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Dear Friend,
The heat and humidity lately have made Chicago feel like a tropical city – which makes it as good a time as any to visit the actual tropics, as we do with various stories focusing on food from southern Asia this issue.
First up is a recipe from Chef Yia Vang, who has lately been garnering acclaim not just for his Hmong restaurant Vinai in Minneapolis but also for his PBS digital show Relish, which just won a James Beard Media Award. We spoke to Vang and our colleagues at Twin Cities PBS about Relish, which explores the diversity of cuisines and stories in the Twin Cities, as it releases a brand-new season. Plus, we’re sharing a recipe for steamed buns from Vang’s mother that is an easy entry point to the food of the Hmong people, who are a stateless group that has lived in China and Southeast Asia; a large refugee community has found its home in the Upper Midwest.
Vang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand to which his parents fled from neighboring Laos. A new restaurant in Chicago from a Thai-Lao partnership is the first sit-down place in years to bring Lao food to the city, even as the cuisine – which has some similarities to northern Thai food – garners more recognition nationwide. We have the story of Lao Der and the friends behind it.
Another cuisine that is not often seen in Chicago is the food of southern India – until recently. We check in on a number of new restaurants spotlighting the coconut-based food of the state of Kerala, which also features lots of spices, seafood, and meat that you don’t often see in other Indian cuisines.
Closer to home, we have an endearing look at a neighborhood bar that has been going strong for almost 40 years, while also housing an impressive collection of art and offering a haven to LGBTQ+ folks in Uptown. Be sure to check out that photo essay on Big Chicks from Kathleen Hinkel, who occasionally picks up shifts at the bar.
Finally, a show that has kept Chicago and its restaurant scene in the national spotlight is back with a fourth season – and The Bear continues to feature Chicago icons, including former Check, Please! host Alpana Singh and some Frank Lloyd Wright houses.
Stay cool,
Meredith & Daniel
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