LUCKY CHOW explores the Asian American experience through the lens of food.
On Season 4, host Danielle Chang is joined by a new co-host, William Li. Together, they meet fascinating Asian Americans who tell their stories of courage, hope, ambition and success in the culinary world — from fourth-generation business-owners, to innovative entrepreneurs, to next-generation chefs.
EPISODE GUIDE:
Episode 1: “Generasians” airs Saturday, July 4 at 1 p.m. on KPBS TV - A fourth-generation Japanese-American farm (Chino Farm). America’s oldest tofu shop in the hands of a surprising new owner (Ota Tofu). A mother-son relationship built on a passion for food and a love of heritage (Liv Wu and Erling Wu-Bower). A historic Hollywood cafe that is part culinary hotspot, part Asians-in-Hollywood history exhibit. A former commander in the South Vietnamese army and CIA collaborator who now owns a James Beard award-winning restaurant (William Vuong).
These are the incredible stories of immigrant hope, strength, perseverance, and courage that define American greatness and illustrate the richness of the Asian experience.
Episode 2: “Healing” airs Saturday, July 11 at 1 p.m. on KPBS TV - There is an ancient Ayurvedic proverb that says, “When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.”
We explore the idea of functional food and tell stories of individuals who are looking to heal the body, spirit, and global community one meal at a time. Accomplished multi-hyphenate Waris Aluwahlia, celebrated chef Su-Mei Yu along with Nimai Gupta, a farmer who is dedicated to practicing Ayurvedic agriculture show us that consciousness and intent are two of the most powerful ingredients in life.
Episode 3: "Innovators" airs Saturday, July 18 at 1 p.m. on KPBS TV - Culinary creativity isn’t always found in the kitchen. In today’s day and age, innovation on how and what we eat and drink often happens in unexpected places—like the think tanks of Silicon Valley, suburban garages, and next-gen Chinese fast casual spots.
We look into the future with three acclaimed women chefs in the Pacific Northwest; the founder of Pared, the game-changing app that has revolutionized how restaurants hire staff; Robert Wang, who invented the Instant Pot because he was looking to invent something to help him cook healthier food for his children; and Lucas Sin, hotshot chef and founder of Junzi Kitchen, who is leading the charge in bringing greater awareness to the diversity of Chinese food.
Episode 4: "Hybrids" airs Saturday, July 25 at 1 p.m. on KPBS TV - Through the eyes of four chefs, we explore the vast Asian diaspora and prove that if we are what we eat, we’re all a little bit Asian.
Cultural and culinary mashups take form in Park’s Filipino-American BBQ, J.J. Johnson’s Afro-Asian rice bowls, Llama San’s take on the unique Peruvian-Japanese flavors known as Nikkei cuisine, and James Syhabout, the two Michelin-star Lao refugee chef who keeps one foot in the past while forging new flavor frontiers.
Episode 5: "Curators" airs Saturday, Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. on KPBS TV - The celebration of Asian-American identity and history is taking shape in exciting new ways. In this episode, we meet the editors of Banana, a magazine creating a voice for contemporary AZN culture, visit an urban rice paddy in the heart of New York City, and talk to the creator of the hot Chinese cooking blog, Omnivores Cookbook. We also spend time looking at the future of Asian cocktail culture and how traditional Asian brews like sake and shochu are growing in popularity stateside.
Episode 6: "Comfort” airs Saturday, Aug. 8 at 1 p.m. on KPBS TV - Comfort food is nostalgic, hearty, soothing, and has never been more indispensable. Whether it’s Chinese food made at home with an assist from cooking blogs like The Woks of Life or Taiwanese and Indonesian classics reimagined by young chefs like Eric Sze (886), Trigg Brown (Win Son), or Cedric Vongerichten (Wayan), fresh takes on familiar flavors are finding a new generation of hungry fans.
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Credits:
Presented by Center for Asian American Media. Distributed by American Public Television.
