Hello, World
At Jungsik in NYC for my birthday!
I was originally planning to publish this blog later in the summer once I had a few more posts lined up and ready to go but, in light of the unexpected COVID-19 crisis, I thought it would be a good idea to launch early in order to bring attention to some of my favorite restaurants that might be struggling to stay afloat. Small, local restaurants— especially Chinese restaurants— have been hit particularly hard by the mandatory shut-down and shelter-in-place orders that have resulted from efforts to contain the virus. Although delivery and takeout is still permitted, business has slowed dramatically across the board, and many family-run restaurants either can’t afford to stay open or are forced to close because the owners / employees have elderly parents who are at high risk of developing serious complications from the virus.
In addition, May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! There’s probably no better time to take pride in my heritage and spread the word about my favorite Asian restaurants, especially with all the xenophobia that has been circulating due to fears of COVID-19.
During these trying times, it is especially important that we come together to support local businesses. It would break my heart if any of my favorite restaurants were to close as a result of this crisis, so I implore you to please consider ordering delivery or takeout at some of these amazing places. If you are concerned about indirect transmission, please consider purchasing a gift card or making a small donation to some of these places in order to help keep their doors open. At the very least, tell your friends and family about these restaurants so that we can spread awareness! Local restaurants are such an integral part of our communities, and we all have a part to play in helping them through these difficult times.
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First off, if you're here, thank you so much for stopping by! This blog has been a long time in the making (since last summer)! I created Hangry Alice for a few reasons: One, I wanted a place to chronicle my food journeys so that I'll have something I can look back on when I'm 100 years old. Two, I was feeling a little uninspired with my current routine, so I wanted to find something fun and creative to do in my spare time. And finally, I wanted to share my love of food with as many people as possible! I truly believe that food has the power to bring people together, bridge cultures and help us understand each other better. One of my favorite ways to experience a new country when traveling is to book a food tour or local cooking class and learn about that country’s history through its unique dishes. I believe that by broadening our experiences through food, we can begin to broaden our minds and develop a greater appreciation for all the amazing cultures and heritages out there (more about this to come). Therefore, I want to use this blog to help people discover food that they otherwise would never have heard of or food that they otherwise wouldn’t have wanted to try.
You're probably thinking, "Wait, another food blog? We don't need another food blog," and you are probably right! We probably don’t need another "Top 10 Boozy Brunch Spots in NYC'' or "15 Best Dinner Date Ideas in Downtown LA" list. That’s why this is meant to be a different sort of food blog. Instead of just posting pretty pictures with captions conveying some variation of "This is the best thing I've ever had", I want to write about my experiences in depth so that my readers can live a little vicariously through my posts. This blog is a personal passion project where I will only write about places I have (a) visited and (b) would recommend to my own friends and family. Think of this as a curated library of all the best restaurants I’ve personally vetted. While I do plan on writing about popular / hyped-up places from time to time (how can I resist?), this blog will focus on the hidden gems that I just so happen upon.
To be clear, I am by no means a food “connoisseur”. I don’t even really like the word “foodie”. In order to be as authentic and relatable as possible, I will actively avoid using any sort of bougie food jargon. I just want to write about food that tastes really damn good and restaurants that evoke a certain feeling in me— not just about food that looks pretty in pictures or food that has earned a Michelin Star or two (or three). To me, going out to a restaurant is about more than just eating and taking pictures “for the gram”. It's about the company, the atmosphere, the conversation, the culture and everything in between. Of course, the food itself is important, but I would argue that these other factors are just as important. As I mentioned earlier, food is something that brings people together— it helps us appreciate each other’s cultures and understand each other a little better by engaging all of our senses in a way that no other experience can. Strangers from vastly different backgrounds can quickly become friendly acquaintances after sharing a communal table at a local restaurant, and acquaintances can just as quickly become friends at a neighborhood dinner party or holiday potluck. Some of my fondest memories involve food: going on my first date with my boyfriend Patrick at a hole-in-the wall Thai restaurant (Racha Cafe) on Telegraph Ave, gathering around the dining table in our little studio apartment for our first friends-giving in NYC last year, revisiting my favorite coffee shop in Berkeley (1951 Coffee Company) over the winter holidays last month, etc. That's why my posts will read like stories— stories about the places I’ve visited, the people I’ve met, and the food I’ve had.
My main goal for this blog is to have fun and to share the foods and restaurants that I love with all of you! That's why I hope you can forgive me if my posts aren't perfect and my pictures aren't always professionally edited. I just hope that while reading my blog, you can feel some of the joy that I felt during my meals.
Oh, and by the way, the blog is called Hangry Alice because I'm always hangry when I get hungry.
-Alice