Abstract Anita Lo is a first-generation Chinese American cook. She grew up in Birmingham, Michigan and found an interest in food through discovering different cultures. She studied French At Columbia University and it prevailed her to study in France. After studying, she came back to the United States and worked in restaurants around New York City. After working at several restaurants, including David Waltuck’s Chanterelle, she developed her own contemporary American style. Lo opened her restaurant...

Abstract Ni Biying talks about her experiences growing up in China and her experience with food over the years as she survives the Japanese invasion from an early age and moves to the US to find work during her adulthood. She imparts interesting knowledge about the regional cuisine from Fujian, China (Fujianese food) and gives insight into the types of food eaten from her rural roots in China. She describes food eaten during times of poverty as well as the difficulties she experiences while trying to...

Abstract Chris Cheung is a Chinese-American chef who owns the restaurant, East Wind Snack Shop. He was raised in Chinatown and Bensonhurst, exposing him to both Chinese and Italian food at a young age. He grew up in 1970s and 1980s New York and recalls generational differences in Chinese restaurants. The teahouses that he enjoyed as a child have transformed. As Cheung grew older, he worked at several Asian restaurants. He began to work with high profile names in the culinary world; he learned...

Abstract Martin Yan, the legendary chef of the hit show Yan Can Cook, joins MOCA to discuss his inspiring and heartwarming story. After immigrating to California in his teens, Yan started teaching at U.C. Davis to earn enough money to attend college himself. After college, he left the U.S. and moved to Canada, where he became a Canadian citizen. A serendipitous cancellation by another chef on a popular Canadian TV station led the camera crew to reach out to Yan, who had fed and entertained them many...

Abstract Peter Chang is a chef and restauranteur who owns and operates a series of restaurants in the D.C. area, including Peter Chang Café, Peter Chang’s China Café, Q by Peter Chang, and the most recent Mama Chang. In the interview, Mr. Chang speaks about his incredible journey from his childhood in rural Hubei, his time in culinary school, his success as a chef in China, how he came to America, and how he survived then thrived in America, eventually garnering media attention in the US from...

Abstract This oral history focuses on Yvette Lee, a Chinese American home cook who was born and raised in Pauoa Valley, Honolulu, Hawaii. The daughter of two immigrants from Hong Kong, Yvette Lee learned to cook from watching her parents in the kitchen. A pescatarian, Lee derived inspiration for her homey, eclectic cooking style from the vegan dishes her mother made when she was a child, as well as from Hawaii’s rich cultural diversity. In this oral history, Lee discusses food as a means of...