We are celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month on FYI Philly
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we visit new restaurants, spots for comfort food, and strip mall gems. Plus, meet a woman making beauty and noise and siblings seeing their American dream bloom.
Sri's Company and Tita Emmie's honor their Asian roots with comfort food specialties
Two local chefs serving up the Asian specialties they grew up with are bringing more diversity to the Philly food scene. At Sri's Company, owner Melissa Fernando learned how to cook later in life because she was just that passionate about bringing the cuisine of her native Sri Lanka to Philadelphia. She is a featured chef every Friday on the Kampar Kitchen platform, and also does catering and pop-ups. Pre-pandemic, Tita Emmie's brought Filipino food to the scene by hosting supper club dinners on their rooftop deck for small groups of friends. The husband and wife team behind the brand, owners Raquel and Tam Dang, plan to start up again this summer.
Sri's Company | Facebook | Instagram | Kampar Kitchen orders
Tita Emmie's | Instagram
Infused Restaurant
The restaurant, inside the Holiday Inn, was opened by Tushar Shah who came to America from India 20 years ago for college. He studied electrical engineering with plans for a career in computer science but while in college, he worked at a hotel and fell in love with the hospitality industry.
Dishes include pork stuffed potstickers, fresh burrata cheese with melon and prosciutto, mushrooms stuffed with crab, and roasted salmon with corn and crab salad. There's a strong focus on locally crafted beers and herb-infused cocktails.
Infused Restaurant (inside Holiday Inn) | Website | Facebook | Instagram
2175 Marlton Pike West, Cherry Hill NJ 08002
Sabbatical Beauty
Sabbatical Beauty owner creates handcrafted skincare products at her Bok Building lab.
Sabbatical Beauty | Facebook | Instagram
Bok Building | 901 S. 9th Street, Phila. PA 19148
267-205-5529
Floraltology: Sibling-run shop with a money bouquet and more
PHILADELPHIA-You can easily spot Floraltology on 63rd Street by the colorful floral mural that wraps around the entire building. Inside Ngoc Lam-Mathis and her brother Thi do arrangements for weddings, funerals and all kinds of special occasions. Ngoc is the head florist; brother Thi is the business manager and they own the business together.
Floraltology, LLC| Website | Facebook | Instagram
2601 S. 63rd Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19142
(215) 724-0670 | floraltology@gmail.com
Kun-Yang Lin: dancer/choreographer motivated by trifecta of tragedy
Kun-Yang Lin used to perform all over the world but came to Philadelphia nearly two decades ago, struggling with a trifecta of traumas. He was living in New York during 9/11 and actually witnessed one of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center, but he also saw how it brought New Yorkers together, trying to care for each other.
Around the same time, his father died and Kun-Yang was diagnosed with brain cancer. His doctors gave him just one year to live. That trifecta of tragedy changed his life. and he thought if you have just one year, what do you want to do with it? He decided he wanted to share his gift with the next generation. So he moved to Philadelphia, started teaching dance at Temple and opened a dance center in the Italian market, choosing that neighborhood for its diverse immigrant population.
He started dancing as a child as a way to communicate; his Dad spoke Mandarin and his mom Taiwanese so movement and gestures became his language.
The Kun-Yang Lin Dance company puts on performances and also offers chi classes and workshops for beginners on up.
Kun-Yang Lin Dance | Website| Facebook | Instagram
1316 S. 9th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19147
Zoom Chi Classes for Beginner Adults | Website
Saturday, May 15 & 22, 10-10:45am
West Park Arts Fest (virtual performance) | Website
June 9-12
Kun-Yang Lin Dance Company
Kun-Yang Lin Dance | Website| Facebook | Instagram
1316 S. 9th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19147
Zoom Chi Classes for Beginner Adults | Website
Saturday, May 15 & 22, 10-10:45am
West Park Arts Fest (virtual performance) | Website
