The original idea for the “Food For Thought” column stemmed from my interest in how Asian Americans play into contemporary food culture. This is anything but a new phenomenon. […]
Author: Oliver Wang
Food For Thought: Food Stylist Sophia Chang Is The Master Of #Foodiegram
These days, it’s hard to imagine any meal, in any corner of the world, where someone isn’t taking a photo of their food. Conservative estimates suggest that there are […]
Food For Thought: Is Fusion Asian Food Really Even Asian?
There are few food terms that have turned more rancid than “fusion.” When fusion cuisine first gained currency in the 1980s, it was supposed to communicate a kind of […]
Food For Thought: Here’s What Happened When A Filipino Foodie Couple Decided To Shake Things Up
The Los Angeles cookbook store Now Serving occupies a small corner space in Chinatown’s Far East Plaza, just across the hall from the popular fried chicken stand Howlin’ Rays. […]
Food For Thought: Explore The Magic Of Hawaiian Foodways With Alana Kysar’s ‘Aloha Kitchen’
One of my first introductions to Hawaiian food—in Hawaii—came at a gas station. It was on my first trip to the island of Kauai, and friends swore that I […]
Review: Learn The Culinary Secrets Of New York Chef Sohui Kim In ‘Korean Home Cooking’
Confession: when I first moved back to L.A. from the Bay Area in 2006, an early food revelation was realizing that there was more to Korean cuisine than just […]
Food For Thought: ‘Two Red Bowls’ Blogger Cynthia McTernan Explores Pan Asian Cuisine In ‘A Common Table’
Often lost in the hand-wringing over Asian American “outmarriage” rates is that the fastest growing pairings are actually intra-Asian American: Chinese/Filipino, Korean/Thai, South Asian/Japanese, etc. This is especially true […]
Review: Leaving Culinary Comfort Zones For A Warmer ‘Season’
With a book titled “Season,” I should have guessed that Nik Sharma’s recipes would call for more than just a dash of sea salt and the occasional bay leaf. […]
Review: James Syhabout Rediscovers Lao Roots In ‘Hawker Fare’ Cookbook
In 2011, James Syhabout took over the family business — his mother’s Thai restaurant in Oakland — and transformed it into his now-famed Lao/Thai eatery, Hawker Fare. Syhabout was […]
Reviews: Filipino Cookbooks, From ‘I Am A Filipino’ to ‘Adobo Road’ and ‘Pulutan!’
Filipino cuisine is the next big thing … or hadn’t you heard? For several years running, food writers have proclaimed the “arrival” of Filipino food, but only after decades […]
Review: Tradition Mixed With Comfort in Hsiao-Ching Chou’s ‘Chinese Soul Food’
Confession time: My folks aren’t great cooks. Growing up, they were working professionals who had little interest in kitchen tinkering. There was no trickle-down culinary wisdom waiting for me. […]
