Asian Avenue magazine - April 2023

ASIAN AVENUE - PRESIDENT’S NOTE

We are excited to share the stories of talented local chefs, who have built their businesses as personal and in-home chefs. Due to the pandemic, more families have been hiring personal chefs to provide meals at home rather than in the restaurant setting. Chefs can offer customized menus and cater to various dietary preferences. Learn more about Asian American personal chefs in this month’s round-up, curated by our Editorial Director, Mary J. Schultz.

Annie Guo VanDan, President Asian Avenue magazine Connect with us!

Join us on Sunday, May 21, 2023 to honor and celebrate this year’s Asian American Hero of Colorado awardees! Check out our May issue for the stories of the 2023 award recipients.

Our restaurant peek this month finds us back On Havana Street, enjoying the noodles and Cantonese dishes of Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles. Under new ownership, Lau and his family are reviving the restaurant that had been struggling during the pandemic. Adding more flavors and dishes to the restaurant’s menu, Ten Seconds now offers Hong-Kong style favorites including the toast and peanut butter.

Last month, the local Asian American community was busy with events such as the Colorado Dragon Film Festival, API Day in Colorado Springs, and Action Against Hate’s discussion with law enforcement. See recaps from these events in our “On Scene” section. Colorado Asian Pacific United also began painting its mural that will commemorate Denver’s historic Chinatown. The mural concept was designed by artist Nayle Lor and will acknowledge the contributions Asian Americans have made to the city.

Publisher & Founder

CHRISTINA YUTAI GUO

President

ANNIE GUO VANDAN

Editorial Director

MARY JENEVERRE SCHULTZ

Graphic Designer/Videographer

LIJIN ZHAO

Web Designer

JASON ZHANG

Editor

DAMIAN SIU Staff Writer

PATRICIA KAOWTHUMRONG

on the cover

Personal chefs are gaining popularity in Colorado by providing in-home and private dining experiences with customized menus.

Asian Avenue magazine (ISSN 1932-1449) reserves all copyrights to this issue. No parts of this edition can be reproduced in any manner without written permission. The views expressed in articles are the authors’ and not necessarily those of Asian Avenue magazine.

Looking to promote your business? Asian Avenue magazine offers businesses a costeffective way to reach consumers in the Denver/Boulder metro areas and beyond. For more information, call 303.937.6888 or e-mail us at hello@asianavemag.com for our media kit and ad rates. Send story ideas to hello@asianavemag.com.

Asian Avenue magazine is in association with the Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network.

8 SPOTLIGHT: Dow Phumiruk leaves a career in medicine to illustrate children’s books

10 COVER STORY: Personal chefs provide in-home meals and private cooking classes across Colorado

16 RESTAURANT PEEK: Ten Second Yunnan Rice Noodles adds Cantonese dishes under new ownership

18 INSIDE STORY: Aurora Sister Cities International provides summer camps for youth to explore global leadership

8

ASIAN AVENUE MAGAZINE

P.O. Box 221748 Denver, CO 80222 Tel: 303.937.6888

E-mail: hello@asianavemag.com www.asianavemag.com

APRIL 2023

19 FEATURE: Colorado Asian Pacific United begins mural project in downtown Denver

20

ON SCENE: Asian Pacific Islander Business Community of Colorado Springs hosts first Community Day

21

ON SCENE: Action Against Hate organizes conversation with local law enforcement

22

23

ON SCENE: Colorado Dragon Film Festival returned to SieFilm Center

ON SCENE: Walking tour shares history of Denver’s Chinatown

16

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ASIAN AVENUE TEAM

Thai American artist Dow Phumiruk illustrates children’s books

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

out so beautifully in her artwork.”

Soontornvat sought the talents of Phumiruk, who admitted she couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough.

“The author reached out to me,” Phumiruk said during the signing at the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Association FallCon last October in Denver. “I thought it was a fantastic project.”

er for Thai Airways, she returned to Thailand annually between 16 and 22 years old.

Both her parents have passed away, but she expressed gratitude for her father, who lived to witness her first five published books.

Artist, author, and children’s book illustrator Dow Phumiruk initially pursued a career in medicine, but she did a career pivot into the creative field when she wanted to spend more time with her children. Her creativity opened doors for opportunities to showcase Asian characters through children’s books.

“Working with Dow Phumiruk, an award-winning and beloved Thai American illustrator, to tell the life story of Senator Tammy Duckworth, one of the most well-known and accomplished Thai Americans, is such an incredible honor,” said Christina Soontornvat, author of the book entitled, A Life of Service: The Story of Senator Tammy Duckworth.

“Senator Duckworth is held in high esteem both in Thailand and in Thai communities here in the United States. At the same time, she busts through so many commonly held stereotypes about Thai Americans, and about Asian American women in general. She is a fighter in every sense of the word, but she also carries so much love and generosity in her heart --- qualities that Dow has brought

Phumiruk signed boxes of books by Soontornvat for conference attendees, who were independent booksellers from the mountain regions of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.

Beginnings of an artist

The Lone Tree resident traced her creativity to fourth grade when she put together an art book with a book of wallpaper and rubber cement. “I didn’t think this would be my future,” she recalled.

She also compared herself to her cousin from Thailand. “She was a great artist and I felt my art wasn’t as good as hers.”

Immigration journey and career

Before settling in Colorado, she left Thailand and immigrated to Skokie, Illinois. Her family selected Illinois because her mother’s sister already lived in the midwest state.

Since her father was a flight dispatch-

Before her publishing career, she credited pursuing medicine as a career choice to her parents. “They were practical, but I came back to art,” she said.

Phumiruk attended college in Texas, where she met her husband, Michael. She built a career as a nurse and then became a pediatrician but took time off to raise her three girls, who are now 24, 20, and 18 years old. During her time off, she rediscovered her love for art.

She stays sharp in the medical field by teaching medicine to students at Rocky Vista University in Parker. “I thought I would return to medicine, but I retired clinically,” she said.

Their family of five settled in Lone Tree to be closer to family.

Illustration projects

In 2011, Phumiruk joined the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her agent discovered her talent at a local conference. Phumiruk received her first offer to publish her first illustrated book in 2015. Today, she has signed 20 contracts.

Her favorite ‘baby’ is one she both wrote and illustrated entitled, “Hugsby.” The book was a finalist at the Colorado Book Awards 2022.

“Colorado is rich with outstanding writers in every genre. Every year we are more impressed with the quality of Colorado Book Award entries. It is our honor to review the annual submissions and

recognize Colorado’s authors,” said Colorado Humanities Executive Director Margaret Coval.

Illustrator’s block

Her creativity doesn’t flow when she is tired. “Sleep deprivation hinders creativity,” she said. “I try to get plenty of rest each night, but sometimes life gets in the way! I like drawing an illustration a week that is not for a contracted project. This keeps me happy and helps keep my creative mind active.”

To stay in her creative mode, Phumiruk goes on short hikes by her house. “I look for art in nature,” she said. “When I have time, I try to visit art shows, or museums. Watching movies with great cinematography can also inspire me.”

Phumiruk explores creativity in different spaces like sewing. Projects included puppet theater complete with puppets to launch one her new books.

“I learned to sew on my mom’s old Singer machine in the late 1970s,” she said. “So, I’ve been sewing for decades!”

“I usually make clothing or costumes that are promotions in some way, such

Books Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

Counting on Katherine

An Equal Shot

as dressing up as one of my book characters for Halloween.”

Art

Her art is simple yet playful. Her Instagram feeds highlight artwork that is not published so her followers can view her daily artwork. Last October, artwork depicted autumn, Halloween, and the changing of the season.

So far, she has published 13 books, while seven projects are in progress. She contributes to the community by auctioning off her work for worthy causes.

Advice to young artists

Phumiruk admitted to copying art from her Manga comics as a child.. “You can copy art to practice so pick the style and draw your own version, not to sell it but to practice,” she said.

“Draw what you love,” advised Phumiruk. “Observe the world around you and practice.”

Her Name was Mary Katharine

Hello, Tree

Hugsby

A Life of Service: The Story of Senator Tammy Duckworth

Maya Lin

Mela and the Elephant

Mouse’s Christmas Gift

Mr. Elephant’s Rio Tour

One Girl

Titan and the Wild Boars

Yes, We Will

Artist Dow Phumiruk

Phumiruk and her family

These illustrations are part of Phumiruk’s personal collection and are not published in any children’s books, yet.

Personal chefs gain popularity in Colorado

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

Private chefs cater to celebrities and musicians, who are watching their diets, especially during road trips and special appearances. Often significantly more expensive, hiring a private chef may feel out of reach for the everyday family.

However, there is a new kind of chef growing in popularity – the personal chef. Celebrating a monumental birthday, wedding or milestone anniversary is a good reason to hire a personal chef to create an intimate meal for friends and family at home.

Enlisting a personal chef for meals cooked at home used to be for famous and rich people. However, the pandemic has thrusted the idea of cooking at home to engage with personal chefs. For chefs, who have been laid off or are switching a career focus, providing in-home meals is becoming a lucrative entrepreneurial option.

“As Americans started to ‘nest’ more around 2018 (shifting to large screen TVs at home and streaming services), we saw an uptick in home dining,” said Lawrence J. Lynch, President of the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA). “The pandemic obviously accelerated that as people saw a financially reasonable alternative to restaurant dining, restaurants weren’t open, they had access to more disposable income, and they wanted to create new social experiences at home. It didn’t eliminate restaurants but became a staple companion as it went from novel to normal.”

Between 5,000 to 6,000 personal chefs are working nationally, an estimate according to USPCA. Private chefs are trending to a new normal. For some, it could be just more than a special memory, while others might require it for their busy households.

“It depends on where you are in a life cycle. For some, it can simply be a small dinner party,” said Lynch. “For a busy family, it might be the need for meals at home to prepare lunch for school children, for families with special needs whether children require special diets, for senior parents, who have their own set of needs—a personal chef can work with a family to ensure continuity and access to a healthy and safe food system at home.”

Pricing depends on size of party, number of courses and dietary restrictions, according to Lynch. “Chefs work one on one

Check out these Colorado chefs!

thekoreanbbqchef.com

with their clients and customers to find a price point that works for the individual and the chef,” he said. For example, an intimate five-course dinner, paired with alcoholic drinks for ten might average $250 per person.

Time, money, and health are three considerations for a chef:

TIME: the chef shops, prepares, cooks, and cleans.

MONEY: when the chef does the shopping, it eliminates impulse buying and they can select fresh food alternatives.

HEALTH: for individuals with strict diets that could include low sodium, vegan only and/or allergies, a chef can design a meal to meet these restrictions.

In addition, engagement with a chef provides a great experience. In a restaurant setting, diners hardly get to the meet the chefs. “A personal chef in your home is an opportunity to engage this expert in food and culinary technique among other topics,” Lynch said.

For diners who are interested in contracting with personal chefs, check out chef associations. USPCA require their chefs to be certified in food safety and food handling. In addition, the association provides insurances to the private chefs coming to the house.

This month’s cover story highlights local Asian American chefs in Colorado.

Hiring personal chefs is becoming a trend for special occasions, weekly meal planning and adhering to dietary restrictions.

The

Korean BBQ Chef

Pheastly: Chef Amy Phan fb.com/pheastlyphood

Two years ago, Chef Amy Phan and her husband, Jeff, left Houston, Texas and made the big move to the mountains of Empire, Colorado. She didn’t want to wait for her retirement years to live in the mountains. Her husband, chemical engineer by profession, can work remotely, allowing Chef Phan to build her culinary business in Colorado.

The couple found a house on top of the town, looking over a hill. In addition, Chef Phan offers tunnel dining since the house is built over an abandoned mining tunnel. Mountain driving doesn’t bother the couple. Located 40 minutes away from Lakewood, the husband and wife run errands and is often in Denver weekly.

Finding interested groups on Facebook such as Crazy Hungry Asians of Colorado help Chef Phan target diners, who enjoy eating and are adventurous at the same time.

“Being a private chef with an untethered kitchen and diverse clients allows me the ultimate flexibility to indulge in my desire to constantly design and cook creative menus in different settings,” said Chef Phan.

Her creativity allows her to offer a wide variety of cuisines. “Exclusively, we are able to offer feasts served on various parts of our private property, which is a beautiful chunk of authentic gold mining land that overlooks the surrounding mountains, holds our open-concept modern farmhouse home, and features a century-old mining tunnel that we just started to host dinners.”

When Chef Phan isn’t cooking or building a menu, she is enjoying Colorado through watersports of all kinds. If she’s not in the water, she is skiing, four wheeling or bungee jumping.

For a little serenity, she tends to her garden to grow a harvest for her diners. Her comfort food includes Japanese Takikomi Gohan, which is cooked Kyoto homestyle rice casserole with chicken thighs, shimeji mushrooms, onions and carrots cooked together in a savory sake dashi broth. If that description made you salivate, she can create this dish for diners, too.

Fish On Rice: Chef Mark Dinh

The pandemic drove Chef Mark Dinh to build a business that would allow him the flexibility to choose his own hours. Through Fish On Rice, he offers high quality omakase also known as chef’s tasting menu.

“I think being a private chef allows for more human connection to the food,” he said. “Most times when you go to a restaurant, you don’t get to see the people behind the meal. This allows your story as a chef to have more influence behind the ideas of the food.”

Chef Dinh certainly hit the bullseye, as his weekend schedules are booked for the next five months.

“When I started this business, I was blessed to learn from successful people in the Denver area. They taught me that your story is your most powerful arsenal as an entrepreneur,” Chef Dinh said.

“Conveying your thoughts into food is difficult but getting to know guests on a personal level makes a huge difference.”

For example, Chef Dinh is proud to share that his mother, Dana Shin, makes pastries. Follow her on Instagram @pasteries_by_ dana.

“I believe my mom helping make baked goods and desserts illustrates that this is a family business. I want to show how proud I am of my mother and her amazing desserts.”

Through Instagram and word of mouth, Chef Dinh’s customer base is growing, allowing him to hire a personal assistant to handle his administrative work so he can focus on creating menus. Some of his clients live in Aspen, Vail, and Beaver Creek. He has received invitations from Montana and referrals from South Carolina, but has not committed yet.

He indicates his average clientele rents a house or condo, skis all day, then comes back for dinner prepared by him. Chef Dinh also works with customers, who have restrictive dietary needs such as soy allergies or vegan preference. He has created “fake unagi” out of plant-based ingredients such as eggplant.

His culinary talents come from attending The Culinary Institute of America in New York and working 15-hour days in New York City. When he returned to Colorado, he applied for a

sous chef position in Vail. The mountain restaurant hired him on the spot. He could command a six-figure salary, working at a Japanese mountain restaurant but preferred to stay close to family in Aurora.

His plans include establishing a bakery for his mom with a customized kitchen in the back and access to an offsite facility to continue his omakase menus. In addition, building a greenhouse to offer farm-to-table dining and room for event spacing are ideal conditions for a potential infrastructure in building his restaurant concept.

In addition, Chef Dinh shared he would like to become a certified sake professional. He is researching more about a program in New Jersey that teaches the nuances and styles of sake.

“Sake is very versatile and I would love to see that growth,” he said.

When he’s not creating sushi, his favorite go-to comfort food includes “Asian grandma stews” such as: kimchi jigae, bun rue, duk guk, Japanese curry, and sukiyaki. His favorite comfort food is grilled cheese with kimchi tomato stew.

Mixed with Korean, Vietnamese, Irish and American ancestry, Chef Dinh enjoys the Korean restaurants located On Havana Street in Aurora— Thank Sool Pocha and Tofu Story. His other favorites are Savory Vietnam in Denver and BRUTO, a Mexican-inspired counter service venue with a bar, in the Dairy Block of downtown Denver.

Photos by Dan Phi @dphiphotography

Green Cuisine Chef: Ire Evans

GreenCuisineChef.com

instagram.com/green.cuisine.personal.chef

Chef Ire Evans, who is from Indonesia, has been cooking since her middle school years. She attended the Culinary Business Academy, where she learned how to create a personal chef program. The company set her up in Denver. She interned for the Asian Chamber of Commerce under the direction of former president, John Wright.

She started her business, Green Cuisine Chef, in 2008 when her children attended a local charter school. Through her own family experience, she realized how busy parents engaged in shuttling to school, after-school activities and visiting fast food restaurants for their daily and weekly meals. She knew she found a niche to volunteer and offer her services to other parents. In addition to providing the service, she educated children about healthier ways of eating. Her cuisine included food from around the world with an organic twist, cooking from scratch.

With more than 200 clients on her roster, March is a chance for her to catch up with marketing, accounting, and logistics. Although confidentiality prevents her from revealing her celebrity clients, she shared several come from the Denver Broncos football franchise.

Her favorite meal is anything with tofu as an ingredient. She prefers homecooked meals over visiting restaurants.

In March, she participated in Mile High Asian Food Week a few weeks ago and discovered Ace Eat Serve on 501 E. 17th Ave., in Denver. “I was really impressed with their food,” she confessed. “It’s really good and I love the uniqueness.”

She refuses to participate in cooking competitions, adding that she knows she can cook fast but doesn’t want to be on someone else’s time. “I can cook three lunches and three dinners in one hour,” Evans said.

When she’s not cooking, she is enjoying hikes with her daughter throughout Colorado. Her relaxation comes from her gym work. “I enjoy boxing with weight training,” she said. “It’s a way to get rid of my frustration and stress.”

She is hoping to create a pop-up business to offer food from her southeast country. She plans to retire in five years. Before that happens, she is developing an online class on creating Indonesian cuisine.

“I want to share the history behind Indonesian food,” she said.

Husband and wife team Chef Aric and Yukari Bianchi created a business in Aurora to offer personal chef services, inhome weekly meal prep and home and/ or virtual cooking classes. Plus, they developed a concept to offer micro-wedding menus for parties smaller than 50.

With a background in Japanese cuisine, the duo incorporates other cuisines and accommodates restrictive diets. Chef Aric works the front of the house, while Chef Yukari handles the business side of the company. Cooking since he was 14 years old, Chef Aric moved to Japan and immersed himself in Japanese culture. The experience captured his imagination and altered his palate.

“I couldn’t stop trying new ingredients,” he said. “I just wanted to explore unusual ingredients, including raw or fermented products.”

He met his wife Yukari in Japan. To expand their culinary repertoire, the couple moved to Mexico from 2017 to 2019. This

Un’ I Personal Chef Services

experience allowed them to provide a fusion of Japanese and Mexican cuisines.

Living in Mexico helped them appreciate life in Colorado. While full of culture, the couple discovered their circle of ‘ex-pat’ friends were decades older than them. Longing for friendships closer to their generation, they decided to return to their home in Colorado.

In the early stages of the pandemic, the couple sold their home in Mexico and proceeded their trip to Colorado in April 2020. During a virtual meeting with Asian Avenue, the couple painted an eerie scene of driving from Mexico to Colorado.

“We only passed 10 cars during the entire drive,” said Chef Yukari.

In the middle of a snowstorm, the couple found themselves stranded with car problems. Fortunately, friends rescued them. The couple reminisced how they were still dressed in summer attire: flip flops and shorts.

The pandemic forced the pair to figure

out the job market. “It was hard to find a job,” confessed Chef Aric.

With intense brainstorming and intentions, the pair designed a business to share their talents and work experience from the culinary world. “We are chefs without borders, customizing around our customers’ palates,” said Chef Aric. “We sit down with our clients and make a menu around them.”

In addition to customization, they create a menu based on allergies and dietary restrictions. For example, they have created a vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, kosher meal.

The couple enjoys dining at Sonoda’s Sushi at 3108 S. Parker Road in Aurora. But their all-time favorite restaurant in the world is Restaurant Daniel at 60 W. 65th Street in New York, where they experienced an all-immersive meal through a customized his/her menu.

When they are not searching for adventurous dining, the couple’s comfort

Un’ I Personal Chef Services cooks for a corporate retreat in Estes Park

One of their most popular classes is the In-Home Sushi Rolls Class.

For Private Dinner Parties, they can serve family-style dinners, 3-course meals, or 7-course tasting dinners.

food includes rice with Japanese fried eggs and chicken noodle soup with a poached egg.

“It’s a food hug,” said Chef Aric.

The couple cooks at their clients’ houses. But don’t worry about carrying the appropriate kitchen equipment, the pair stores their portable kitchen equipment in their vehicle which they learned from a chaotic experience bring unprepared.

Advice from the Chefs

“We live in an age of immediate gratification, which is not the case for being a chef. Be patient. You won’t learn everything right away. Things take time, from knife skills to palate development. Sometimes it’s better to take a step back in order to move forward. Being on time and invested is a big part of chef culture.

It’s also good to learn how to decompress. The environment is so stressful that you need to have something outside of the kitchen that you can build on.”

- CHEF MARK DINH

“Believe in yourself. Don’t cook for other people. Cook for your tastebuds first and the rest will fall in place.”

- CHEF AMY PHAN

“That’s never happening again. It was such a cluster because we felt rushed, frustrated, and frazzled,” said Chef Aric, adding that they carry pots, pans, cork screws, and even saran wrap.

Summer stands as their peak season, preparing for micro weddings. Booking four weeks in advance will help the duo plan for this busy season. Operating with two people, they don’t have the extra staff to support them.

For any one client, they block three days for prep work and shop at three to four grocery stores to ensure quality and variety in the menus. For example, they frequent Sam’s Meat & Deli at 2300 S. Chambers Road in Aurora, H Mart with locations in Aurora and Westminster, and Tom’s Seafood & Gourmet Market at 767 S. Xenon Court in Lakewood.

Nothing goes to waste as Chef Aric maximize the products as much as possible. If he has shrimp shells or chicken bones, he will make broth out of these products.

“We cook with love,” said Chef Aric.

“Get into the business first before investing into culinary school because it’s so expensive. Make sure you don’t mind the stress of missing holidays and devoting long hours. Know you will be sacrificing a lot.”

- CHEF ARIC BIANCHI

“Don’t be scared of trying something new. Don’t use money as motivation. If you’re passionate, money will come with it.”

- CHEF IRE EVANS

Do you know a private chef? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at hello@asianavemag. com or on Instagram @asianavemag.

Catering for a Friend’s Micro-Wedding

TEN SECONDS Yunan Rice Noodles

Under new ownership, Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles features not only rice noodles, but also Japanese ramen and Cantonese desserts.

In January 2022, Jeff Lau and his family took over the establishment which is located On Havana Street in Aurora. He and his family had previously worked in the restaurant industry and thought it was time to own their own restaurant.

His father Kam served as a chef for numerous restaurants, so it was natural for him to take over the kitchen operations, while his mother Sau assists in the kitchen as a sous chef with the prep work for each meal service.

With his sister Karen and wife Eva also a part of the team, Lau can rely on them for staffing the restaurant when an unexpected flux of diners visit Ten Seconds Yunnan Noodles.

Noting the importance of family values, Lau believes working together as a family unit will allow a flexible schedule. Plus, family is more reliable, especially when staffing shortages are common these days.

Keeping the restaurant’s name, the

family updated the entrance, and added more options to the menu. This has helped them maintain the existing customer base, while enticing new diners, who want authentic Chinese cuisine.

On the Menu

Popular among young adults, the restaurant offers more than 40 flavors for Asian boba and teas. With such a huge selection, it’s almost hard to pin down the preferred flavor profile.

Customizing noodles is also fun for customers, who want to try something new during each visit. First, start with the type of noodles. Then, select the broth and level of spiciness. Next, determine the protein to be added to the bowl. Additional choices include vegetable toppings and sprinkles of cilantro, dried onions, and scallions.

If soup isn’t what you came for, the restaurant offers a large selection of appetizers, shrimp entrees, combination entrees, fried rice, lo mein noodles, pad thai or drunken noodles, wok entrees of chicken, beef, or vegetables/tofu, Japanese ramen, and of

Written by Mary Jeneverre Schultz

Photos by: @eatdrinketc

course, rice noodles.

Favorites include the chicken noodle bowl, spicy beef tendon, spicy beef tripe noodles and pickle pepper rice noodles with beef. These Chinese dishes are served Hong Kong style. The Hong Kong toast with peanut butter is a specialty item.

Atmosphere

Offering plenty of parking spaces and with a capacity of 40 diners, the ambiance is contemporary. Because of Lau’s ability to speak both Cantonese and Mandarin, he can serve a wide range of Chinese menu options and can converse to these patrons when they visit the restaurant. Lau, 29, confessed learning Mandarin during his grade school years.

Decorated with an Asian flair, the interior is both welcoming and inviting to diners, who want to escape from suburbia Aurora and walk into an Asian portrait. The artwork is pleasing and inviting with bold colors.

Origins of the Restaurant’s Name

A folk story, originating in Yunnan,

2000

S Havana St, Aurora, CO 80014

China, shares a wife attempted to deliver food to her husband, a scholar studying for his imperial exams. However, after crossing a bridge, the soup turned cold, and the noodles ended up soggy.

The wife used a large earthen pot with boiling broth topped with a layer of oil fat on top. This oil fat executed as an insulation to keep the broth warm. The noodles and additional ingredients were kept in separate container before consumption. ShiMiaoDao is translated as ’10 seconds arrival.”

Family History

Back in 2007, Lau’s family departed Hong Kong. They pinpointed Denver because his aunt and uncle settled in

the same area back in the 1980s, so it was a chance for his whole family to begin their life in Colorado. The family had visited many parts of the United States, including San Diego, Chicago, and New York.

“We love Colorado because it gave us a different lifestyle,” Lau admitted, adding it gave a “chill” vibe. He also knows he can travel to California, planning for travels during the summer with his family.

During off hours, Lau and his family frequent neighboring Seoul Korean BBQ and Old Town Hot Pot. If it’s not hot pot cuisine, he craves sushi dishes. During his downtime, Lau enjoys movie dates with his wife, chilling with

his friends, or playing basketball to destress from the arduous work of maintaining a restaurant.

The name, Ten Seconds Noodle, refers to a franchise found in Dallas, New York, and Seattle. The Aurora site differentiates from the New York location by adding more menu options such as boba teas, grilled fish, and clay-pot rice.

Service by Lau and his staff is rated excellent by Yelp reviewers. Customers noted that they appreciate the personalized greetings, assistance with the menu selection and prompt service for food.

Join Aurora Sister Cities for a Global Youth Leaders summer camp

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

The Aurora Sister Cities International (ASCI) is accepting applications for its summer leadership camps for middle school and high school teenagers interested in learning more about becoming a global leader.

The Global Youth Leaders Program will teach students topics such as travel, global business, languages, citizenship, culture, immigration, and international diplomacy.

“Although it was a little intimidating to go into a new environment, I got to grow as a person and experience new things I never knew I could do,” said Alexa Tampubolon, 16, who is Indonesian and participated in last year’s program. “After attending the program daily, I started to create strong bonds with my peers. I connected with others and made some pretty cool memories.”

Creating friendships with others in Aurora played a pivotal moment for all attendees.

“I got the opportunity to connect with others and I alco can learn about the culture from various countries in this world,” said Joyline Annabel, 14, who also attended last summer’s program and currently attends Cherokee Trail High School. “I learned how to work as a group and build good cooperation as a team.”

In a short time, ASCI youth program director Cristina Antillon observed the growth of these youth.

“These young ladies connect well with others and know how to have fun,” Antillon said. “They enjoyed making dancing videos with their peers, and they even convince one of the city council members to do a TikTok Dance routine, including myself.”

Engaging students in an interactive week-long curriculum designed to give them sills and competencies to act as global

leaders, entrepreneurs, ambassadors, and pursue higher education opportunities, they will meet at Aurora Municipal Center with local leaders.

“There’s never a dull moment, whether that’s working in groups, brainstorming ideas or laughing with each other during break times,” shared Tampubolon, who attends Rangeview High School. “The snacks are also so amazing, I always looked forward to eating a new snack or meal from around the world.”

2023 SUMMER CAMP DATES

Camp 1: Global Leadership and Communication

June 12 to 16 OR July 10 to 14 (Age: 13 to 16)

Camp 2: Local Leadership in a Global Community

June 26 to 30 OR July 24 to 28 (Age: 14 to 19)

With generous funding from foundations and government entities, ASCI can provide these programs free but an application is required to indicate eligibility. A possibility to earn scholarships for international travel is available. In fact, Tampubolon participated in a virtual exchange program with Korea Sister Cities in the fall. As a youth from Indonesia, she learned K-pop routines, made lanterns and used chopsticks.

“Aurora Sister Cities really gave me such a memorable summer experience. It was such a good way to start the school year. It taught me how to communicate and understand different perspectives and cultures better,” said Tampubolon. “I learned about my community, local government, the Aurora City Municipal court and met council members, too.”

To apply or learn more about the program, visit AuroraSisterCities.org.

Colorado Asian Pacific United begins work on mural to commemorate Denver’s former Chinatown

On April 2, 2023, the Denver community came together to paint the primer for the first mural dedicated to Denver’s historic Chinatown at Fire Station No. 4 at 19th and Lawrence Streets.

Organized by Colorado Asian Pacific United (CAPU), community members and supporters were invited to help paint the brick wall white.

Nalye Lor, a Hmong-American artist that grew up in Denver, and CAPU Vice Chair and mural project lead Joie Ha thanked the city and the Fire Station No. 4 for their support in making the mural a reality. The mural is ex-

pected to completed in late May or early June.

“This mural is a way for us to physically, and metaphorically in a way, reclaim this space and let folks know what this place used to be like,” said Ha.

In the late 1800s, several blocks of what’s now known as Lower Downtown was home to a thriving Chinatown, made up of Chinese immigrants who owned restaurants and businesses. On October 31, 1880, an attack on the Chinatown began with a bar fight and ended with the mass burning of Chinese-owned properties. White rioters lynched a Chinese

worker, Look Young.

The upcoming mural is among the first steps being taken to share a more accurate account of the community’s history.

Using grant funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, CAPU selected Lor’s mural design last year. Her mural concept features Chinese characters spelling out a proverb, “Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid of standing still.”

Visit coloradoasianpacificunited. org to learn more about the mural and/or watch the “Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown” documentary.

Asian Pacific Islander Business Community hosts first event in Colorado Springs

As Colorado Springs continues to grow, so does the need for support of diverse communities and businesses. The city is home to many amazing organizations that tackle a wide array of issues and causes, including multicultural chambers such as the Colorado Springs Hispanic and Black Chambers.

With less than 2% of the city’s population being of Asian Pacific Islander descent, it has been harder for people from those backgrounds to find a sense of community and resources for their businesses. As things started to return to the new normal after the pandemic, many API people sought opportunities to connect on culture and shared experiences.

It was this need that brought about the Asian Pacific Islander Business Community (API-BC) of Colorado Springs whose mission is to create a place of trust by keeping family at the center of economic development. API-BC aims to provide support and resources for our local API small businesses, while also working on community building and supporting the families that run and shop at those businesses.

API-BC held it’s first Community Day event on March 18 at Anthem Music Enterprises. The guests were able to mingle and enjoy API owned food trucks, a henna artist, and cultural performances including traditional Maori chants and a haka, a variety of Polynesian dances, original music from a Chamorro artist, and an interactive Bollywood dance demonstration.

This event will be the first of many so that more people can come together and help the API community in Colorado Springs thrive.

By Brent Sabati

Empowering Voices event initiates more dialogue between Asian community and law enforcement

The “Empowering Voices: AAPI Community Requests Support From Law Enforcement” town hall meeting on March 18 at the Filipino-American Community of Colorado building brought together federal, state and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors from 11 jurisdictions.

These local jurisdictions represent and serve over 115,000 AAPI residents. That’s over half of the total AAPI population in Colorado. The panelists of law enforcers listened to audience members tell of their hate incident experiences. Many of which were not reported because of past interactions that resulted in limited or no responses from law enforcement.

The officers stressed the importance of reporting all hate actions against the AAPI communities and prosecutors assured attendees that unlawful threats and violence will be reviewed. The federal officers who were present were particularly interested because of their awareness of Asian hate crimes that is occurring nationally.

Panelists told Action Against Hate they would like to continue building trust between them and the AAPI communities and offer personal support when called upon. Learn more at: actionagainsthate.org.

MODERATORS: George Kuwamura, Action Against Hate, Asian Roundtable of Colorado; Don J. Toussaint, Judge, 18th Judicial District, Arapahoe County Court

PRESENTERS: Justin Lock, Senior Counsel & Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Justice; Jeremy Shaver, Senior Associate Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League/ Hate Free Colorado

PANELISTS: Bilal A. Aziz, Associate Deputy District Attorney, Denver District Attorney; Mateo Montoya Collis, Deputy, Peace Officer, Arapahoe County Sheriff Office; Bryan Fields, Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney District of Colorado; Norm Haubert, Chief, City of Westminster Police Department; Alexis King, District Attorney, 1st Judicial District, Gilpin and Jefferson Counties; John Lee, First Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General, Colorado; Sam McGhee, Commander, Professional Standards Bureau, City of Aurora Police Department; Anthony Parisi, Sergeant, Bias Motivated Crime Unit, City & County of Denver Police Department; Todd Reeves, Division Chief, Jefferson County Sheriff Department; Thomas Shea, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI Denver Field Office; Eric Sonstegard, and Chief of Police, City of Edgewater Police Department.

Action Against Hate volunteer, Angela Han and Action Against Hate administrative support, Yangmee Lor register participants at the event.

“I am grateful that all the law enforcement officials at Empowering Voices encouraged our AAPI community to not hesitate to report any incidents, whether they are Hate Crimes or Civil Rights violations. They also promise to on-going training especially with new officers so that situations will be handled effectively.”

Left to right: moderator Don Toussaint; emcee Stella Yu; and panelists: Eric Sonstegard; Mateo Montoya Collis; Bryan Fields; Jeremy Shaver; Justin Lock; Thomas Shea; Anthony Parisi; and Bilal Aziz.

— Stella Yu, founder/past president of Asian Roundtable of Colorado and Action Against Hate development & outreach manager

Colorado Dragon Film Festival celebrates AAPI stories

The Colorado Dragon Film Festival packed in four days of films, community discussions and food from March 9 to 12. This year’s theme of “Celebrating Our Stories” reverberated during the festival with films from Thailand, Korea, Japan, Taiwan and more.

“Especially after the past few years, it’s so important to find ways to engage and show support for your local humans here in Colorado to get a better understanding of different cultures and traditions,” said Sara Moore, Executive Director of Colorado Dragon Boat. Learn more at: cdfilm.org.

White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders meets with local community leaders

On March 30, Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC) was proud to host the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders last month for a robust dialogue with local and statewide community partners.

APDC looks forward to building a strong relationship with the Biden Administration and the federal government. Learn more at: apdc.org.

Colorado Dragon Film Festival planning committee celebrates a successful 2023 event at the Sie FilmCenter.

Sara Moore, Executive Director of Colorado Dragon Boat, welcomes audiences during the opening night of the film festival.

Moore (left) poses with Karen Cho (right), who is the director of Big Fight In Little Chinatown and flew to Denver to participate in a discussion after the documentary was shown at the film festival.

Downtown walking tour presents historic Chinatown and Japanese American landmarks

On March 17, the University of Colorado Denver and Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network presented a walking tour to students and curious community members interested in exploring downtown Denver’s historic and forgotten Chinatown and Japanese American sites.

The tour began on the CU-Denver campus in front of a notable mural and made its way to Larimer Square, formerly the location of Hop Alley, where many Chinese-owned businesses thrived in the 1880s.

Tour guides Mary J. Schultz and Gil Asakawa then led the group to the Chinese restaurant Zoe Ma Ma, ending the tour at Pacific Mercantile, a popular Japanese American supermarket located in Denver’s Sakura Square.

If you are interested in joining a tour, e-mail cacendenver@gmail.com.

2023 Asian American Hero of Colorado Awards Ceremony

Sunday, May 21, 2023 | 10AM to 12PM

Happy Living Center

14015 E Evans Ave, Aurora, CO 80014

Tickets: $40 general | $30 student

Purchase at: cacendenver.org

Now in its 14th year, we honor deserving members of Colorado’s Asian community—the unsung heroes, the shining stars, the selfless leaders— at the 2023 Asian American Hero of Colorado Awards ceremony. Join the event to hear their inspiring stories! Dim sum and sushi will be served. See Asian Avenue’s May 2023 issue to learn about this year’s honorees!

This program is presented by Colorado Asian Culture and Education Network in collaboration with Colorado’s AAPI organizations.