Sunday, March 1, 2026

Viet Nom Nom not closing after all.


On February 21 Viet Nom Nom, a Vietnamese restaurant in Squirrel Hill, announced its last day of operations would be February 28. Today, it announced it will not be closing after all. It is located at 1711 Murray Ave (map) and opened in January 2023.

2025 Taiwanese film A Foggy Tale (大濛) in Pittsburgh, March 7.


The 2025 Taiwanese film A Foggy Tale (大濛) will play in Pittsburgh on March 7.

《A Foggy Tale》Pittsburgh Film Screening


A 2025 Award‑Winning Taiwanese Film. A powerful journey through 1950s Taiwan.


Join us for a special screening of 《大濛 A Foggy Tale》, a 2025 film set in 1950s Taiwan during the White Terror era — a decades‑long period beginning in 1949, when the government imposed martial law and carried out widespread persecution of people it suspected of political dissent.


The film follows a young girl traveling across Taiwan to retrieve the remains of her brother, who was executed by the regime. Through her journey, 《A Foggy Tale》 reveals the everyday lives, moral struggles, and social atmosphere ordinary people faced under authoritarian rule.

Concert film ENHYPEN [Walk the Line Summer Edition] in Cinemas in Pittsburgh, from March 5.


The concert film ENHYPEN [Walk the Line Summer Edition] in Cinemas will play in Pittsburgh March 5 and 7.
Experience ENHYPEN WORLD TOUR ‘WALK THE LINE’ IN JAPAN – SUMMER EDITION on the big screen! From their very first meeting to the global stage they command today, ENHYPEN’s journey is one of growth, unity, and connection. Rising to million-seller status within a year, achieving a record-breaking Tokyo Dome debut, earning their first grand prize in 2025, and delivering a headline-making performance at Coachella, the group’s success has been shaped by the powerful bond they share with ENGENEs. This concert film captures that bond in full: electrifying live performances, the intensity of rehearsals, candid moments behind the scenes, and the everyday lives of the members as they travel through Japan in the heat of summer. More than a concert, it is a celebration of connection, a line that continues to extend forward, carrying ENHYPEN and ENGENEs toward the future, together.
It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Japanese metal band HANABIE。 returns to Pittsburgh, March 20.


Japanese metal band HANABIE。will return to Pittsburgh on March 20, part of their North American tour with Nekrogoblikon and Enterprise Earth. Their Reddit fanpage provides an introduction:
Loud rock band HANABIE。formed at their school light music club in June 2015. Centering in Kichijōji, Tokyo, they started performing live around areas such as Shinjuku and Tachikawa.

The sound of Hanabie features the sound mixture of metalcore, hardcore, Hip-Hop, and J-POP. Their 1st album, "Girls Manifest" was released in 2020. With this album, they have established their own genre "HARAJUKUCORE"

Their live performances have a speed and power that exceeds expectations and captivates their audience. Yukina's powerful screaming/growling vocals never leave anyone without being amazed, along with this excellent melodic lines given by the clean voice of Matsuri, this is a complete basis for an amazing metalcore band but as for them it isn't enough they add different layers of voices between rap lines. If vocally they are great, in the instrumental part they're not left behind, aggressive, heavy, and dynamic. Certainly to define this band you need at least two words: dynamic and powerful.
The band played Preserving Underground in New Kensington in September 2023 and March 2025, and the Roxian Theatre in September 2024.

The all ages show at the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks (map) begins at 6:00 pm, and tickets are available online.

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Chinese bakery opafé coming soon to Southside Works.


Signage has recently gone up for opafé, a Chinese bakery and cafe in Southside Works. It will be located at 2720 SIdney St. (map). It comes from the team behind Top Pot, Okane Sushi, and Opal Buffet, among others, and is a portmanteau of "opal" and "café."

Friday, February 27, 2026

Life as a K-Pop Idol: A Conversation with Seungyeon Chang, April 21 at Carnegie Mellon University.


Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics will present "Life as a K-Pop Idol: A Conversation with Seungyeon Chang" on April 21.

Join the Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics for an exciting and candid conversation with Seungyeon Chang, former leader of CLC and now a professional K-pop choreographer.

Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to be a K-pop idol?

From trainee days to debut stages, world tours and transitioning into choreography, Seungyeon will share her personal journey in the K-pop industry. Learn about the challenges, rewards, behind-the-scenes realities and what it truly takes to succeed as an idol.

This is your chance to:

  • Ask questions about idol life and training
  • Hear firsthand stories from the stage and studio
  • Gain insight into the K-pop industry from someone who has lived it

Whether you’re a longtime K-pop fan or simply curious about the industry, don’t miss this unique opportunity for an engaging and inspiring conversation.

It runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in Hamerschlag Hall B103 (map).

Thursday, February 26, 2026

"Asia Pop Lecture: Platformativity of Desire: Wanghong and Chinese Entertainment Livestreaming," March 4 at Pitt.


The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present Dr. Kun Qian and her talk "Platformativity of Desire: Wanghong and Chinese Entertainment Livestreaming" on March 4, part of the Asia Pop lecture series.
Live streaming has reshaped social relations, cultural production, and daily life—especially in China, where the industry surpasses Western counterparts in scale, genre diversity, and revenue. This lecture examines labor relations in China’s entertainment live streaming sector, arguing that state authorities and private platforms jointly regulate desire for political control and profit.

Through Hao Wu’s People’s Republic of Desire (2018), it shows how physical and affective labor become emotional commodities circulating across platforms. Drawing on Jean-François Lyotard’s “libidinal economy” and Thomas Lamarre’s “platformativity,” it argues that platforms fuse the political, economic, and psychic to sustain a “tittytainment” economy that masks exploitation.
It runs from 6:00 to 7:00 pm in 205 David Lawrence Hall (map).

2025 Park Chan-wook film No Other Choice (어쩔수가없다) returns to Pittsburgh, from March 6.


The 2025 Park Chan-wook film No Other Choice (어쩔수가없다), which played in the area in January, will return to Pittsburgh from March 6, part of the Row House Cinema's The Pidgies film series.
Don’t miss this wild and buzzy new film from Park Chan-wook! After being laid off and humiliated by a ruthless job market, a veteran paper mill manager descends into violence in a desperate bid to reclaim his dignity.
Tickets are available online. The Row House Cinema is a single-screen theater located at 4115 Butler St. in Lawrenceville (map)

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from March 14.

Photo via the Korea Tourism Organization.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from March 14 through May 9, after its most recent session will conclude on February 28. 

Seriously Addictive Mathematics S.A.M. Singapore Math opening franchise location in Squirrel Hill.

S.A.M. is preparing to open its first Pittsburgh-area location in Squirrel Hill.
S.A.M, or Seriously Addictive Mathematics, is a Mathematics Learning Program from Singapore, with a unique Mathematics curriculum designed for students from 4 to 12 years of age.Our curriculum is primarily modelled after the Singapore Mathematics program, which is one of the most successful in the world, according to the TIMSS (Trends in International Maths & Science Study) survey, since 1995*.

We developed over 30,000 pages of meticulously designed self learning worksheets with a unique step up approach, covering everything your child needs to know in order to excel in Mathematics at school. We also designed a comprehensive S.A.M Training system to ensure that our Trainers deliver a quality learning experience for your child.Research has shown that Early Exposure to math concepts and skills will enhance your child’s confidence in Maths in their later years. SAM’s Holistic Approach to Mathematics combines Classroom Learning and Worksheets Practice to give your child an early advantage in Singapore Maths to stay ahead of their cohort.
The Pittsburgh center will be located at 2002 Murray Ave. (map), in what was most recently Rewind Memories, and offers programs in Mathematics and Phonics & English. It will be open weekday evenings and from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturdays. More information is available at the S.A.M. website.