West on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Image courtesy of Marie Buck for Red Boat.

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Sink into artisinal tofu with Paul Eng, heir to a tofu dynasty. Since 1933, the Chinatown specialty tofu shop Fong On has been run by the Eng family. Prior to coming back to the family business, Paul embarked on a series of other careers over the span of 25 years that led him to music, design, art direction, advertising and photography. Paul has now rebooted the shop for both long-time customers as well as a younger generation.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

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There are countless dishes that you should be adding miso to beyond the omnipresent soup! Maiko Kyogoku and Emily Yuen, the dynamic duo behind Bessou, join us in the studio to tell us about all the different miso varietals and how to use them so you can add more umami magic to your life.

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For today’s conversation, we actually won’t be talking about a specific Asian dish or cuisine, but we’re happy to have our first Asian food collective on the show. Chefs Chris Cheung of East Wind Snack Shop, Doron Wong of Northern Tiger, and Jonathan Wu formerly of Fung Tu, are members of the Asian Food Mafia -- a collective of culinary professionals who support the education and growth of Asian food. Learn about the group, what they've been up to, and what they're taking on next.

Eric Tran didn’t set out to open a restaurant during a pandemic, but here we are. Eric took over the lease for Falansai and now operates the Bushwick restaurant as a reimagined 2.0 version, making his interpretation of delicious Vietnamese dishes with a focus on whole animal butchery and seasonally and locally sourced ingredients. We talk about the food, what it was like to open with a takeout and delivery focus to start, and what’s in store for Falansai as the city reopens.

Photo Courtesy of Adam Friedlander

Keep Feast Meets West on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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We catch up with a former guest, Joanne Kwong, President of Pearl River Mart. Joanne tells us about the changes she's made at Pearl River Mart due to Covid, as customers shop online instead of in-stores, and the wide range of projects she’s taken on for her local communities, including her participation in Mayor De Blasio’s Small Business Sector Advisory Council.

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Feast Meets West  on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Image courtesy of Pearl River Mart.

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Nikkei is the result of the culinary romance and intense cultural exchange between Japan and Peru. The cuisine grew out of the Japanese presence in Peru, which started when the Japanese farmers began emigrating there in the late 1800s. We talk to 2 Peruvian-American Chefs paving the way for Nikkei in NYC: Erik Ramirez of Llama Inn, Llamita, and Llama-San, and Mina Newman of Sen Sakana.

Photo courtesy of Sen Sakana.

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We’re thrilled to be back! For our first episode of 2021, we chat with Joe Boo, Founder of Asian Veggies, a business born out of the pandemic. Joe started Asian Veggies, a New York City based grocery delivery service, as an effort to save his dad’s wholesale vegetable business in Brooklyn when COVID hit. In the span of a year, the delivery service has expanded from selling 40 to 650 products. Tune in to hear about the incredible journey of Asian Veggies and what’s next.

Keep Feast Meets West on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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We all know what hot pot is, but what is Sichuan dry pot? Founder of MáLà Project, Amelie Kang, joins Lynda in the studio to help us learn more about this super flavorful and aromatic communal dish, and chat about the supportive restaurant network in her community.

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While the food of Laos is underrepresented here in the West, you'd be surprised to learn that you may have actually already had Lao dishes, but thought they were Thai! Restauranteur and James Beard Award Semifinalist, Chef Seng Luangrath, joins Lynda and Iris in the studio to help us navigate the world of Lao cuisine and talk about sticky rice, a Lao staple food.

Lynda and Iris sit down with Kyo Pang, owner and chef at Kopitiam for another Asian Breakfast episode! Kyo enlightens us on what breakfast looks like in Malaysia, why she followed in her families footsteps to open her own cafe, and what is Baba-Nyonya food.

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You may be familiar with some fermented Asian food staples, like soy sauce and kimchi (see past FMW episodes!). Today, we're exploring some of the less well-known flavors from the Chinese pantry with the help of Calvin Eng of Nom Wah. Learn about all the fermented and preserved funky goodness you've been missing out on as the chef guides us through the "oddities" in his fridge!

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This episode, we are joined by Sri Rao to help us learn more about Indian-American recipes, culture, and his new cookbook Bollywood Kitchen: Home-cooked Indian Meals Paired With Unforgettable Bollywood Films.

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Over one and a half billion people use chopsticks as their primary eating utensil. In his book “Chopsticks: A Cultural and Culinary History”, Professor Q. Edward Wang charts their evolution from a simple eating implement to their status as a more complex, cultural symbol today. Edward joins us to share his insights on the origin of the chopsticks, the intra-Asian differences within the “chopsticks cultural sphere”, and their global appeal.

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It’s our 50th episode of Feast Meets West! Today, we have a fun episode for you covering how the Korean BBQ experience can be elevated, unexpected, and how you can be more mindful and respectful of your meats. We're chatting with Simon Kim, owner of Cote, NYC's first Korean steakhouse, and what Pete Wells of the NYTimes called "the best beef at any Korean BBQ in New York".

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Ever wonder what the pork is in your takeout BBQ pork fried rice? It's a watered down version of char siu, the most popular variety of Cantonese roast meats. Lynda and Iris talk about what it is, how it makes the perfect lunchbox in Hong Kong, and where char siu has travelled. We interview Thomas Chen, Executive Chef/Owner of Tuome on Cantonese roast meats and how he incorporates it into his contemporary American restaurant's menu.

Today, we are not just talking about Chinese food, but also the elevated dining experience you can find at a number of Chinese restaurants in recent years. We're chatting with founders Yiming Wang and Xian Zhang of Cafe China, China Blue, and Birds of a Feather, who are purposefully designing Chinese restaurants that become well known as much for its food as for its tastefully designed spaces.

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Restauranteur Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya, the dynamic duo behind Adda Indian Canteen in Long Island City, Rahi in Greenwich Village, and the soon to opened Dhamaka in Essex Street Market, are opening the eyes and palettes of New Yorkers to what authentic Indian food looks and tastes like. The menus composed by Chef Chintan are inspired by recipes found across the Indian subcontinent, nostalgic dishes that he and Roni grew up with, and innovations using Indian flavors and cooking techniques.

The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.

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Lynda and Iris interview JT Vuong and George Padilla of YUJI Ramen, a restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with a mission to introduce new variations of Japanese ramen to the United States. They trace the milestones that brought ramen from its origins to its current status as a dish with a cult following, and discuss how ramen will continue to evolve in the international culinary scene.

Ed Schoenfeld, creator of the critically acclaimed restaurants Red Farm and Decoy, joins us in the studio to talk about the iconic Peking Duck and the Chinese banquet style of dining. Both New York Magazine and GQ have recognized Decoy as the best Peking Duck option in New York City. We'll cover all the details that go into making this celebratory big format meal, as well as discuss Ed's five decades long career in Chinese restaurants, and his experiences hosting Chinese banquets since the 70s.

Photo courtesy of Matt Taylor-Gross.

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Kimbap is an iconic Korean dish made from cooked rice, and other ingredients that are rolled in a dried sheet of seaweed, cut up and served in bite size pieces, or as our friends from Kimbap Lab call it--bimbimbap in a roll. Co-founder of Kimbap Lab, Sarah Lee, will take us through her experience with this dish, her mission at Kimbap Lab, introducing sauces to kimbap, making Korean food gluten-free, and more!

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Chef Baobao of Baoburg in Greenpoint, and Chef Lien Lin of Bricolage in Park Slope join us to talk about the experiences of being a female chef in Asian food in NYC - from the path to opening their restaurants to the daily challenges and rewards. We'll also hear about the food they make - rich and authentic in their own stories.

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We are chatting with Ali Azimov of Lagman House about his family's restaurant, and introducing our listeners to Dungan cuisine. As Ligaya Mishan pointed out in The New York Times, "Lagman House is likely the first and only restaurant in the city to offer the food of the Dungans, Chinese Muslims descended from seventh-century Arab and Persian Silk Road traders who married Han Chinese." Doron Wong of River and Hills Hospitality Group will also join us to share his experiences cooking and eating in Kazakhstan.

Photo courtesy of Lagman House.

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Ellen Goldsmith, author of “Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine” and co-founder of Pearl Natural Health, joins us to speak about the ancient Eastern wisdom of food as medicine. Learn about the foundations and concepts of Chinese Medicine - from the yin and yang, and the thermal nature of foods to how you should be stocking your pantry this winter - to actively improve your health by doing something as simple and enjoyable as eating.

Photo courtesy of Ellen Goldsmith.

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Vanessa Pham and Kim Pham are first-generation Vietnamese-Americans, sisters, and co-founders of Omsom, a brand of Asian pantry staples that have been designed to make cooking your favorite Asian dishes with uncompromised flavors and hard-to-find ingredients possible in any home kitchen. While launching a new product is tough enough as it is, they did it in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic this May. We talk about how they brought the Omsom concept to life, and how they adapted the launch to work for these unusual times.

HRN will be donating 10% of our membership drive proceeds from now until June 15 to the Philando Castile Relief Foundation. Visit heritageradionetwork.org/donate to make your gift.

Image courtesy of Omsom.

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We chat with Matt Le-Khac and Jimmy Tran of Bolero. Located in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Bolero features a hyper-seasonal menu that emphasizes the rare fresh herbs that form the foundation of Vietnamese cuisine — sourced from Matt’s family farm and showcased in the restaurant’s Vietnamese Tea Garden. The Bolero team will use the Northeast Corridor to bring awareness to lost traditions.

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Cooking Channel personality and cookbook author, Ching-He Huang, talks to Lynda and Iris about her new book, Stir Crazy: 100 Deliciously Healthy Stir-Fry Recipes. Learn how this cooking method became popularized in China, as well as Ching's expert advice on what makes a good stir-fry.

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Hetty McKinnon, the internationally renowned cookbook author and food writer, joins us to chat about her latest book To Asia, With Love. It’s filled with a mix of comforting Asian dishes that her Cantonese mother prepared for her growing up, as well as her modern spin on favorites for her own family. We talk about her incredible culinary journey across continents and the powerful ability to capture identity in home cooked meals.

Photo Courtesy of Shirley Cai

Keep Feast Meets West on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Hannah Bae, founder of Noona's Ice Cream, joins Iris and Lynda in the studio to talk about the flavors from Korea that inspired her ice cream, as well as the food entrepreneurship and mentorship side of her business.

Chul Kim, owner of Little Dokebi and Dokebi Bar & Grill in Brooklyn, talks to Lynda and Iris about Korean cuisine in America, why it took so long to get noticed outside of K-Town, and his thoughts on the current state of the restaurant business.

Located in a former opera house on the historic Doyers Street of NYC's Chinatown, Chinese Tuxedo is not your average Chinese restaurant. Co-owner Eddy Buckingham, and Executive Chef Paul Donnelly talk to Lynda and Iris about all the different cultural influences that they brought to New York and reinterpreted at this contemporary Chinese restaurant. Plus, learn about the story of Chinese food in Australia, where Eddy was raised, and how it differs to American Chinese cuisine.

Filipino cuisine rightly deserves its space and recognition on the global stage. No longer to be overlooked. We chat with Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad on changing the conversation about Filipino food. We talk about how they've brought Filipino cuisine into the American mainstream with their NYC restaurants Maharlika and Jeepney, and their continued mission to give Filipino food a seat at the culinary table with their new cookbook "I Am A Filipino".

Excerpted from I Am a Filipino by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2018. Image courtesy of Justin Walker.

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JT Vuong and George Padilla of YUJI Ramen are back by popular demand! But this time, Lynda and Iris talk to JT and George about Japanese breakfast and the Okonomi side of what they do, in another installment of our #FMWAsianBreakfast Series.

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Japanese izakayas are easy to love - they’re casual, fun places to drink, and have become synonymous with tasty and affordable food options. Today, we are talking about bringing izakaya culture to the West, and what that looks like at John McCarthy's latest project, OKA. We also, give special attention to pairing sake with food.

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Lynda and Iris discuss the iconic Indian dish, butter chicken, with the help of Navjot Arora and Sushil Malhotra of contemporary Indian Soul Food restaurant, Old Monk. Learn the origins of this dish, why it represents Indian soul food, and what makes it so delicious.

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You're listening to the last episode of the season! And that coincides with a conversation about one of our favorite foods of all time - the famous xiao long bao (XLB), aka soup dumplings. We're chatting with Sean Tang, managing partner for Pinch Chinese, which recently got named the best soup dumpling in New York Magazine’s roundup of best new things to eat in NYC.

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Tonight we are spotlighting the Michelin-starred Chef Anita Lo! We'll be talking about everything--from her storied career, her experiences as an Asian female Chef, her new cookbook "SOLO: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One", to what's next.

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Instead of our typical chef and restaurateur guests, we have our first episode featuring artists. James Yang from New York and Jonathan Jay Lee from Hong Kong are a couple Asian-American illustrators with distinct styles inspired by city life, travel, and of course - Asian food.

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Jay Lee for Lee Kum Kee.

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Co-owners and co-chefs of Shuko, Nick Kim and Jimmy Lau, talk to Lynda and Iris about their modern take on sushi, how omakase is changing, and how to have the best omakase experience.

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The team from Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) join Lynda and Iris in the studio to talk about their exhibit, "Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Spicy: Stories of Chinese Food and Identity in America", which explores Chinese food in America through the personal stories of more than 30 Chinese and Asian American chefs.

Baijiu is the world's most consumed liquor, but is virtually unknown outside of China. Baijiu connoisseur, Shunan Teng of Tea Drunk, returns to Feast Meets West to talk about drinking baijiu, the different types, and how to appreciate it.

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Pho is probably the most iconic Vietnamese dish, and has steadily grown in demand in the last decade to the point that it is catching up to ramen as American foodies' favorite Asian noodle dish. This week, Lynda and Iris interview Andrea Nguyen, author of The Pho Cookbook, on the fascinating history behind the dish and why it became so popular in the West.

Tony Chan, General Manager of Tim Ho Wan, joins Lynda and Iris on the show to tell the story of Tim Ho Wan, which is known as the world's most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant. They talk about the difference between dim sum culture in the East and West, what sets Tim Ho Wan apart, and the future of this traditional Cantonese cuisine.

UK Iron Chef, international restauranteur, and cookbook author Judy Joo joins us on this special 4th of July episode to talk about Korean BBQ! Tune in to this episode to learn what makes Korean BBQ different from other barbecue and why it's so popular.

Taiwan may have food trends that went international like gua bao and bubble tea, but today, Josh Ku and Chef Trigg Brown of Win Son Restaurant in Bushwick, Brooklyn want to tell you about danzi noodles. This humble snack is widely available in Taiwan, and while it's not a household name in the States yet, it's growing in popularity amongst foodies. Tune in to learn about what it is, its history, and why you should be eating it.

As the landscape for Chinese food matures in New York with more specialized and regional options, it’s time we talk about what we can expect in the alcohol department that matches and compliments the food. What exactly pairs well with the many flavors and spices found on the contemporary Chinese menu? To help us answer the question is Sophie Maarleveld and Phillip Szabados of Nom Wah Tu.

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This summer, we’ll broadcast a handful of new episodes where we catch up with our friends in the Asian food industry to see what they’ve been up to, and how they’ve adapted their restaurant operation or small business for a pandemic. This episode, we call on Amelie Kang, Owner of MaLa Project, and Dennis Ngo, Chef and Co-owner of Di An Di.

Image courtesy of MaLa Project.

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We talk about the experience of bringing popular ramen concepts from Japan to New York. For both Tonchin and Ichiran, highly regarded ramen restaurants from Japan, NYC was the first destination for their US expansion. Anan and Toui Sugeno, the brothers behind Tonchin New York, and Annie Chen, the Assistant Manager of Restaurant Operations at ICHIRAN NY join us in the studio.

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

Image courtesy Greg Rhein Photography for Ichiran USA.

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This week we switch gears and talk about an Asian dish that gets almost no love in the west - stinky tofu! Carson Yiu, founder of Outer Borough, joins us in the studio to talk about this Taiwanese and Hong Kong street food, what makes it stinky and delicious, and how it's breaking into the NYC food scene. You'll also hear from Jowett Yu, chef of Ho Lee Fook in Hong Kong.

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Hannah Cheng, co-founder of the popular Mimi Cheng's, joins us on the show to talk about her story, what it's like building a business with her sister, and of course, all things dumplings!

We love seasonal produce here in NYC, but sometimes that curiosity stops at our favorite ethnic restaurants where we see the same produce served year-round in the city. Chef Jonathan Wu of the Chinese-American restaurant Fung Tu talks to Lynda and Iris about seasonal Chinese vegetables, especially one that's near and dear to his heart.

To kick off our summer season, Ohm Suansilphong and Jenn Saesue of Fish Cheeks join us to talk about their unique approach to Thai food in New York, and their journey from Bangkok to Bond St. Each dish on the menu is a combination of unfiltered flavors, an intensity in freshness, and unapologetic heat. Tune in to find out why Pete Wells of the New York Times reviewed “it simply cooks the way I wish more Thai kitchens did”.

Photo by Alexa Bendek

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Banchan may not always be the main focus of your meal when you're at a Korean restaurant, but these small dishes are an essential part of Korean cuisine. Chef Junghyun Park of Atoboy, the popular New Korean restaurant in Flatiron district, sits down with us to talk about banchan. Learn about the different varieties, what makes it so important, and how it influenced the menu at Atoboy.

#FMWAsianBreakfast is back in a big way this season. Last week we talked about Beijing’s jianbing, this week we’re onto Taiwanese breakfast! Chef Edward Huang of Zai Lai, a home-style Taiwanese concept in Columbus Circle's Turnstyle Market, takes us through this iconic Taiwanese meal.

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We chat with two badass Asian female founders: Sahra Nguyen of Nguyen Coffee Supply and Ranmu Xue of Us Two Tea. Not only have they built their own brands, and run their own businesses, they’ve also personally sourced their products from farms in Asia, and are growing their respective movements to change the perception of Vietnamese coffee and Chinese tea drinking culture here in the States.

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

Photo by Erics Kun for Nguyen Coffee Supply

Feast Meets West is powered by Simplecast.