Who wouldn’t want to live in paradise? This week we talk with someone who was born and raised on O’ahu, and can tell you what it’s really like to live in Hawaii. Chris from YouTube’s Hello From Hawaii channel, answers our questions about island life and the pros and cons of living in America’s most unique state. Learn a lot more by watching Chris’ channel, Hello From Hawaii on YouTube. Follow him on Instagram @hellofromhawaii Mahalo Chris! Special thanks to Beipana for letting us use his renditi...
May 25, 2022•49 min•Ep. 61
This week we are rock’n out with an amazing guitarist out of London, Rikki Lee! Madison and Curtis had a lot of fun talking about how self-taught Malaysian-born guitarist, Rikki, grew as a musician to become a professional touring guitarist with artists like Priya Ragu and Martin Smith. During the pandemic, Rikki pivoted into a YouTuber, covering legendary songs from rock’s biggest stars. To hear and see more of Rikki, you can find her on YouTube at her channel Rikki Lee. You can see more of Rik...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 60
This week we Zoom over to France to have a wonderful chat with Linda Nguon, a french language podcaster out of Paris. Linda started the Banh Mi Podcast because there really wasn’t anything like it in France. On the podcast, Linda talks with all kinds of guests about their love and connection to Asian culture. She adds subtitles to some of her Instagram reels and has started adding subtitles to some of her YouTube videos, so please go check them out! If you understand French, you will enjoy liste...
May 11, 2022•53 min•Ep. 59
Julia shares some of her family’s history of living through the Japanese colonization of Korea from 1910-1945, as we discuss the Apple TV+ adaptation of Pachinko. Pachinko is a best selling novel written by Korean American author Min Jin Lee in 2017. Hear Curtis and Julia talk about the importance of this show as well as a few complaints, but overall we really liked it and highly recommend it! Thanks Julia for joining me last minute! Please give her show a listen! Asian Soup Podcast can be found...
May 06, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 58
Madison and Curtis had such a blast chatting with Miss San Francisco 2022 Catherine Liang! She has the charm and poise of a real-life princess! Hear her journey from an awkward 13-year-old to a contestant in the Miss California Pageant 2022, representing our hometown of San Francisco! See what Catherine is up to @misssanfranciscoco or follow her personal account @catherine_y_liang on Instagram, and wish her luck on June 25th, 2022 at the Miss California Pageant! You can write to Madison and Curt...
May 03, 2022•50 min•Ep. 57
Brian Lum from All Arms Around walks us through the process of writing and performing his own music while being a full-time pharmacist and family man. Hear Brian break down some of his songs and give us behind-the-scenes secrets about producing his richly layered original music. You can listen to All Arms Around on Spotify, or purchase his album at Bandcamp.com (all proceeds go to the Oakland Unified School District). Follow Brian @allarmsaround on Instagram All Arms Around songs we played in th...
Apr 27, 2022•53 min•Ep. 56
This week Bellina and Curtis talk to personal finance and side hustle blogger Chloe Choe! We chat with Chloe about how she got started blogging and some of her favorite ways to invest and generate alternate streams of income through side hustles. She also talks about how she maximizes her 27 (and counting) credit cards! Disclaimer: our discussion was purely for educational and entertainment purposes. We are not giving financial advice. Please consider consulting a certified financial advisor. Th...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 55
It was a teen take-over episode when Madison and Curtis got to chat with actor Tristan Allerick Chen who voiced the middle school bully Tyler in Disney Pixar’s Turning Red! Tristan is young, but he’s already got some Hollywood experiences under his belt. He was such a complete pleasure to talk with as he gave us insights into how he got the role, how he voiced such a convincing bully, as well as how much he did or didn’t know about the movie before it came out! If you’d like to follow Tristan on...
Apr 13, 2022•47 min•Ep. 54
Phuc Tran’s first book, “Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In”, is a wonderful read. It details what life was like as a Vietnamese kid thrown into rural America in the ’70s. Bellina and I had a great chat with Phuc about his youth and what he’s up to now. Highly recommend this book to anyone who has family who immigrated to this country, or who has ever felt like an outsider.. basically I recommend this book to everyone! Thanks to Bellina who joined me...
Apr 06, 2022•55 min•Ep. 53
Asian desserts/baked goods have long been overlooked by the culinary world, but not anymore! Caroline and I had a great time chatting with Kat Lieu, founder of Subtle Asian Baking, about her upcoming book: Modern Asian Baking at Home! Hear about Kat’s experience founding the viral Facebook group and Instagram account, as well as how she picked the recipes that went into her book. We also talked about the different charity fundraisers Kat is fueling. Grab a slice of Japanese matcha milk bread and...
Mar 30, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 52
***Be Advised: We discuss violent crimes and use strong language in this episode*** Special guest Teddy Teo, host of A Brief Case Podcast, shares about two more cases from Asia, and Curtis tries his hand at the genre with a North American Asian true crime case. Teddy also plans an AMAZING day for us when we visit Singapore! Also, hear the story of how Curtis could (should?) have been the heir to the Tiger Balm fortune! Special thanks to Teddy and Jennifer for keeping me company so I wouldn't get...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 51
*Trigger Warning* This episode contains strong language and some gory details. One of the most popular podcasts are those showcasing true crime! Today Jen and I will be chatting with Teddy, the mysterious and entertaining host of A Brief Case Podcast an Asian true crime show based in Singapore. We will discuss our theories about why true crime is so popular and go over a few cases that Teddy has featured on her show. Thanks to Teddy for waking up early to collaborate with us! And thanks to 5-tim...
Mar 23, 2022•41 min•Ep. 50
Many times our conversations don't stop when I end the episode. Often the guests are more relaxed after we "end" the official recording. Here are a few minutes of us chatting and saying our good-byes, then Madi and I stick around to do our producers debrief. I hope you enjoy these! Let me know via email what you think of these, is the behind-the-scenes stuff too boring? You can write us at infatuasianpodcast@ gmail.com Thanks for listening! Talk to you soon!...
Mar 18, 2022•20 min•Ep. 49
Colleen Quen is a fashion legend right in our hometown! We had a blast spending some time chatting with Colleen about her journey as a fashion designer, and so much more. Joining us again from Australia is our friend and fashion entrepreneur Roxane of the Asian Soup Podcast. Super Producer Madison is with us again enjoying the wise advice from her new fairy godmother, Colleen! I guarantee you’ll learn something and be uplifted by our amazing guests. To follow Colleen Quen, you can see many more ...
Mar 16, 2022•58 min•Ep. 48
On today’s episode, we are talking with my former student Kevin, who started out selling freshwater aquarium shrimp out of his garage, and turned it into a multimillion-dollar company by the time he was 24! In a more informal style chat, Kevin and I talk about building a small business from scratch. Hear how Kevin parlayed that experience into becoming the Director of Product Launch for the number one crowdsourcing agency, Launch Boom. Thanks to Kevin for dropping by and sharing your story. To r...
Mar 09, 2022•57 min•Ep. 47
Trying something new. Super Producer Madison and I often have chats after our guests leave. I usually tack them on after the music plays. This time I decided to post this separately for those who enjoy hearing us chat about this episode, upcoming episodes, and a little behind the scenes. I hope you enjoy listening to these chats as much as I do! MUSIC! This is also the debut of our acoustic version of Super Happy J-Pop Fun Time! Arranged by Brian Lum of the band, Arms All Around. Find his music ...
Mar 02, 2022•18 min•Ep. 46
Producer Madison and I had a great time chatting with Adam from YouTube’s Die Hard Fishing! Adam’s channel really gained traction during shelter in place as many people were looking for things to do during quarantine. Fishing has deep Asian roots here in California and elsewhere. Listen to hear about Adam’s journey from a corporate job in Silicon Valley to hitting the waves in a kayak. Even Madison, who has never been fishing before, started to see how satisfying it could be to pull food from th...
Mar 02, 2022•58 min•Ep. 45
This week we're talking about our favorite subject, science! Research scientist Rosanna and 2nd year Ph.D. student Angeline talk with me about their journeys into their chosen fields. We also talk about some scientists old and new who have made a difference to our understanding of the natural world. As well as give a shout-out to some Asian scientists who have made an impact on our lives! Thanks to my guests! And thanks to all the scientists and doctors who have labored around the clock to keep ...
Feb 23, 2022•55 min•Ep. 44
If you've ever done Crossfit in Xi'an China, there's a good chance your coach is descended from Coach Matt! In 2015 Matt and his wife Tina opened Flying Tigers Crossfit, the first gym of its type in the Chinese city of Xi'an. Hear what it took to bring that vision to fruition as well as other random side topics we digressed into. Recorded in January 2022. Thanks to Coach Matt Allen for chatting with me, and also thanks to Super-Intern Madison for editing this episode! #crossfit #Xian #flyingtige...
Feb 17, 2022•36 min•Ep. 43
What goes better with Valentine's Day than some zombie mayhem!?! Jennifer, Nadira, and I discuss Netflix's hit drama All of Us Are Dead, which takes place at a dysfunctional Korean high school. The 3 of us pick zombie survival teams from the show's characters... whose team would you run with? As always you can write to us at Infatuasianpodcast@gmail.com and please follow us @theinfatuasianpodcast over at Instagram or Facebook. Please consider giving us a review at Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Than...
Feb 14, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 42
Part Two of our chat with Top Chef star Chef Shirley Chung and food industry expert Caryl Chinn! This week we dig deeper into what it’s like to work with and be a celebrity chef. Caryl tells the story about the first time she met Chef Gordon Ramsay and Shirley gives us a glimpse into what it’s like to compete with other amazing chefs on Bravo’s Top Chef, where she finished in the top 3 twice and was runner up in Season 14. We also talk a little about the future of the food industry. Intern Produ...
Feb 09, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 41
Foodie Talk with Two Food Insiders Caryl Chinn and Top Chef Shirley Chung! Hear the origin story of my sister Caryl, who has worked with pretty much all the celebrity chefs we know and love. She was Bon Appetit magazine’s first food event planner in the 90’s when the food media industry blew up. Coming along with us is the amazingly effervescent Chef Shirley Chung! Shirley had us rolling on the floor laughing with her stories of growing up in a family of doctors and engineers. In the 2000s Shirl...
Feb 02, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 40
A Special Lunar New Year Side Dish! Xin Nian Kaui Le Everyone! We hope you have a very prosperous new year! This is a movie I’ve loved since the moment I saw it. And it zooms in on a love story marked by the Lunar New Year. Some love stories center on couples who are so right and yet so wrong for each other. That’s the case for these two strangers, who become friends, who become lovers, who become strangers again. It’s on Netflix and might be an interesting way to spend your Lunar New Year, and ...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 39
Episode 19 Creator and Executive Producer Miranda Kwok talks with us about The Cleaning Lady! Fox’s #1-Rated drama features a Cambodian/Filipina lead character whose strength, intelligence, and sheer determination are a force to be reckoned with. Hear Miranda talk about some of the subtle but very deliberate choices she made to maintain as much authenticity as possible. Everything from the soundtrack, the language, to the Jollibee fried chicken work to create a world we haven’t seen on network t...
Jan 26, 2022•45 min•Ep. 38
Episode 18! This week we have a double treat, first, we talk to award-winning photographer Zabrina Deng about the art of her photography, and second, we chat about one of our favorite actors, Tony Leung! The photos we are discussing in the episode can be found on our Instagram or Facebook pages. We then talk about the masterful of acting by Tony Leung, who many people know only from Shang Chi, but whose career goes back 4 decades and over 200 acting credits. Also coming along on this week's conv...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 37
Part 2 of Episode 17! Our special collaboration with The Asian Soup Podcast continues as we touch on many topics about life in Australia as an Asian. Our SOUPER friends, Roxane and Julia, join us again from Sydney and we dive deeper into the similarities and differences growing up halfway around the world. Curtis, Mandy, and Madison also share their Asian American experiences and make plans for a hypothetical but hopefully real meet-up in the future! Also, you can tell from this picture that we ...
Jan 12, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 36
Episode 17 Part One! Does growing up Asian halfway around the world, on a different continent, in a different hemisphere lead to a different experience? Today we have a SOUPER fun collaboration with two Asian Aussies, Roxane and Julia, the hosts of The Asian Soup Podcast! Listen to my co-host Mandy, Intern Madison, and me chat with our friends down under about a wide variety of topics about growing up in places where we were not the dominant culture. Does the Asian diaspora have more in common t...
Jan 05, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 35
***warning possible SPOILERS, especially The Silent Sea, skip minutes ~36-40 to avoid our Silent Sea commentary!*** Happy New Year! An impromptu look back at the 2021 K-Drama highs and lows! Super last-minute replacement Amy comes in off the bench to chat about a year's worth of K-Dramas. There were definitely some stinkers, but plenty to be happy about too! Hope you found some K-Drama joy in 2021, and here's to looking forward to more great shows in 2022! Feel better Jennifer! Thank you all for...
Dec 31, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 34
An end-of-the-year surprise episode! In this Side Dish episode, we will discuss The Hong Konger Anthology by Sophia Hotung. Author and Illustrator Sophia Zoomed in from Hong Kong to chat with me about her life's journey, her art, and her 1st book! What started as a joke/parody of The New Yorker magazine covers, grew and evolved as a way for Sophia to express her experiences and observations of a place her family has called home for over 150 years. I think you'll really enjoy hearing her stories ...
Dec 29, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 33
This week Curtis talks about the Netflix live-action remake of the legendary 90's anime Cowboy Bebop! To help break it down, Lingjie from The Worst Asian Podcast, a self-proclaimed weeb, lends his anime and manga knowledge. Find out if we agree with whether or not the show starring John Cho deserved to be canceled after only one season! Do you agree with us? Send us your thoughts via email to Infatuasianpodcast @gmail dot com or please follow and message us @theinfatuasianpodcast on Instagram or...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 32
