What We're Loving This Month - August 2022

WHAT WE'RE LOVING AUGUST 2022

🔸 This is our second installment of the new series called "What We're Loving This Month" where our Asianati Team shares their favorite things, from restaurants/dishes, recipes, music, movies, tv shows, podcasts, books, local events, and more. Check out our team's list of August 2022 monthly favorites!🔸

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This month I cannot get enough of Telugu jams. From Srivalli by Devi Sri Prasad and Sid Sriram to Mellaga Tellarindoi by Anurag Kulkarni, Mohana Bhogaraju, and Ramya Behara, I have it all on repeat. Growing up I was exposed to mostly Hindi songs and now I am enjoying the wide range of music from South Asia.
-- Carenna (Social Media/Digital Marketing Intern)

Blink Cincinnati recently announced the first wave of BLINK 2022 artists, and on that list was an AAPI Artist named Wendy Yu. I checked out her Instagram and instantly became a huge fan! Her work is so unique in that it combines projection art, dance, and programming. Such a unique style of art done with beautiful precision. I cannot wait to see her collaboration with ELEMENTZ at Blink Cincinnati 2022!
-- Dom (Social Media/Digital Marketing Intern)

After JP (Asianati's Editor & Photographer) & Lam (AACAC Board Member) recently visited the new Auntie Apple's Kitchen and raved about it, I had to try them out! Auntie Apple's Kitchen is a Cantonese restaurant in Clifton across from the Esquire Theatre! My husband and I picked up their Hong Kong Fried Rice and Water Spinach in Garlic Sauce and not only was it delicious, their fried rice somehow unlocked a super nostalgic food memory for me, and a sense of deja vu in the best way. Definitely give them a follow on Facebook & Instagram, and also check out their affiliated in-house juice & dessert concept, Passionade Club!
-- Sam (Social Media Manager)

Even though it was released in May, I've really been digging the new LP from Japanese psychedelic rock/folk band Kikagaku Moyo, which is called Kumoyo Island! It took a while for it to grow on me after it was recommended to me by my cousin, but finally this week it just hit and it was amazing. It's spunky, it's vibrant, and it's trippy! It manages to mesh atmosphere with liveliness so well with its lush arrangements and experimental and eclectic vocals. If you're a fan of psychedelic and ambient music, I highly recommend for you to check the album out and to check the band's discography as a whole! Their 2018 album Masana Temples is another banger!
-- Wajeeh (Social Media/Digital Marketing Intern)

Recently, I've enjoyed going to V-Mart, a new Asian grocery store in Springdale. They have a great selection of seafood and good looking produce. Also, it's the season of herbs...been eating a decent assortment of herbs from our family's gardens, which includes tía tô (perilla), kinh giới (lemon balm) and húng quế (thai basil).
-- Bao (Co-Founder)

I recently visited Chicago and stopped by my favorite Japanese grocery store Mitsuwa. It's been a long time since I last visited the store and they've made a lot of changes and updates since then. One thing I saw was that was new for me was a cholocate shop called Royce. Its from Hokkaido (norhtern island of Japan) and has super rich and creamy chocolates. And the one thing I enjoy the most is their chocolate covered potato chips. The sweet and salty balance is heavenly and the chips go really well with the silky chocolate. You can buy online , it might be the most expensive potato chip you'll ever have, but totally worth it!!
-- Koji (Co-Founder)

I've been peacefully watching Extrodinary Attorney Woo on Netflix. It is a feel good K-drama series. Full of quirkiness, witt, and perspective. This series follows the life of a lawyer with autism as she navigates through new challenges and social interactions. The episodes are about an hour long, making it perfect to watch one episode a day :) Overall, I believe this tv series has a very heart-felt and impactful message. Shedding light on a number of heavy topics that aren't typically present in media. Not to mention the story line, acting, and character development is easy to follow along and relate to in some capacity. The only thing (that I need to do) to make my experience watching it better is to get some Gimbap!!
-- Sarah (Operations Coordinator)

Easter Sunday, the new Jo Koy film, is such a great story of complicated families. It's absolutely sprinkled with little winks and nods to Filipino culture -anyone who's spent time with Titos and Titas will have a big smile.
-- JP (Editor)

The tail of the summer? The miserable weather of the Midwest? Nothing can stop us from maximizing August. I love stopping by Seasongood Pavilion Eden Park every Thursday from 6-8 pm to enjoy It's Commonly Jazz - A summer jazz series that is in its 34th consecutive year for bringing the best local, regional, and jazz artists to perform in Cincinnati. I took bike rides with my friends on a bakeries and coffee shops hopping on Saturdays, stopping by my favorite Asian bakery places, Chako Bakery, Cafe Mochiko, and local festivals Goetta Festival, and Findlay Market weekend events. I love the discovery of this beautiful city. I love exploring events from ArtsWave. Also, look into anything you can give back to the community via Non-profit organizations.
-- Sandy (Outreach Coordinator)

I just recently discovered that Netflix streams some of the best Vietnamese movies with full Vietnamese cast, and Vietnamese audio. This is huge for me and my parents. Since moving to the US, we barely had a chance to watch a movie together since my parents do not know English very well. But thanks to this discovery, we had such a great family-bonding movie time. Two of the Vietnamese movies we watched on Netflix are: Dreamy Eyes (Mắt Biếc) and Camellia Sisters (Gái Già Lắm Chiêu V)
-- Chloe (Outreach Coordinator)

🔸 Have some thoughts on our Asianati Team's favorite August things or perhaps have some August favorites of your own to share with our team & Asianati community? Send us an e-mail at info@asianati.com or leave a comment on our "Thing We're Loving This Month" post on Instagram! We'd love to hear your thoughts! 🔸