On The Side

Amanda and Parvesh head to Âu Lạc LA to hang with DC Arrowverse heroes Osric Chau (“Crisis on Infinite Earths”) and Chantal Thuy (“Black Lightning”) to talk about what keeps them in HERO shape, and what eating clean means to them. We then catch up with Jim Lee, Chief Creative Officer of DC, to discover which superhero inspired him the most growing up.

Amanda and Gilbert join Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter and CEO of the Bruce Lee Family Companies. Lee and the group meet at Warrior on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood to talk about her father’s legacy. We then hear Justin Lin’s story about working at his dad’s fish and chips shop as a boy. His father’s shop inspired his first short film, and he talks about the first time he was able to see his father outside of the shop during the day – away from the fluorescent lighting.

We meet up with the Fung Brothers to feast on banchan at KJ Korean Tofu & BBQ, with a whopping 24 dishes, this place has one of the best spreads in all of Los Angeles! With kimchi being a staple banchan dish, we head to the Cosmos Kimchi factory to meet the family behind one of the largest kimchi manufacturers, and learn a little thing or two about fermentation.

Lana takes a drive in sponsor Toyota’s 2020 Highlander to E.P & L.P, an Asian fusion restaurant to meet Stacy and actor Ross Butler (“13 Reasons Why,” Shazam!). The conversation focuses on mixed-race individuals and the blending of cultures, history, and family traditions. From the Fijian Ceviche to the Alaskan King Crab, the cross of Chinese, Fijian, and Vietnamese meet California cuisine is the backdrop for conversations. We then meet back up with Shannon Lee and hear all about her fusion cuisine growing up!

It’s a never-ending feast in “All You Can Eat” when Gilbert and Lana meet up with Jimmy O. Yang at Shiki Seafood Buffet, one of the most well-known Asian buffets in Southern California. As they sit down with their first plate, they contemplate: why are buffets so popular in Asian communities? Food historian, David R. Chan, breaks down the Chinese buffet’s history and lets us know where the idea originated.

In the “Memories” episode, Anthony Ma, with his mother and young son, and Parvesh go to a traditional Taiwanese breakfast at Yi Mei Taiwanese in Monrovia, CA. The Taiwanese breakfast was a tradition in Anthony’s family, and now, as a new father, he wants his toddler son to share in the experience. Grandma Ma shares stories of growing up in a rural community in Taiwan while the quartet enjoys the delicacy of pork chop, corn, and a donut dipped in soymilk.

If there was one clear trend during the shelter-at-home episode, it was learning to cook outside of your comfort zone. In “Cooking at Home,” we start with actor/cookbook author Jimmy Wong teaching Lana recipes from Jimmy’s new cookbook “Feast of Fiction Kitchen.” The duo turns cooking at home into an improvisational cooking show. We also put our Foodie Fam’s kitchen skills to the test when they do a friendly cooking competition judged by acclaimed chef and restaurateur Dale Talde, with a very special ingredient… SPAM® Classic!

In “Connected,” we explore the new way we are connecting virtually. Parvesh invites his friends Danny Pudi, Sonal Shah, and Janina Gavankar for a South Asian Indian meal. We then spotlight “#stage13supports”- a campaign launched to recognize Asian restaurants and small businesses during the pandemic.