The Hungry Immigrant

Francisca Luhong James made history as the first Dayak woman to be crowned Miss Universe Malaysia—but her story begins long before the crown, in the longhouses, kitchens and food traditions of Sarawak. Francisca joins Chef Dr. Abang Brian to explore her Kayan-Kenyah-Iban heritage through midin, kasam, Sarawak pepper, siput and memories of cooking with her grandmother. She reflects on Indigenous re...

Chef Paolo Dungca’s journey began in San Fernando, Pampanga, continued through immigration to Los Angeles at 13 and eventually brought him to Washington, D.C.—with the flavours of the Philippines travelling alongside him. From washing dishes at Disneyland to becoming a StarChefs Rising Star, James Beard Award semifinalist and the chef behind KAYU, Paolo has built a career around remembering, quest...

What does Malaysia taste like? In this special live Merdeka and Malaysia Day episode, Chef Dr. Abang Brian gathers LITE Breakfast announcers Terry and Leah, Sheila, Ming Ho from Sunway Le Cordon Bleu Malaysia and members of the LITE community for The Great Malaysian Potluck . Through childhood food memories, mothers’ cooking, agak-agak , audience stories and a blind Sambal Survey, they explore how...

What if the foods we left behind could help feed our future? Recorded during Climate Week in New York, Dr. Abang Brian speaks with Paul Newnham, CEO of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub and founder of Beans Is How, about the missing role of culture in solving hunger, nutrition and climate challenges. They explore why immigrants sometimes abandon ancestral foods, how ingredients such as beans and lentils becam...

Jill Nguyen left Vietnam at 14 with two suitcases. Seventeen years later, she has become one of DC’s most beloved bakers. In this episode of The Hungry Immigrant , Abang Brian sits down with Jill, the Vietnamese-born baker behind Capital Jill Baking. Jill never baked before 2020, but what began as pandemic restlessness turned into a life of sourdough, cakes, community, and a starter named Scarlett...

Are you using your wok correctly? Eleanor Hoh, better known as the Wok Star, joins Dr. Abang Brian to reveal what most home cooks misunderstand about wok cooking. They explore how to choose, season and care for a wok; why heat and BTUs matter; what creates wok hei; and the mistakes that may be holding back your stir-fries. Eleanor also shares her journey Hong Kong to the United States, how food he...

Who gets to decide whether food is “authentic”? Recorded live at the 2026 Kalamazoo Foodways Symposium, Chef Dr. Abang Brian is joined by Peecoonn Allen, Thai-born founder of Umami Ramen, and Shane Bernardo, a Filipino food justice organizer and co-founder of Food as Healing. Through stories of carrot som tum, a grandmother’s lugaw, adobo, rendang and nasi lemak, they explore how migration, coloni...

Lao food is not Thai food. Yet for decades, one of Southeast Asia's oldest culinary traditions has been misunderstood, hidden behind restaurant menus, and overshadowed by history. In this episode of The Hungry Immigrant , Dr. Abang Brian sits down with chef, food educator, and author Saeng Douangdara to explore the story behind Lao cuisine, the legacy of refugee families, and the release of hi...

In this episode of Hungry Heroes , we spotlight Abi “Lumpia Queen” Marquez — a creator who turned a humble Filipino staple into a global conversation. From filming in her home kitchen to winning a Webby Award and earning a James Beard nomination, Abi’s journey is more than viral success. It’s about representation, creativity, and the power of food to carry identity across borders. Through her sign...

In the heart of the 11th arrondissement, Abang Brian found home the moment he opened the door to The Hood Paris. A buzzing café and restaurant that has become a soul-restoring haven for modern Asians and a vibrant cultural bridge for Parisians. In this episode, Pearl and Crystal, the co-founders of The Hood, share their incredible journey. They detail how they went from careers in finance and acco...

This week, The Hungry Immigrant travels to rainy Seattle to sit with one of the most important voices in Chinese-American cuisine today. Hsiao-Ching Chou grew up in her family's Chinese restaurant in Columbia, Missouri — a restaurant that started as takeout from a converted Hardee's and grew into a full buffet. As she puts it herself, cashew chicken and crab rangoon paid for her college education....

Malaysia doesn't just celebrate Hari Raya. It lives it, across religions, cultures, and kitchen tables. In this special live episode, The Hungry Immigrant records in front of a live audience in Kuala Lumpur during Ramadan 2026, just before breaking fast. Host Abang Brian is joined by Terry Ong and Leya, hosts of The LITE Breakfast on Lite FM, Malaysia's leading English radio station. What starts a...

What does it mean to rediscover your identity through food? In this episode of The Hungry Immigrant, Abang Brian sits down with Chef Patrice Cleary, Filipina-American chef and owner of Purple Patch DC and Joia Burger in Washington, D.C. From serving in the U.S. Marine Corps to building one of the most recognized Filipino restaurants in DC, Patrice shares her journey of finding identity, community,...

Ceddy Ang has always been the funny one. The one who could turn awkward into entertaining. The one who could laugh firstbefore anyone else did. But behind the humour was a boy who grew up being teased for his voice,questioning what was “wrong” with him, and wondering why he didn’t fit the mold. In this conversation, Ceddy talks about growing up in Malaysia, finding safety in foodand culture, stepp...

What is “authentic food”, and who gets to decide? In this episode of The Hungry Immigrant , chef, author and TV host Sapna Anand takes us on a powerful, spiced journey across borders, from her childhood in Goa to building a life, career, and family in Malaysia. Together with Abang Brian, she unpacks: 🔥 The myth of authenticity in Indian and Malaysian cooking🔥 How migration reshapes identity, tas...

In this episode of The Hungry Immigrant , Abang Brian sits down with Malaysian fashion icon Melinda Looi for a deeply personal conversation about food, identity, and the rituals that shape who we become. Melinda grew up in a traditional Cantonese household where soup simmered daily, Chinese New Year leftovers symbolised abundance, and jam cha meant far more than just tea. Together, they explore wh...

Season 3 of The Hungry Immigrant opens with a woman redefining what it means to represent Asia on the world stage. From Beijing to New York, from private finishing schools to Netflix screens worldwide, Sara Jane Ho has built a global movement around etiquette, identity, and cultural intelligence. But this isn’t just about table manners. It’s about power. It’s about presence. It’s about carrying yo...

At just 29, Sam Cho went from exporting millions of pounds of eggs to becoming the youngest and first person of color to lead the Port of Seattle Commission. In this episode, Sam shares how growing up as the son of Korean immigrants shaped his path, from the Obama White House to city politics, from battling imposter syndrome to fighting anti-Asian hate, and why he opened a bubble tea shop with his...

In this Hungry Bite with Malaysia’s beloved Chef Wan, we dive into the unapologetic pride of serving authentic flavors, the powerful role of mak ciks (aunties) in preserving culinary heritage, and why food is more than just sustenance — it’s identity, memory, and culture. Above all, Chef Wan serves a fiery reminder: if we lose our food, we lose our culture. Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 01:13 - The powe...

We sit down with Kripal Amanna, Founder & Host of Food Lovers TV — the YouTube channel with over 1.2 million subscribers dedicated to uncovering India’s hidden culinary treasures.  From bamboo-steamed idlis in remote villages to the stories behind pre-dawn biryanis, Kripal shares his journey from hotelier to storyteller, the philosophy of preserving food heritage, and why mindful eating is the...

From the MasterChef Malaysia stage to running her own bake shop, Dr. Ezani Monoto has never lost sight of her roots. In this heartwarming and thoughtful episode, we talk about faith, food, family, and the legacy of recipes passed down from her late mother.  Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 01:56 - A MasterChef Malaysia reunion; Who is Dr. Ezani Monoto? 04:45 - Childhood in Muar & memories of baking kui...

What does it mean to truly belong — when your name, food, and even identity feel constantly misunderstood? MasterChef France 2015 winner Khánh-Ly Huynh opens up about growing up Vietnamese in France, navigating identity, and challenging what it means to be Asian in a Eurocentric culinary world. From the emotional ties to fermented fish, to calling out cultural appropriation and the pricing bias in...

Malai Ice Cream, a brand redefining what ice cream can be by infusing South Asian flavors into an American classic. Behind the brand, there’s Pooja, the founder of Malai and Malai is her love letter to her identity, culture, and community. We dive into how she is embracing her Gujarati-American roots to challenging what "authenticity" means in food, expect laughs, spice, a honest convers...

We headed to Brooklyn, New York to meet the one and only Auria Abraham — aka The Sambal Lady. From a classically trained pianist to running a jingle house to pioneering Malaysian food in America, Auria shares how she built Auria’s Malaysian Kitchen, the first Malaysian-made brand in the US. Over rendang and sambal, we dive into identity, challenges of breaking into the American market, and the fla...

We sat down with Serene, the dynamic second-generation Korean American behind Sorimmara USA, to unpack what it’s like growing up in a family-run restaurant business. From childhood memories of rice cakes and Korean soups to fighting stereotypes about Asian food pricing and authenticity in the US, they dive deep into food culture, identity, and generational shifts.  Timestamps 0:00 - Intro 02:32 -...