PRSRT STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 746 Seattle, WA
VOL 37 NO 15 APRIL 7 – APRIL 13, 2018
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Phnom Penh Noodle House closing Co-owner faces mounting medical bills
36 YEARS YOUR VOICE
New Dynasty Bar opens at Four Seas Do bubble tea and cocktails have in common?
Photo by Han Bui
READ ARTICLE ON 10
Phnom Penh storefront
“It’s definitely bittersweet,” said Diane Le, of her family’s decision to close the Phnom Penh Noodle House on 660 South King Street. “Realizing that life is short
and there’s so much time spent at the business. We just need to focus on our families.” A big part of that focus has been on Devin Cropp, the son of Dawn Ung, Diane’s sister — and one of the co-owners of Phnom Penh. Dawn and another sister, see PHNOM PENH on 16
Photo by Jessica Kai Curry
Canada’s Consul General Lee skillfully navigates international waters
Consul General Brandon Lee represents the Canadian Prime Minister in the U.S. Pacific Northwest
Vancouver mayor to apologize to residents of Chinese descent for past wrongs Gregor Robertson, the mayor of Vancouver, B.C., will formally apologize
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Photo by John Liu
By Ruth Bayang NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Owner I-Miun Liu holds a drink up at Dynasty Room’s grand opening.
By Jessica Kai Curry NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY Brandon A. Lee has been Canada’s Consul General in Seattle for about six months, and he has spent almost all of that time traveling. His responsibilities representing the Prime Minister of Canada in the Pacific Northwest region are wide-reaching and varied. With most of the passport and visa processes people associate with a consulate, having been centralized and digitized in New York and Los Angeles, Lee’s position here is closer to that of an ambassador. His duties revolve largely around trade and politics — representing Canadian business interests and supporting U.S.Canadian diplomatic relations. In addition, he is the senior digital
in April for past discrimination against residents of Chinese descent, The Canadian Press reported. The apology will acknowledge the wrongdoings of past legislation, regulations and policies of previous city councils. “The historical wrongs of Vancouver City Council need to be addressed, particularly as the city is focused now on being a city of reconciliation and that extends beyond our First Nations to people of other cultures who faced racism and discrimination in the past,” Robertson said in an interview. see ROBERTSON on 14
strategist of the entire nation of Canada. Lee is accustomed to working at a global level. His expertise in digital technology led him to Europe with the World Trade Organization (WTO), and then with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). From there, Lee was invited to serve as the Canadian Consul General for California, Hawaii, and now Seattle, for the Consulate that serves Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho. Lee explains, “I’m originally a tech entrepreneur, and I was brought inside the government to help modernize or transform or disrupt the government from the inside. So with the WTO and the ICRC, what I was brought in to do, I think is the most difficult and see LEE on 13
REVIEW ON “BIG FISH & BEGONIA” » see 8 REVIEW ON “READY PLAYER ONE” » see 7
PICTORIAL API CHAYA » see 9
Seattle pain doctor agrees to suspension, restrictions
Dr. Frank Li
SEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle pain doctor who ran eight pain treatment centers in Washington state has reached an agreement that resolves state administrative charges filed against him. Under an agreement finalized on March 26, with the Washington Medical Commission, Dr. Frank Li will remain suspended from practicing medicine for at least another year. The Seattle Times reports that Li, who did not admit wrongdoing, will also face a range of other limitations, including lifetime restrictions on his ability to prescribe. see LI on 13
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