Infatu Asian Podcast

Here's an episode with the Blackboard 4 (Jackie, Vicky, Loan, and me) where we talk about having Asian parents and being Asian parents. Hopefully, you can relate and join in the laughter.

*Light trigger warning* We talk about old-fashioned Asian discipline. 

Thanks to The Blackboard 4 for helping me all school year long. We'll be back after summer break to break down more topics.

New Jersey (and anyone else)- check the link in my I...

Are manners, good conversation skills, and etiquette out of style? My guest, Reina, and I wholeheartedly disagree! In fact, maybe these soft skills are needed more than ever! Reina Chan is an etiquette coach who was born in Hong Kong but was educated in England and Switzerland. She creates content around international etiquette and coaches clients on Eastern and Western etiquette at her company, Normae. 

You can listen to our fun c...

Vicky Nguyen's life arc that goes from a harrowing escape out of Vietnam to the Today show makes her book Boat Baby a real page-turner. I had a really fun chat with Vicky the day after Mother's Day, which I thought was appropriate, since her parents, husband Brian, and 3 daughters play a big part in this journey of a lifetime. As a bonus, we get Vicky's go-to Vietnamese comfort foods and a behind-the-scenes look at creating the mos...

John Wang is a leadership coach, author, speaker, and founder of Big Asian Energy, a platform dedicated to empowering Asian Americans to break through cultural and professional barriers. 

We had so much fun chatting about his new book, Big Asian Energy, available May 27th, wherever you get books, or over at his website www.bigasianenergy.com 

You can follow John on Instagram @johnwangofficial or @johnwangbae on TikTok. And listen t...

Want some bonus Amy Tan?  Yes please! Just when I thought I was wrapping up our chat with Amy Tan, we got into a deep conversation about life and surviving trauma. I didn't plan most of this and just went wherever Amy wanted to lead the conversation.

*Trigger Warning* We talk about self-harm and assault, please use listener's discretion*

Pictured in this post is Amy's grandmother (on the right).  She was 37 when she died by swallow...

It's going to be hard to beat this one! I had huge expectations about speaking with Amy Tan, and let me tell you, Amy gave me more than I could have even hoped for! She is the premier Asian American storyteller for a reason. She had me laughing one minute and contemplating the next.

This is only Part 1, because we ended up chatting for over an hour and a half!  What a treat! I'll drop Part 2 next week.

You can listen to this and al...

Jackie, Vicky, Loan, and I—a.k.a. The Blackboard 4—chat about the Greatest Of All Time Asian things! I always have a great time yapping with my teacher friends. Who knows where our next tangent will take us!

In this episode, we discuss our GOATed Asian fruits and veg, movies, comedians, and more. Listen in and let us know if you agree with us or not! 

As I always mention, you can write to us at: ⁠infatuasianpodcast@gmail.com⁠, and ...

Nancy Kwan was one of the first Asian Hollywood stars I can remember seeing. She broke out in the hit movies "The World of Suzie Wong" and "Flower Drum Song" in the 1960s. Over the next several decades, Nancy worked in front and behind the camera in over 50 productions. 

It was a real pleasure to speak with Nancy, she is as charming and lovely as ever. I really think you'll enjoy hearing from her. You can learn more about her inter...

Arthur Dong is an award-winning filmmaker out of San Francisco's Chinatown. One of his first films, Sewing Woman, was nominated for an Oscar. We caught up with Arthur and chatted about his youth in Chinatown and his over 50 years of filmmaking!

Get the Arthur Dong Collection on Blu-Ray discs from Kino Lorber. Arthur's care for his subject matter will move you, and I promise that you will learn so much! Get it here: https://kinolorb...

Brandon wanted to participate in our March Madness of Chinese Cuisine, but he had a prior engagement, so we decided to bring the bracket to him! Recording in the legendary Moongate Lounge above Mr. Jiu's, Brandon and I talked about his journey and why it's been so important for him to keep pushing against the river of difficulties of running a big restaurant in SF Chinatown.

Listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or whe...

I had a quick call with Linda Tay Esposito from @flavor_explosions, who organized a bake sale to fundraise for earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar. 

Here in San Francisco, Linda has gathered over 35 bakers who are donating some goods towards the relief effort. Each item will be $5 or $10, with 100% of the proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders in Myanmar.

It's Sunday, April 13th, from 10AM-1PM only!  @18reasons (located at 18th...

The day had come on March 22nd, 2025... the day we crowned the greatest dish in Chinese Cuisine for 2025!  It was a hotly contested battle, voted on by about 60 members of our audience on a beautiful night in Chinatown. Cohosted by myself and the folks from The Worst Quality Crab Podcast and the On Waverly Bookstore, it was truly a fun night!

I hope you were able to join us live, but if you weren't, here's our recording. Mark your ...

Here's a really quick interview with Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino, who star in the Filipino film My Love Will Make You Disappear! It is a fun rom-com with a fun premise and lots of ups and downs, tears and laughs. 

I got to take part of the press junket, and because of my work schedule I only have a few minutes to chat with the stars. My nerves got the best of me, but the stars were so gracious and charming, I hope you enjoy our quic...

Sarah Ahn and her mom Nam Soon Ahn have been sharing stories and recipes on their Instagram @ahnestkitchen. Coming April 1st is their cookbook 'Umma" which is a fantastic collection of over 100 recipes, pictures, and stories from their family past and present. The stories in it will make your heart swell and your eyes water, while their recipes will help you experience Korean home cooking for yourself. 

Pre-order a copy of 'Umma' t...

I'm a little ashamed to say, I don't think I've ever played a real game of mahjong!  Today's guest, Nicole Wong, wrote the perfect book for me!  It's called Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora, and it has a little bit of everything for a new player like myself, or a seasoned player like you!

It's available April 8th wherever you get your books.  Follow Nicole @themahjongproject on Instagram, or learn more at her web...

Mr. Prasetyo Hadi is the Consul General for Indonesia in San Francisco. I met Mr. Prasetyo Hadi at a fun celebration by the Indonesian Consulate in San Francisco. I asked if we could do an episode together, and so we got together and had a fun chat at the Consulate General, which happens to be near my work. They couldn’t have been nicer, showing me some of the warmth and hospitality Indonesia is famous for. I can’t wait to visit In...

Lauren Yee is an uber-talented playwright and screenwriter originally from San Francisco. Her plays cover a wide range of topics, from life as a Yee in San Francisco Chinatown to a 1970s rock band trying to survive during the days of the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia. Her plays are a poignant mix of family, history, and culture filled with tension and humor. 

Listen to our episode wherever you get Podcasts (Spotify, Apple Podcas...

Dr. Lydia Kang is a physician by day, and a prolific fiction and non-fiction author in her off hours. I had such a great time chatting with her about her new book Pseudoscience. We talked a little about lie detectors, cryptid creatures, crop circles, and more! Get a copy for yourself, your kids, and your kid's teachers, it's a lot of fun!

Pseudoscience is available wherever you get your books. Follow Lydia @lydiakang on social medi...

Join us for a totally impromptu episode discussing Single's Inferno 4! I happened to be in LA and I met up with frequent co-host Katie!  We had an hour to kill so we set up the mobile studio and recorded our thoughts on this most recent season of Single's Inferno.

I didn't love this season initially, but it definitely grew on me! Who were your favorites? Did the right people end up together? Are they still together?

Follow Katie @k...