InfatuAsian Podcast

We interviewed Linda Nguon (founder of Banh Mi Media) in 2022 on Zoom, and we could tell that we had a lot in common, even though we grew up in different countries and had different backgrounds.  We both have a vision of using media to tell stories and give a voice to our Asian communities.

Since then Banh Mi Media has done a LOT to bring visibility to Asian French people in France and beyond.  When I found out they were coming to California for the Viet Film Fest, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet them in person!

Linda's partner Sebastian Kong and his co-director/actor Steve Tran were presenting their short film "Je Suis Personne" (I Am No One).  I got to see the film online and it is a fascinating look at life in France as a son of Vietnamese immigrants. 

It was a quick visit, but I think we all felt like family when we parted.  It is very heartwarming to know there are so many creative and talented people working to elevate Asian creators and culture around the world!

See more about what Banh Mi Media is doing @banhmi.media on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.  French speakers can listen to the Banh Mi Podcast, wherever you get podcasts.  You can follow Sebastian @sebastienkong and Steve Tran @steve__tran

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Please listen and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.  We would really appreciate your ratings and reviews over at Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#vietnamesefrench #asianfrenchpodcast #uniqlo #banhmimedia #créatif #diasporaasiatique #asiancreatives #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #asianauthor #representationmatters

We're back at it again with our K-Drama Draft Show! Jennifer and Nadira are back, and we brought in another old friend from our C-Drama episode Jessica from Daebak K-Rambles Podcast.  It was good fun picking dramas with these 3!

To keep it fresh, we created 5 new categories:  A 2023 show, A drama with a 2nd lead that you liked, A drama starring a K-Pop Idol, A drama with someone from the cast of Goblin, and an underrated drama.  As usual, once a drama was picked, no one else could pick that drama.  (And for 3 of us, we limited ourselves to dramas that had not been picked on our past shows)

Thanks to all 3 of my guests!  Do yourself a favor and listen to Jessica's show Daebak K-Rambles wherever you find podcasts and follow her @daebakpod on social media!

Thanks for listening!  Write to us at [email protected] and follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast over at Instagram or Facebook  Listen to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc, and leave us a rating or review wherever possible!  Thank you!

Our Opening Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios 

Our Outro:

"Soju Over Ice" by Son of Paper. See more @sonofpaper on Instagram and Watch the Soju Over Ice Video on YouTube

#kdrama #goblin #moving #revenant #theglory #myliberationnotes #mrsunshine #whileyouweresleeping #businessproposal #drcha #ourblues #DP #Netflix #viki #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #asianpodcast #asianamericanpodcast #asianpopculture #asianamerican #representationmatters #veryasian

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 was a good learning experience, and perhaps we'll have more "in situ" recordings in the future!

Vlogger Anne, Glenn, and I tried Pampanguena Cuisine on Mission Street in San Francisco, recommended by Glenn, and it did not disappoint!  Anne loves Patio Filipino in Millbrae for their sisig and pretty much everything or Lechon Manila in Union City for the crispy roast pork.  I love Fil-Am for their quick and cheap meat skewers that will only cost you a few bucks, but will satisfy your sweet and savory cravings! For sweets, Anne recommends House of Silvanas in Daly City for their silvanas (frozen meringue cookies stuffed with buttercream) or Patio Filipino for the Halo Halo dessert served in a fresh coconut.   My daughters love Ling Nam Starbread in Daly City for buttery senorita bread.

We will need to get together again and try more dishes since the waiter/owner wouldn't let us order more sensing that our eyes were bigger than our stomachs!  Does anyone want to come next time?

Thanks again to Glenn for hanging out with us! And shout out to Anne, who posts her food videos @alwayshannegry on Instagram or TikTok!

Thanks for listening!  Write to us at [email protected] and follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast over at Instagram or Facebook  Listen to us at Spotify, Apple or Google Podcasts, etc

#filipino #filipinofood #sisig #pampanguena #dalycity #filipinohistorymonth  #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #asianpodcast #asianamericanpodcast #asianpopculture #asianamerican #representationmatters #veryasian

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 fate would have it, we both happened to be in Los Angeles at the end of July so we were able to record this in person, which was fun for so many reasons!

Give Proudly Asian a listen wherever you get your podcasts, and follow her @proudly.asian on social media.

Special thanks to all my guests:  Kaitlin and Sarah Leung from @thewoksoflife, Steven Allerick @stevenallerick, Ami Park @ami_park, Alyssa Kim @alyssagiheekim, Andrea Nguyen @andreanguyen88, Lan Lam @lan_cooks, Jeff Yamazaki @jeffyamazaki, Michelle Hanabusa @mkhanabusa !!!  

Please tell us your travel stories at [email protected], or via direct message on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Please listen and follow us on most major podcast platforms.  We would love your ratings and feedback over at Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#travel #travelinasia #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #iinfatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

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 different than anything else I've ever watched.  Listen "spoiler-free" for the first half of this episode as we dive into the world of C-dramas.

Thanks to Nadira and Jess for helping me (a LOT) with this episode.  You can follow Jess over @daebakpod on Instagram and listen to her show wherever you get your podcasts at Daebak K-Rambles.

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Please listen and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.  We would really appreciate your ratings and reviews over at Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Music:

"Farewell Love" - 詹雯婷 Faye - Love Between Fairy and Devil OST

"Want To Be With You" -(想和你)-Esther Yu(虞书欣)&Dylan Wang(王鹤棣) -Love Between Fairy And Devil OST

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#Chinesedrama #lovebetweenfairyanddevil #Esteryu #dylanwang #cdrama #xianxia #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #asianauthor #representationmatters #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

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 Suey, General Tso's Chicken, Broccoli Beef, etc.  Grace weaves the history behind the dishes, with legends, stories, and amazing art.  It's NOT just for kids, I'm thoroughly enjoying it!

You can meet Grace in person if you live in Seattle (9/11), San Francisco (9/12), Oakland (9/13), Berkeley (9/14), or Pasadena (9/15).  Details are here: https://gracelin.com/news-events/    You can also get details and lots more stories from Grace at her Instagram account @pacylin

Thank you so much to Grace for speaking with me!  Thanks to Little Brown Books for sending me a preview pack, and to publicist Carrie Bachman for making the arrangements for me to connect with Grace!

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Please listen and follow us wherever you get your podcasts.  We would really appreciate your ratings and reviews over at Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#chinesemenu #chinesefood #asianauthor #childrensbooks  #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #asianauthor #representationmatters#asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters

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 during the tropical storm Hilary! The on-screen mother-daughter duo are so warm and charming, it was pure joy chatting with them!

Follow them @dawnyingyuen or @merry.chrisnas to see what they're up to!  You can also follow @douamoua and @perryyungofficial.  Keep an eye on @theharvest.film to know if the film will be playing near you!  I really hope you get to see it!

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @theinfatuasianpodcast  

Please follow us wherever you get your podcasts.  We could always use your ratings and reviews over at Apple. And now Spotify! 

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#theharvestfilm #theharvest #immigrants #refugees #diversitymatters #hmong #khmer #asianstories #aapistories #southeastasian #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #asianauthor #representationmatters

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, hoping to record with the girls, and luckily (for me) their flight to Texas got delayed so they had time for a quick chat with me before they headed out.  They could not have been more friendly and sweet, as I'm sure you'll hear on the recording.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, or at https://infatuasian.podbean.com/

Special thanks to SAI Entertainment and N204 Entertainment for helping me set this up.  And of course Chesca and the whole staff at SarangHello for being my audience and setting up the space for us!  Thanks to Jumi for doing some interpreting too!

Songs:

"Undercover" - CRAXY (크랙시) - Who Am I 2022

"NUGUDOM" - CRAXY (크랙시) - XX 2023

"It's Alright" - CRAXY (크랙시) - XX 2023

"Aria" CRAXY (크랙시) - My Universe 2020

To learn more about CRAXY you can follow them@Craxy_Official on Instagram, @Craxy_Officials on X, or watch their videos at https://www.youtube.com/@CRAXY-SAI

As I always mention, you can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast 

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#craxy #kpop #kpopinterview #Wooah #Karin #SWAN #Hyejin #Kcon2023la #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #asianauthor #representationmatters

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 to come!

In this episode we reminisce a little about past episodes, what we've learned, and where we might be headed.  Thanks so much to my guests Madison and Jon for coming on this special episode!

A huge thanks to all my co-hosts and guests these past 2 years, you have made this more fun than I could have imagined.  And an even bigger thanks to YOU the audience for listening to us and giving us a reason to do it!!!  (Sorry I couldn't remember to mention all of you during this episode I really do appreciate you!)

Write to us and let us know your favorite episodes or what you'd like to hear more of! You can write to us at: [email protected], and please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @infatuasianpodcast  

Please follow us wherever you get your podcasts.  We could always use your ratings and reviews over at Apple. And now Spotify! 

Our Theme:

#asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #asianauthor #representationmatters

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 Francisco next week.

We had fun talking about Blackpink at SarangHello, the Bay Area's first and best K-Pop store!  Thanks to Kevin, Pip, and Chesca for hosting with me again, and thanks to the folks who came down to be a part of the audience! (apologies to Karl who I kept calling Clark!)

Follow @Saranghellosf on Instagram or visit their website https://saranghello.com/ to see what's happening at the store!

Please follow us wherever you get your podcasts as well as over @infatuasianpodcast on Facebook or Instagram

Music:

"뚜두뚜두 (DDU-DU DDU-DU)" - Blackpink, YG Entertainment

"BBoom BBoom (뿜뿜)" -  Momoland, 1theK

"Forever Young" (MOVING VER.) - Blackpink, YG Entertainment

‘Pink Venom’ - Blackpink, YG Entertainment

"You Never Know" - Blackpink, YG Entertainment

로제(ROSÉ)의 〈The Only Exception〉♬ 바라던 바다 (sea of hope) 4회 | JTBC 210720 방송

"Kill This Love" - Blackpink, YG Entertainment

"Tally" - Blackpink, YG Entertainment

‘꽃(FLOWER)’ - Jisoo, YG Entertainment

Our Theme:

“Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by All Arms Around 

#Blackpink #Bornpink #Squareone #jennie #jisoo #lisa #Rose #kpop #saranghello  #asianpodcast #asian #asianamerican #infatuasian #infatuasianpodcast #aapi #veryasian  #asianamericanpodcaster #representationmatters