FYI Philly | Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- This week on FYI Philly, we're celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
At Asian Arts Initiative, a new exhibition celebrates a winning movement.
The exhibition, called No Arena: The Making of a Movement, tells the story of community organizing and activism.
Visitors move through sections filled with artifacts, ephemera, photographs, and video created by artists who joined the fight.
The show balances anger and protest with joy, whimsy, and playfulness, highlighting Chinatown's vibrant culture. It's described as a love letter to the thousands of Philadelphians who rallied and participated.
The exhibition also invites visitors to engage-adding their own voices and contributions to the movement.
The exhibition runs through July 11.
Asian Arts Initiative |Facebook | Instagram
1219 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107
Asian Eats Restaurant Week runs May 24-31, celebrating the city's divers collection of Asian restaurants.
The 7-day event brings together Asian Eats from across the city to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month.
Participating restaurants include long time Chinatown staples like Sang Kee Peking Duck House and Bai Wei. Each will have a menu designed for Asian Eats Week featuring the signature dishes that have made the restaurants popular destinations in the neighborhood.
Sang Kee Peking Duck House | Facebook | Instagram
238 North 9th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107
Bai Wei | Facebook | Instagram
1038 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107
There are also newcomers to the restaurant scene, like Miss Saigon in Midtown Village. The modern eatery showcases Vietnamese cuisine in modern, aesthetic setting.
Miss Saigon | Facebook | Instagram
1316 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.19107
Dodo Bakery is a South Philadelphia scratch kitchen from husband-and-wife team Jack and Cherry Wong. It is a Hong Kong style bakery featuring savory and sweet items and a café-like menu with bubble teas, coffee drinks and specialty milk teas.
Dodo Bakery | Facebook | Instagram
2653 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19148
Each restaurant will have a QR Code to scan to find the Asian Eats menu and every time guests scan, they are entered to win a grand prize.
Asian Eats Restaurant Week | Facebook | Instagram
Andrew Min is the second-generation owner of Crab & Claw Seafood, the outpost started by his father, Nam Hee Min who immigrated from Korea.
Min graduated from Temple with a degree in business, and was still in his 20s when his father passed away in 2021.
Now as he runs the family business, Min says he has kept what his father built, and expanded it - especially the year-round crabs business, and also their presence across social media.
The shop is divided into two parts: a takeout kitchen, and a fresh fish market. Min adds that with over 30 years of networking and connections with providers and suppliers his father established, he is able to get the best quality of an extensive selection of fish.
Crab & Claw Seafood | Instagram | Facebook
7801 Ogontz Avenue Philadelphia, Pa. 19150
Chef and Co-Owner of Vientiane Bistro, Sunny Phanthavong, is proud to share her Lao-style hot chili oil with the city.
Sunny's Hot Chili Oil is a family recipe passed down from her mother, now with her own little spin. Today, Sunny passed the recipe down to her son, with whom she makes it in small batches at Vientiane Bistro in Kensington.
The oil consists of garlic and a spice blend using Arbol chili peppers from Mexico and the Korean pepper gochugaru.
The oil that forms the base is a staple in Asian restaurants and can be used in many dishes. Sunny says the oil pairs well with their rice porridge, called Khao Piak, or is a nice garnish for a slice of pizza.
Sunny's Hot Chili Oil is available for purchase at Vientiane Bistro, which she co-owns with her husband, as well as at local markets and pop-ups around the city.
Sunny's Hot Chili Oil | Instagram | Facebook
2537 Kensington Ave, Philadelphia, Pa. 19125
Pua-Skin was co-created by Gabby Williams.
'Pua' translates to 'flower' in the language of Niue, a small island in the South Pacific where Williams is from.
Williams was raised in New Zealand, and makes her skincare products with ingredients common to the region, like hibiscus extract and manuka oil.
She makes products for relaxation, body care, and face care, including a coconut-mango body cream, and a foaming body scrub.
She sells her goods at farm markets, festivals, and shops throughout South Jersey.
Pua-Skin | Instagram | Where To Find
Sam Sam, aka Uncle Sam, is the owner and sous chef at Little Saigon Cafe in Chinatown.
The restaurant is known for Vietnamese specialties like banh mi, vermicelli, summer and spring rolls, and nearly two dozen varieties of pho made from scratch, with beef stock coked for at least 16 hours.
Beyond the kitchen, Uncle Sam has been serving Chinatown for over 40 years through community activism.
He says he has a duty to protect his community and his culture.
Little Saigon Cafe
220 N. 10th Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19107
Opera Philadelphia presents "The Black Clown" from May 14 - 17 at the Miller Theater.
"The Black Clown," adapted from Langston Hughes' poem of the same name, is full of music and meaning.
"A 75-minute blaze through 300 years of American history," says Davóne Tines, Co-Creator and Singer in "The Black Clown." "It's the Black perspective within America, but told with a lot of brashness, joy and also honesty about this country."
Tines stars in the title role. He collaborated with composer, Michael Schachter, and director, Zack Winokur, to bring Hughes' poem to life.
There are an additional 12 performers in the ensemble and jazz, blues and gospel are woven into the opera.
Staying true to Hughes' 1931 poem, his words are unchanged for the stage.
"The Black Clown" runs May 14 - 17 at the Miller Theater.
A note from Opera Philadelphia: This production contains racial slurs and stylized representations of violence, particularly related to slavery, as well as haze, simulated smoking, and bright flashing lights.
All tickets are Pick Your Price, starting at $11. Any amount above $11 helps support other operagoers and the work we present on stage.
