InfatuAsian Podcast

It was a dream come true to speak with Kristi on the podcast. The whole point of this show is to celebrate Asians who bring us joy. In the 2020s, there have been many great gold medal performances by Asian Americans at both the summer and winter Olympics. But in 1992, Kristi's gold was only the 2nd gold medal won by an Asian American woman ever (first in the Winter Games)! The joy and pride of see...

It felt fitting to do a podcast reflection episode 5 years after we started this little endeavor. So I brought back Kelsey, who has appeared on the show before, and has the record for the shortest interview we've ever done (during our pop-up podcast in April)! Kelsey brings lots of fun energy and laughs, and since she's barely listened to the show, it was fun to hear what kind of questions she mig...

Growing up Chinese American in the 70s-80s meant you weren't gong to see a lot of people that looked like you on TV. One reliable presence (for the last 48 years on PBS) was Chef Martin Yan! He has brought Chinese and other Asian cuisine into houses around the world for almost half a century. Thank you @chefmartinyan for sharing our culture and food with the world! Thank you for being our teacher...

It's just about summer! And whether you're flying out somewhere amazing or just looking for a new book to get lost in, we have a fantastic list of books by Asian Authors! I called upon my friend Sarah-Soonling to help co-host and we chatted with 5 authors about their books and also got some of their recommendations for books you should read! To see the complete list, go to our blog https://infatua...

The Khmer Rouge almost rid the world of Cambodian rock, but it lives on in the band Dengue Fever. Founded by two American brothers and powered by the voice of Khmer American immigrant Chhom Nimol, Dengue Fever performs songs influenced by the musicians who are mostly gone. Go see Dengue Fever live in San Francisco on June 20, 2026, at the Chapel. Find more tour stops at https://denguefevermusic.co...

Asians are at a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than the general population. Dr. Jonar De Guzman specializes in coaching Asians to reverse insulin resistance with lifestyle changes. I learned a lot and had a great time chatting about working on living a healthier lifestyle!  I know you will learn something if you listen to this episode! Learn more @reversediabetesdoc on soc...

I had a really fun time chatting with Cassandra Lam, the co-founder of Mama Lam's, a maker of authentic Malaysian sauces. Visiting from Queens, New York, Cassandra and her husband, Ken, joined me @onwaverly 's Clubhouse to share their origin story as well as their favorite ways to eat Mama Lam's sauces! You can get Mama Lam's sauces online or perhaps locally at a store near you! Check out https://...

A few weeks back, we set up a few microphones in a little corner of the On Waverly Book and Gift Shop in SF Chinatown, and we interviewed whoever showed up! What a fun day! We did about 10 interviews in 90 minutes, on a whole range of topics. I definitely want to try to do another one of these! Special thanks to my guests: @jennmchoi, @xirimpi, @kayhuixin, @leogong (@sfmolum), Kenric, @_natejlee,...

Olivia has done more before the age of 21 than most of us do in our entire lives. Currently a Junior at Harvard, she started a non-profit called @cancerkidsfirst, she's written a book, given a TED Talk, and she was the youngest person named to the 2026 Forbes' 30 under 30 list. Olivia was a real joy to speak with, and I can't wait to see what she does next! Follow Olivia on Instagram @oliviazhango...

The Chase Center in San Francisco is one of the City's newest and greenest buildings. It is the basketball home of the Warriors and Valkyries, and it is also LEED Gold Certified, which means it meets the highest standards of sustainability. Making sure employees and fans are able to enjoy the game with minimal negative environmental impact is Kayla Hidayat, Chase Center's Sustainability Coordinato...

I can sleep a little better at night knowing that SF City Attorney David Chiu and his team are looking out for our rights and seeking justice. We had a fun chat with David about a wide range of topics, from the historical San Francisco roots of birthright citizenship to the ongoing fight to protect immigrants and some of the City's most vulnerable.   You can learn more about David @davidchiu.sf on...

We got asked if we could do a quick episode with director/writer John W. Kim about the film Reunion, which premieres in Beverly Hills next week on April 16th. And if you know me, I hate saying no to artists trying to get the word out about their projects, so we agreed to do a quick episode as a side dish. Once we got on the call, John got on a bit of a roll speaking about all sorts of things. He e...

We had another epic battle of culinary titans over @Onwaverly on March 21st! In another joint production with @worstqualitycrab, we presented 16 of the most iconic Asian dishes from around the world. Since we did all Chinese dishes last year, this year we did Asian dishes from outside of China, and we had some really tough battles. Our live studio audience did not disappoint, providing commentary,...

Mayor Elizabeth Yang has had lots of ups and downs in her life, but her remarkable resilience is inspiring. She was raised by a single mom and graduated with a degree in Engineering/Computer Science from UC Berkeley at age 19. She worked in the aerospace industry, then pivoted to get her JD/MBA degree and started a patent law firm. She got married young and had two kids in her 20s, but the marriag...

Julian is a Broadway actor, dancer, and singer. He's currently on the road with Disney Theatrical Group's touring production of Beauty and the Beast. We got to chat with Julian about his Bay Area roots and his life performing on some of America's grandest stages! The show is playing across the U.S. If you happen to be in the Bay Area this summer, it'll be at the Orpheum Theater July 14th-August 9t...

What started as a case of mistaken identity turned into a really fun hour of chatting with Dr. Joan Sung!  Joan is an educator, author, and more recently a #baddaugther! The timing worked out where Joan was going to be in town, so we packed up the mobile studio and met up in SF, where we were able to talk about her book Kinda Korean, her movement called Bad Daughter Confessions, and lots more.  To...

Another dream-come-true interview for me here at the InfatuAsian Podcast! Michelle Krusiec has been acting since the 2000's. You've no doubt seen her in something: Star Trek DSN, Sweet Home Alabama, Monk, Cold Case, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Weeds, Dirty Sexy Money, Far North, Fringe, CSI, Hawaii 5-0, and dozens more. She was Wil Pang in Alice Wu's Saving Face, and Anna May Wong in Netflix's Hollywood...

This was originally going to be our Valentine's episode, where we watched Asian movies with a love story in them. Well, as things go, I kept having to push this episode back, but here it is in March, a few weeks late! I was so happy to bejoined by Jess, Caitlin, and Liliana, who are collectively known as the Drama Trio!  We each recommended a movie to watch, and came back to discuss on the air. We...

I am so happy I said yes to interviewing the instrumental duo ARKAI, made up of Jonathan Miron and Philip Sheegog! We booked this interview back in January, when they were Grammy-nominated, but come February, they became Grammy-winning! Taking home the trophy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album!  What a wild ride, considering this is only their 2nd album. I hope you have fun hearing about the...

Fun episode for you today! We're talking with Hannah Chea, Miss SF Chinatown 2025! She is a woman of many interests and talents. She marched with the Cal Marching Band during her time at UC Berkeley. She worked in tech, but after getting laid off, she pivoted to oyster shucking at parties and touring with a Cambodian dance company! And, she lives near Galileo High, so we had her "in studio" for a...

I need to start a series called: Legends. Margaret Cho is someone who was literally one of "us" growing up in San Francisco. She went on to be one of the most recognizable and iconic Asian American celebrities. Besides hundreds of stand-up comedy shows, Margaret starred in her own sitcom, been in dozens of movies and TV shows, has been nominated for 5 Grammys, has written 2 books, and has recorded...

Helen Goh is a licensed psychologist and a baker at London's famed Ottolenghi delis and restaurants. She combined her two passions into her first solo cookbook, Baking and the Meaning of Life. It has over 100 recipes and photographs grouped into different aspects of our lives. It is gorgeous and delicious. I really enjoyed my chat with Helen as we talked about life and baking! Listen to our chat o...

Randy Kim is a creator and podcaster out of the Chicago-land area. Randy produces the Banh Mi Chronicles. He was the 2024 award recipient of the annual Communicator Awards. He is the founder of his current Substack newsletter, “Banh Mi Bites,” which explores conversations with BIPOC creatives and more. Randy formerly served as a board member with The National Cambodian Heritage Museum in Chicago a...

The incarceration of over 125,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast during World War II is one of the greatest injustices in US government history. I've wanted to do an episode discussing the history and impact of this moment in history, but finding a guest who lived through it is getting harder and harder. Then it was suggested that I speak with Dr. Satsuki Ina. Mr. and Mrs. Ina were living...

My sister Caryl and I got to hear a lifetime's worth of stories from one of the most influential chefs in the 21st Century. Hear Chef Roy Choi talk about the humble beginnings of Kogi BBQ Food Trucks, which led to awards, movies, television shows, restaurants, and books.  Roy's latest book, The Choi of Cooking, is more than recipes; it's a culmination of food lessons and ideologies that Roy has ga...