InfatuAsian Podcast

Happy Filipino History Month!!! I was born, raised, and work in San Francisco, but I actually currently live one mile south of SF in a heavily Filipino suburb called Daly City!  That said, I find it strange that I've never gone to a sit down Filipino restaurant before... until now! We also tried something else new this week!  We recorded on location inside a restaurant!  It was a bit noisy, but it...

I love making these compilation episodes!  For the past 6 months, I've been asking my guests questions about travel in Asia.  It's been so much fun hearing their answers and chatting about their travel stories! Coming along to help me break down the previous guests' responses is our old pal Isabel Wong, from the Proudly Asian Podcast (Isabel was a guest on our show way back in episode 36)!  As fat...

This Chinese drama started popping up all over my Instagram feed around the end of 2022, so when Nadira suggested that I watch it curiosity got the best of me.  We roped in Jessica from the Daebak K-Rambles Podcast to come along too, and my journey into Xianxia C-Dramas began! Love Between Fairy and Devil is a 2022 high fantasy drama out of China.  It's available on Netflix and elsewhere. It is di...

I read Grace Lin's The Ugly Vegetables to my kids when they were little, and it quickly became one of our favorites, for so many reasons. It was an honor to speak with her over Zoom last week and I'm happy to bring you this episode! Her latest book, available September 12, 2023, is called Chinese Menu, and it is fantastic!  It is a collection of about 40 American Chinese dishes. Classics like Chop...

If you get a chance to see The Harvest at a film festival or special showing, you definitely should!  It is an amazing film written by and starring Doua Moua (Gran Torino, Mulan).  It also stars Dawn Ying Yuen, newcomer Chrisna Chhor, and our pal Perry Yung! It is a beautiful look into a Hmong family, that you just don't see anywhere else. I had the pleasure of speaking with Ying and Chrisna durin...

I'm so happy to bring CRAXY to you!  CRAXY is a 4-member KPOP group that is on a North American Tour at the moment.  They performed at K-Con LA two weeks ago, and are headed across the US on their way to perform in Puerto Rico on August 31, 2023 (If you're in Puerto Rico, it's not too late to get tickets)! I dropped by their fan meet event at our favorite KPOP store SarangHello in San Francisco, h...

It's hard to believe our 2-year anniversary mark came and went last June!  I genuinely had no idea where this was going back in June of 2021.  I just wanted to get positive stories about Asian things and Asian people out there.  I never would have guessed who we would be talking with and who would be listening!  It's been a really fun journey so far and I hope we can keep this going for many years...

Blackpink was the first K-Pop group that I really started listening to in 2019.  Their music was so catchy, but what really sold me was when I saw them speaking English fluently on American TV shows like James Corden and Good Morning America. They had so much swagger, but were also sweet and silly.  Their Born Pink tour is almost coming to an end, and they'll be playing at Oracle Park in San Franc...

One of my favorite things to eat, especially when I want a quick satisfying meal any time of the day, is INSTANT RAMEN!!!  As good as that is by itself, sometimes it’s nice to mix things up a little.  Today we are going to try some of the most popular ramen hacks found on the internet to elevate your instant ramen experience.  These recipes are all easy and yummy so we recommend that you give them...

After watching one of Estelle Fly's homemade "Silk" reels on Instagram I knew I wanted to talk with her.  She's an uber-talented singer and dancer.  She acts and emcees as well. Her alter ego, Cindy Moon reels are so well done it makes you hope the folks at Marvel take notice and make this happen! Follow Estelle Fly on social media @estellefly and listen to her music on Spotify and see her amazing...

I was pretty stoked to get to sit at the Cool-Asian-Kids table the other day with the founder of the streetwear brand Uprisers Michelle K. Hanabusa and men’s fashion content creator Jeff Yamazaki!  Michelle is doing great things leading a community-minded fashion brand as well as being one of the co-founders of the AAPI community mobilizing group Hate Is A Virus.  She’s a real force in our communi...

As a General Manager of an independent record label in South Korea, Han Jeong-Wook, does a little bit of everything, from booking venues around the world to taking care of the five young members of the Korean Rock Band Rolling Quartz.  ( See our interview with Rolling Quartz on YouTube or listen to episode 75 for context ) Jumi and I chatted with Manager Han for about an hour, and frankly, I still...

This movie!  It's such a beautiful take on a "what if?" love story.  It's a love story that spans over 24 years.  It deals with culture, immigration, unspoken connections, and missed opportunities.   Talking with me about this film is author Gina Chung (Sea Change).  We loved this film and had a great time chatting about it! Go see it in theaters this summer (2023)!  Learn more over @pastlivesmovi...

Andrea Nguyen has written 7 cookbooks, including my go-to source for Vietnamese cuisine "Into the Vietnamese Kitchen."  Her latest book, "Ever-Green Vietnamese," guides you towards a more plant-based Viet diet.  Andrea is also a cooking teacher and podcast host herself! Helping me co-host this episode is past guest Lan Lam! Lan is a senior editor at Cooks Illustrator and is a test cook and present...

I came across Thanh's Instagram account and knew I wanted to talk with him.  By day he is a professional fruiterer, selling fruit from around the world to retailers in Australia.  When's he not selling fruit, he's on TV or the internet educating people on the best way to pick, store, and eat fresh fruit and vegetables.  His enthusiasm for fruit and veg, especially those from Asia is so contagious,...

I had a lovely time chatting with Actress Alyssa Gihee Kim about how she got into acting as well as a behind-the-scenes look at BEEF.  And on top of that, Alyssa is also a mom to two little kids, amazing! Follow Alyssa on Instagram @alyssagiheekim  You can see her wonderful portrayal of Veronica, Edwin's wife/Danny's ex-girlfriend in Netflix's powerfully cringy drama BEEF!  She can also be found i...

We have a quick little episode for you today!  Actor/Producer Steven Allerick messaged me about a passion project he wrote/directed/produced.  It’s a short film called The New Knight.  It’s a not-for-profit film that Steve hopes will resonate with you and people you know, especially people of mixed heritage. You can watch The New Knight on YouTube at The New Knight (2023) A Batman Short Film Learn...

In honor of Father's Day.. we figured we'd look into our DNA!   I’ve been wanting to take a DNA test since they came out, so I figured it’d be fun to do it on the air while we record.  These DNA kits can help fill in the picture of where your ancestors came from.  Two friends and I ordered a kit from Ancestry.com  We got our results and *tried* to wait until this recording before taking a look.  I...

For me, Twice was one of the first K-Pop bands I ever intentionally listened to!  Their sunny, fun, poppy style helped me and my daughters enter the world of K-Pop!  In the second week of June, my family is going to our first K-Pop concert, so I figured it would be fun to do a Twice Concert Hype Show with some people who live and breathe K-Pop!   Pip, Chesca, and Kevin are the owners of the Bay Ar...

I just finished watching the amazing television adaptation of American Born Chinese.  It is a MUST-WATCH!  I really enjoyed how, like the novel, it merged the fantastical and real worlds.  It stars a plethora of some of the best Chinese American actors, and I loved seeing all the beautiful Asian names in the end credits both in front and behind the cameras! Madi and I recorded this episode with Ge...

We were over the moon happy to talk with actress Ami Park!  Ami stars in ABC/Hulu’s Alaska Daily opposite Hillary Swank.  Ami plays Yuna Park who is a rookie reporter that is thrown into life at Alaska’s main newspaper.  It’s a really great show that you can stream on Hulu. We recorded this show in mid-April and just recently ABC announced that they are not going to bring the show back for a 2nd s...

A little late, but in honor of Mother’s Day, we have a special episode talking about Asian post-partum traditions delivered to your door, from Chiyo!  We are speaking with founders Jennifer Jolorte and Irene Liu. They take the best of Eastern medicine and integrate it with Western nutritional standards.   Find them at Wearechiyo.com and follow them @wearechiyo on Instagram. If you are interested i...

When "The Donut King" documentary came out in 2020 it really blew my mind and made me want to know more about the Cambodian families that ran these friendly and delicious donut shops. Featured in the film is Mayly Tao, who was actually the first person filmmaker Alice Gu spoke with when researching Ted Ngoy, the Donut King.  I came across Mayly on Instagram and couldn’t be happier that she made so...

Hey hey, a bonus episode to listen to on your Friday commute or while you do your weekend chores!  Margo, from K-Dramas with Margo out of France, and I recorded this episode for her podcast way back in March!  I had a lot of fun guesting on her show, and she was kind enough to share this file with me. You should remember Margo, she did an episode with me about the movie Decision to Leave! I figure...

We're kicking off AAPI heritage month by talking with Jeff Yamazaki!  Jeff is a LA-based Model/Actor who is also a men’s fashion content creator on Instagram.  Jeff walks guys through simple ways to put together outfits and update their style.  He also vlogs his life in LA and abroad as well as shouts out AAPI Owned fashion labels.  I really enjoy his content and hope I can add use his tips to upd...