AAPI Heritage Month is a moment to celebrate the impact of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) community. One way to celebrate cultural diversity is through food.
You can visit many restaurants to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month alone, with your workmates or with your Asian-American friends. Discover how celebrating AAPI Heritage Month can create an inclusive work environment and explore exciting places to indulge in delicious Asian cuisine.
What Is the Significance of AAPI Heritage Month?
May was designated as the official AAPI Heritage Month to honor when the first Japanese people arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843. It also commemorates the completion of the transcontinental railroad, which was mainly built by Chinese immigrants, on May 10, 1869.
AAPI Heritage Month allows everyone to celebrate the notable contributions of the AAPI community to the country. It also raises awareness about each ethnicity and culture, teaching people how to respect it.
If you’re a business owner, celebrating AAPI Heritage Month in your company signifies your commitment to cultivating an inclusive culture. Acknowledging inclusion and diversity, especially in May, strengthens your company’s values. Despite 57% of employees saying that finances cause them the most stress in their lives, a healthy company culture also matters to them. Aside from providing health benefits and celebrating hard workers at your company, recognizing AAPI heritage can attract and retain top talent.
Where to Eat This AAPI Heritage Month
Eating in local Asian-owned restaurants is a fun way to appreciate AAPI-specific food culture. Check out these must-try places:
Bento Café
This restaurant in Indianapolis is the ideal place to indulge in various Asian dishes. Bento Café offers a little bit of everything, such as orange chicken, pad thai, sushi rolls, and boba tea. As the name suggests, it also provides bento boxes filled with various foods, filling your tummy with delicious Asian dishes. Celebrate the significance of AAPI Heritage Month by ordering their must-try dishes — sushi rolls, spring rolls, and pad thai.
Patok By Rach
Filipino owners Rachel Saberon and Hanna Abada started Patok by Rach during the pandemic. Their goal is to showcase Filipino food to the Asian community in New York, where there’s little regard for their local cuisine. This restaurant is located along Broadway in Inwood. The menu covers Filipino cuisine essentials, such as pork sisig, laing, lumpia and the famous cochinillo, or roasted pig.
Viet Ha
Vietnamese cuisine is all about fresh produce like vegetables and meat. If you love Vietnamese food, visit Viet Ha in Sacramento, California. The restaurant offers modern twists to classic pho, banh mi and spring rolls. You can customize your own noodle, salad or rice meal, making every visit unique and enjoyable.
D'jakarta Cafe
Located in the heart of south Philadelphia is D’jakarta Cafe. Honor AAPI Heritage Month by indulging in Indonesian meals, such as chicken satay, beef rendang, ikan bakar and seafood noodles. They also offer rice meals to enjoy an authentic Asian dining experience. Dishes are served in big portions, making them great for sharing with friends, family or workmates.
Thai Garden Restaurant
Enjoy the harmonious blend of fresh and aromatic ingredients in your favorite dishes at Thai Garden Restaurant. Located in Fishers, Indianapolis, this restaurant has everything to satisfy your cravings for popular Thai dishes, such as tom yum, pad thai, red curry and panang seafood.
Kyuramen
Whether you want to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with a loved one or your office colleagues, a trip to KYURAMEN will satisfy your cravings. This renowned Japanese ramen chain is dedicated to making the authentic Japanese ramen experience accessible to all.
Why Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month With KYURAMEN
At the heart of Kyuramen lies a calling to educate the public about traditional Japanese ramen noodles and culture in the U.S. Junzo Miyajima, Kyuramen’s Executive Chef, believes that preparing ramen is a work of art that manifests Shokunin, or the Japanese craftsman spirit.
For him, honoring AAPI Heritage Month can be as simple and satisfying as savoring a carefully crafted ramen bowl. “We always wanted to come up with something new and delicious for customers to try out,” said Miyajima.
Miyajima also believes that the excitement of choosing a ramen from the menu should be just as delightful as savoring each flavor. This is why KYURAMEN allows you to enjoy two distinct flavors in one order, eliminating the challenge of choosing from a wealth of options.
“After opening a lot of new locations, we often see customers have a hard time choosing what ramen they want to go for, especially for those who have never had KYURAMEN. So why not solve this and allow customers to enjoy two flavors at once without needing to order two big portions.”
Miyajima believes educating the public about Japan's three major styles of ramen noodles and ramen culture is important. “The stereotype of Japanese ramen is the Tonkotsu Shio ramen from Kyushu Island located in the South of Japan,” he said.
“The soup tends to be milky white and is the most acceptable taste for everyone. In fact, in Japan, ramen is divided into three major styles: South Japan's Kyushu Shio Style, Central Japan's Tokyo Shouyu Style and the Hokkai-do Miso Style. They differed in terms of flavors and making process, and each had followers of their own.”
“However, most ramen shops imported the Kyushu-style ramen. Over time, most believed that the soup in Japanese ramen should be milky white. The purpose of creating the KYURAMEN brand is to introduce the three major Japanese Ramen styles to those who are fans of Ramen.”
Miyajima recommends the Yin Yang Bowl. “We looked for these bowls and crafted our own KYURAMEN Yin Yang Bowl. For the soup, we decided to go with our signature and most popular flavor, Tokyo Tonkotsu, and our 2nd most popular: Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen for our Yin Yang bowl. For the ‘icing on the cake,’ we added scallops and shrimp tempura just to make the KYURAMEN Yin Yang Bowl more special and fun to eat. Customers will be able to taste the uniqueness of each broth and texture.”
Honor AAPI Heritage Month With A Delicious Asian Meal
Nothing unites like good food. This AAPI Heritage Month, indulge in a hearty meal in a local Asian-owned restaurant or a flavorful KYURAMEN bowl. With various ramen options, KYURAMEN’s selections will cultivate a deeper appreciation for the AAPI community, who brought this hearty dish to the country.