Our guest is Blake Richardson who is the president and owner of Moto-i in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Moto-i opened as a sake brewery and brewpub in 2008. There are around 20 craft sake breweries in the U.S. now, but when Blake started Moto-i, there was not much information available about Japanese sake in English, not to mention other craft breweries to learn from.
I opened Pizzeria Lola 11 years ago with zero culinary experience except for my love of food, which really came from being raised in an immigrant household. I had been working as an actress and was tired of having zero agency in my life. I was tired of being told I was too Asian, or not Asian enough. I almost bought a Jimmy John’s franchise, but instead I said “fuck fear” and went for it. My husband, Conrad, and I worked hard to build a positive, sustainable culture one based around racial, gender, and pay equity that has helped us survive tough times like the pandemic and the unrest after the killing of George Floyd. Like many small business owners in Minneapolis, over the past year I was focused on maintaining our restaurants while also trying to be an ally for my Black friends and colleagues. But all the while, I was struggling inside: with the Asian hate promoted by the previous administration, with the privilege I carried around, with my desperate, lifelong attempt to iden
Ben Henry Created: May 12, 2021 05:03 PM
Through experiencing a culture you’re perhaps unfamiliar with, you can help in the fight to end anti-Asian American hate crimes right from your home.
The Minnesota Rice project was organized by some of the metro’s most successful chefs and bartenders – all are Asian American.
For at least $100 through the month of May – which is also Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month – you can have access to virtual cooking and bartending videos.
“They saw the rise in anti-Asian sentiment and violent crimes and wanted to do something about it,” Jonathon Janssen, bar and product manager with Brother Justus Whiskey Company, said about the organizers.
Asian-American chefs, bartenders launch initiative to raise money to stop Asian hate
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) A team of local chefs is serving up a lesson in tolerance through food and drink.
“Minnesota Rice” is an initiative that’s trying to end racism against Asian Americans by sitting around the dinner table.
You buy in for $100, and then all throughout May, you will be emailed links to videos of creators showing you how to make specialty Asian dishes and drinks.
Yia Vang, head chef and owner of Union Hmong Kitchen in St. Paul, is one of the seven participating in “Minnesota Rice.”
Twin Cities chefs unite to raise awareness of racism against Asian Americans Minnesota Rice, an online video series, uses food as a bridge to understanding. April 30, 2021 9:24am Text size Copy shortlink: Food is an easy and accessible way to invite people to learn about a culture, said Christina Nguyen, chef/co-owner of Hai Hai and Hola Arepa in Minneapolis. I think it s a great way to pique people s curiosity. If we enjoy new foods, then it s like, Oh, I want to learn more about this culture. Or, Maybe now I ll visit Vietnam, or Thailand.
With Love our people like you love our food as its motto, the recorded series offers step-by-step recipe tutorials while also providing a glimpse into the lives of seven high-profile Twin Cities culinarians: Ann Kim (Young Joni, Pizzeria Lola, Sooki & Mimi, Hello Pizza), Yia Vang (Union Hmong Kitchen, Vinai), John Ng and Lina Goh (Zen Box Izakaya), Ann Ahmed (Lat14