Ebisu Life Store Grand Opening in Cranberry scheduled for November 14.

The Pittsburgh area's second Ebisu Life Store will hold its Grand Opening on November 14 at its new Cranberry location.

Cranberry, it’s finally here! 🎉 Celebrate Ebisu’s grand opening Nov. 14–15!

🎁 Spend $39.99+ → Free snack pack
🎁 Spend $59.99+ → Gifts include an Ebisu tote + tissue pack or a gachapon capsule toy
🎁 Spend $99.99+ → Gifts include an Ebisu tote + blind box, lip balm, or a shampoo & conditioner set

Before tax. Gifts are Cranberry only. Limited quantities, first come, first served!

Deals & membership bonuses run Nov. 14–22 at both stores.

📍 20217 Rte 19, Suite 203, Cranberry Township, PA

It is located in Cranberry Township, at 20217 Route 19 Suite 203 in a former Party City in a strip mall near the Walmart at the intersection of Route 19 and Old Freedom Rd. Ebisu Japanese Life Store is a Chinese chain specializing in Japanese goods, with its stores featuring cosmetics, snacks, homegoods, stationary, gacha machines, plushes, models, collectibles, Pokemon cards, and more. It opened its first area location in Squirrel Hill in October 2024. 

Six films from Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan comprise 12 Hour Martial Arts Kumite marathon, November 21.

Six films will comprise a 12 Hour Martial Arts Kumite marathon at the Row House Hollywood on November 21.

• 12:00 pm - Enter the Dragon (龍爭虎鬥), 1973
• 2:00 - The Street Fighter (激突! 殺人拳), 1974
• 3:50 - The Beautiful Boxer (บิวตี้ฟูล บ๊อกเซอร์), 2003
• 6:35 - The Raid, 2011
• 8:35 - The Legend of Drunken Master (醉拳二), 1994
• 10:45 - The Furious (火遮眼), 2026

Tickets are available online. The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

Opal Grand Buffet soft opening at the Waterfront, November 13.

Opal Grand Buffet has announced it will soft open at the Waterfront on Friday, November 13.

A world of flavor awaits at The Waterfront and Opal Buffet invites you for a first taste...

Starting this Friday, November 13th, we are opening the doors softly to give Pittsburgh a first taste of Opal Buffet. An exclusive selection from our menu will be available as our team refines the processes of service.

Soft Open Hours:
Lunch 11:30am - 3:30pm
Dinner 3:30pm - 9:30pm

Our official Grand Opening will be announced soon! In the meantime, please stay tuned to social media for hours and additional exciting updates. We invite you to share your opinion, so when you visit, please be sure to let us know how we are doing.

Introducing Opal Buffet!
Opal Buffet brings Brazilian churrasco, Southeast Asian grilled seafood, fresh sushi, and handcrafted desserts together in an elevated global dining experience, made for everyone. Featuring a striking black-and-gold design, a stylish central bar with inspired cocktails and private event space, Opal offers a welcoming setting for everything from casual lunches to memorable celebrations.

We can’t wait to welcome you during our soft open period!

It's opening in the former Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery spot (map). Work began on the new buffet in October 2025.

International Poetry Forum Presents: Li-Young Lee, December 8 in Pittsburgh.

The International Poetry Forum will present a free reading with Li-Young Lee on December 8. The event starts at 7:00 pm at the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Oakland (map), and tickets are available online.

A reading with one of the country's most celebrated writer-translators. Part of the International Poetry Forum's 60th Anniversary Season.

The International Poetry Forum is proud to present a reading by Li-Young Lee, acclaimed poet and translator of the Dao De Jing (Norton, 2024), at Carnegie Library Lecture Hall (Oakland) on December 8, 2026, 7:00 PM. This event is free, but tickets are expected to go quickly.

Soft opening of Pittsburgh's first YangGuoFu Mala Tang delayed until November 12.

YangGuoFu (also known as YGF Malatang), a chain of build-your-own malatang bowls, has announced a delay of the soft open of itss first Pittsburgh-area location in Squirrel Hill from November 8 to Thursday, November 12, at 11:30 am.

Founded in 2003 in Harbin, China, YGF Malatang began as a humble street-side stall built on one belief: great food should be fresh, flavorful, and uniquely yours. We handpicked ingredients, simmered broth daily, and let guests craft their own bowls — interactive, vibrant, and deeply personal. That founding spirit — individuality and flavor discovery — drives us today as we bring authentic Malatang to the Americas. At YGF, every bowl is crafted fresh and unmistakably yours.

It will be located at 5870 Forbes Ave. (map) in what was most recently Evelyn James Interiors. Signage first went up in Squirrel Hill in November 2025. There are over 6,000 YGF Malatang restaurants worldwide, and locations in New York, California, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Washington.

New Chinese movie Traces of Justice (神探之痕迹) in Pittsburgh, from November 13.

The 2026 Chinese movie Traces of Justice (神探之痕迹) will play in Pittsburgh from November 13.

Inspired by the extraordinary true story of Cui Daozhi, one of the pioneers of forensic investigation in China. Over six decades, he helped advance forensic science through his groundbreaking research into trace evidence and worked on numerous major and high-profile criminal cases. Having conducted more than 7,000 forensic examinations, he became known as the “Sherlock Holmes” of China’s criminal investigation field, renowned for uncovering decisive clues from the smallest traces.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront through the 18th and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh's first YangGuoFu Mala Tang restaurant to soft open in Squirrel Hill, November 8.

Photo courtesy of reader.

YangGuoFu (also known as YGF Malatang), a chain of build-your-own malatang bowls, will soft open its first Pittsburgh-area location in Squirrel Hill on Sunday, November 8.

Founded in 2003 in Harbin, China, YGF Malatang began as a humble street-side stall built on one belief: great food should be fresh, flavorful, and uniquely yours. We handpicked ingredients, simmered broth daily, and let guests craft their own bowls — interactive, vibrant, and deeply personal. That founding spirit — individuality and flavor discovery — drives us today as we bring authentic Malatang to the Americas. At YGF, every bowl is crafted fresh and unmistakably yours.

It will be located at 5870 Forbes Ave. (map) in what was most recently Evelyn James Interiors. Signage first went up in November 2025, and they were initially aiming for a mid-January opening. There are over 6,000 YGF Malatang restaurants worldwide, and locations in New York, California, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Washington.

2026 Chinese film Where the Sun Shines Bright (阳光灿烂的地方) in Pittsburgh, November 6, part of Three Rivers Film Festival. Promo code and coupon for local Chinese restaurants available.

The 2026 Chinese film Where the Sun Shines Bright (阳光灿烂的地方) will play in Pittsburgh on November 6, part of Three Rivers Film Festival.

In an impoverished village in southern China, overpopulation is severe and many children are left alone while their parents are at work. An 18-year-old boy facing the uncertainty of adulthood finds his own story reflected in the lives of four children in the same village. Each of their journeys reflect how they were shaped through their experiences in this coming-of-age anthology..

The film is presented in partnership with SCREENSHOT: ASIA. It plays at 6:30 pm at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online. Moviegoers can use promo code PCCC26 for $3 off this, or any other, film in the festival, and guests can show the flyer for 10% off select restaurants November 1 - 30.

Ebisu Life Store Grand Opening in Cranberry scheduled for November 14; soft opening date TBA.

The Pittsburgh area's second Ebisu Life Store will hold its Grand Opening on November 14, according to an Instagram post yesterday that has some video clips of the massive space. It will be located in Cranberry Township, at 20217 Route 19 Suite 203 in a former Party City in a strip mall near the Walmart at the intersection of Route 19 and Old Freedom Rd. Ebisu Japanese Life Store is a Chinese chain specializing in Japanese goods, with its stores featuring cosmetics, snacks, homegoods, stationary, gacha machines, plushes, models, collectibles, Pokemon cards, and more. It opened its first area location in Squirrel Hill in October 2024.

2026 Chinese film Where the Sun Shines Bright (阳光灿烂的地方) in Pittsburgh, November 6, part of Three Rivers Film Festival.

The 2026 Chinese film Where the Sun Shines Bright (阳光灿烂的地方) will play in Pittsburgh on November 6, part of Three Rivers Film Festival.

In an impoverished village in southern China, overpopulation is severe and many children are left alone while their parents are at work. An 18-year-old boy facing the uncertainty of adulthood finds his own story reflected in the lives of four children in the same village. Each of their journeys reflect how they were shaped through their experiences in this coming-of-age anthology..

The film is presented in partnership with SCREENSHOT: ASIA. It plays at 6:30 pm at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.

Progress stalls on all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant in East Liberty, Oyoshi.

Progress on the all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant Oyoshi has stalled in East Liberty. Coming Soon signage was up on the facade, and the social media, of the Industry apartment building at 5821 Centre. Ave in in Summer 2025, but activity and permits have stopped. Plans for the 3,490 square foot restaurant were approved in April 2025, and the restaurant remains listed on the apartment complex's website.

Sushi and hibachi on Centre Avenue. Oyoshi brings an all-you-can-eat sushi menu, hibachi grills and a full bar to the ground floor of Industry Pittsburgh — the kind of place that becomes the default for a Thursday night, a match-day celebration or a family visit.

Should Oyoshi ever open, it will represent part of a Pittsburgh restaurant trend over the last year or two of all-you-can-eat Asian and sushi places, which includes Bombing Pot, the second Kujira location, 8 Star in Gibsonia, Umiya in Squirrel Hill (still under construction), and Let's Sushi in Wexford, among others.

New Chinese movie Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (欢迎来龙餐馆) in Pittsburgh, from October 8.

The new Chinese movie Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (欢迎来龙餐馆) will play in Pittsburgh from October 8.

Chef Xu Fu travels to the Middle East to help his family and repay his debts. With restaurant manager Ma Junsheng, he revives the struggling Dragon Restaurant—but war soon engulfs the city, turning it into a refuge. Xu Fu must risk everything to protect his new community and its small beacon of hope.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

New Asian dessert and noodle spot Chi La Ma (吃了吗) soft opens in Shadyside.

Chi La Ma (吃了吗), a new restaurant offering "Asian Desserts & Signature Noodles," soft opened today in Shadyside. It is located at 709 Bellefont St. (map) in what was briefly Kung-Fu Chicken and, before that, I Tea Cafe.

Bilingual Chinese-English Story Hour at Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill, October 10.

The Chinese Library for Children will present Bilingual Story Hour on Saturday, October 10.

Join us for stories, songs, movement and hands-on activities–designed to introduce children to language and culture through play and shared reading.

The target audience is for children age 0 through 5 and their caregivers. It runs from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The Squirrel Hill branch is located at 5801 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by a number of city buses.

Koreyinz Pittsburgh Bubble Tea grand opening postponed to October 3.

The grand opening of Koreyinz Pittsburgh Bubble Tea, originally scheduled for today, October 2, has been postponed to Saturday, October 3, due to an unfavorable weather forecast.

Koreyinz Pittsburgh Bubble Tea opening in Oakland, October 2.

Koreyinz Pittsburgh Bubble Tea will open in Oakland on October 2. It has operated as a mobile vendor at various locations since 2023, and its truck will have a home at 188 S. Bouquet St., on the corner of Forbes Ave. and S. Bouquet St. across from Five Guys.

Join us October 2–4 for the Koreyinz grand opening at the University of Pittsburgh!
🧋Buy one drink, get one free
The first 50 customers get free Koreyinz merch.

Founded in Pittsburgh in 2023, Koreyinz brings modern tea culture to our hometown. Inspired by tea traditions in Taiwan and China—and shaped by years of boba experience in the Bay Area—we craft boba drinks with a modern twist.

Try Modern Fresh Milk Tea, Snowy Whipped Cream Milk Tea, Cloud Foam Milk Tea, Functional Boba Tea, and Classic Boba Tea.

“Koreyinz” is a play on yinz, Pittsburgh’s way of saying “you all.” Tea is meant to be shared, so bring a friend and celebrate with us!

University of Pittsburgh campus
Follow us for the exact location and hours.

Bilingual Chinese-English Story Hour at Carnegie Library in Oakland, September 26.

The Chinese Library for Children will present Bilingual Story Hour on Saturday, September 26.

Join us for stories, songs, movement and hands-on activities–designed to introduce children to language and culture through play and shared reading.

The target audience is for children age 0 through 5 and their caregivers. It runs from 10:30 to 11:30 am. The Oakland (Main) branch is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. (map), accessible by a number of city buses.

Opafé, "artisan bakery" from Opal Group, to hold soft opening tomorrow.

Opafé is holding its soft opening tomorrow on the South Side. Described as a "bakery focused on artisan croissants, it is located at 2720 SIdney St. (map), and comes from the team behind Top Pot, Okane Sushi, and Opal Buffet, among others, and is a portmanteau of "opal" and "café."

Starting this Monday, we are opening the doors softly to give Pittsburgh a first taste of Opafe Bakery. An exclusive selection from our menu will be available as our team gradually commissions our kitchen equipment and refines the processes of service. 🥐

For our Grand Opening, official hours will be announced soon! In the meantime, please stay tuned to social media for hours and additional exciting updates! We invite you to share your opinion, so when you visit, please be sure to let us know how we are doing.

Signage first went up earlier this year.

2025 Chinese film Gloaming in Luomu (罗目的黄昏) in Pittsburgh, September 19, part of SCREENSHOT: ASIA Film Festival.

The 2025 Chinese film Gloaming in Luomu (罗目的黄昏) will play in Pittsburgh on September 19, part of this year's SCREENSHOT: ASIA Film Festival. A synopsis, from SCREENSHOT:

CONTENT WARNING: Addiction

When Bai (Bai Baihe) – a dancer with an alcohol problem – receives a postcard from her missing boyfriend that only says “Gloaming in Luomu,” she heads to the untouched, idyllic village to try to find out what happened to him. There, she connects with a host of interesting characters, all of whom help her as she feels increasingly more connected to her absent companion. In Gloaming in Luomu, Korean-Chinese filmmaker Zhang Lu offers a radical reworking vanished soulmate theme, with the Sichuan-set tale unfolding like a delirious dream, the mysteries of its complex characters and metaphysical conversations heightened by meticulous camerawork and imaginative sound design. The film captures the surreal disjuncture of searching while also lost and of looking for a shade of the past–someone who may or may not be a fever dream.

It plays in room 332 of the Cathedral of Learning (map) and tickets are available online. Tickets are free for students, faculty, and staff with a valid University of Pittsburgh ID card, and for Carnegie Mellon University students. 

Laurie Trok x Peel Open Session, debuting new menu, September 19 at Peel in Squirrel Hill.

Newish Squirrel Hill teahouse Peel is hosting an Open Session on September 19 where it will unveil its new menu.

Laurie Trok x Peel is a kinetic menu collaboration for play, translocal encounters, and rituals.

Laurie is a multidisciplinary artist whose work leans into our experience of the ephemeral and the ways time is made visible by entropy. Food is central to this practice and Laurie has sought to create menus that investigate our relationship to time.

Often sourcing directly from their own garden, Laurie’s and Peel’s practices are both particularly attuned to time and place-specificity. The collaboration approaches temporalities and inheritances as sites where play, locality and collaboration can generate speculative rituals for tasting, relating and gathering.

Your ticket gives you access to the space from 12-5pm, with unlimited menu offerings available throughout the session (menu below). Once the reservation is made, there are no additional charges at Peel.

Tickets are available online for $38. More information is on Peel's Instagram post. Peel opened in February at 5806 Forbes Ave., second floor, above Uncle Sam's (map).