McKnight Road's Hong BBQ & Hot Pot aiming for an April 30 opening.

Hong BBQ & Hot Pot, one of at least five Korean BBQ and hot pot places opening in Pittsburgh in the near future, commented on social media that it is aiming for an April 30 opening.

Looking for the best all you can eat Chinese Hot Pot? Look no further! Chinese Hot pot, also known as Chinese fondue, is a popular cooking method throughout China and other Asian countries. It’s an entertaining activity, especially with friends and family members. The broth inside the pot boils over our specially designed heaters, and you have a variety of protein options (meatballs and thinly sliced beef are popular) to add to your pot. In addition to the protein choices, you can add noodles, vegetables, tofu, and more into your soup. The broth comes in many different styles (see our menu for options). It’s quite nutritious as it absorbs all the nutrients and flavors when cooking your meat and vegetables in the broth base. You can either enjoy our Chinese hot pot by itself or enjoy it along with our authentic Korean BBQ!

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We introduce our Korean style BBQ concept, which has been a tradition passed down many generations of Korean history. Our Korean BBQ experience begins by firing up the grill at your table. All you can eat Korean BBQ, choose from our vast selection of beef, pork, chicken, seafood, and various vegetables; don’t forget to invite your grill master! While there are many side dishes to enjoy Korean BBQ with, the meats are definitely the main attraction. Many of the meats are already marinated, carefully crafted by our chefs, so all you need to do is grill it up and enjoy the amazing flavors of our Korean style delicacies.

It is next in the line of restaurants to occupy "where Tokyo Sushi Buffet used to be" in recent years in the outparcel next to Best Buy on McKnight Road (map). Signage first went up in July 2023. Hong BBQ & Hot Pot has two locations in Florida and three restaurants coming soon.

Zoom lecture by Korean artist Kang Seung Lee, February 28 with Pitt's Studio Arts Department.

The Department of Studio Arts at the University of Pittsburgh will host artist Kang Seung Lee for a virtual lecture on February 28, part of its spring lecture series.

Kang Seung Lee is a multidisciplinary artist who was born in South Korea and now lives and works in Los Angeles and Seoul. His work frequently engages the legacy of transnational queer histories, particularly as they intersect with art history.

Lee's work is in the collections of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea; The Getty, Los Angeles; RISDMuseum, Providence; among others. Lee is participating in the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Foreigners Everywhere, curated by Adriano Pedrosa.

The talk starts at 6:00 pm and registration is required.

Korea's Brush Theater returns to Pittsburgh's Children's Theater Festival with "Poli POP!" May 17 - 19.

South Korea's Brush Theater will once again appear as part of Pittsburgh's Children's Theater Festival with "Poli POP!" from May 17 - 19.

Poli and Pola don't want to go to sleep. The siblings start off playing with toys in their bedroom, competing against each other to be the leader of the room, but then their imagination takes them on a surreal dreamlike journey full of surprise and joy. BRUSH Theatre uses incredible technology and special effects to transform the set from an empty room to far away islands, roaring seas, the Egyptian desert, busy cities, dance parties, and more! But the duo don’t know there’s something else lurking in the shadows… a ferocious alien monster! What will they do?

A wonderful follow up to BRUSH's recent Doodle POP, this colorful and playful new theater production uses live musicians who perform the accompanying score and sound effects, stunning interactive animations and painted projection mapping, and an abundance of theatrical imagination.

The duo performed "Doodle POP" here in 2022. The performances are at the Pittsburgh Playhouse on the Point Park University campus downtown (map), and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh's first Tous Les Jours set to open February 22.

Pittsburgh's first Tous Les Jours has announced an opening date of February 22, and to mark the occassion it has several giveaways.

Tous Les Jours is a huge Korean bakery chain with locations around the world, and the first Pittsburgh location will be at Eastside Bond Building C in East Liberty, across from the Target (map). Tous Les Jours, says its US website, "has developed into a reputable neighborhood bakery specializing in French-Asian inspired baked goods, hand crafted beverages and bold, flavorful coffee and espresso made with the finest ingredients." It joins Paris Baguette as two international Korean bakery chains coming soon to Pittsburgh to supplement Sumi's Cakery, the lone Korean bakery in the area.

More progress on Hong BBQ & Hot Pot, coming soon to McKnight Road.

Hong BBQ & Hot Pot, one of five hot pot and Korean BBQ places coming soon to Pittsburgh, shared some progress pics on Facebook earlier this month. It is aiming for a spring opening and will be located at 4801 McKnight Rd, North Hills (map), the most recent in a long line of Asian restaurants to occupy the spot next to Best Buy that "used to be Tokyo Sushi Buffet."
New paint job and some interior renovations from late last year.

2023 Celine Song Oscar-nominated film Past Lives remains in Pittsburgh through February 15.

The 2023 Celine Song film Past Lives, which re-opened in Pittsburgh on January 26, will play here through (at least) February 15, running at both the Row House Cinema as part of its Love Languages series and at the AMC Loews Waterfront. From the distributor:

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

The movie opened here in June 2023 and had multiple runs throughout the last half of the year. and it is scheduled to play at the Row House Lawrenceville in February. Past Lives plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront on select dates through the 13th, and tickets for those shows are available online. Tickets for its run at the Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville are available at that theater's website.

Lunar New Year Celebration for Children, February 10 at Monroeville Public Library.

The Monroeville Public Library will host a Lunar New Year Celebration on February 10.

A new year does not start for all people around the world at the same time. Learn about Lunar New Year with stories, games, crafts, and activities. No registration is needed for this free event.

The free event runs from 10:30 to 11:30, and no registration is required. The Monroeville Public Library is located at 4000 Gateway Campus Blvd. (map).

2023 Celine Song film Past Lives remains in Pittsburgh through February 7.

The 2023 Celine Song film Past Lives, which re-opened in Pittsburgh on January 26, will play here through (at least) February 7. From the distributor:

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

The movie opened here in June 2023 and had multiple runs throughout the last half of the year, and it is scheduled to play at the Row House Lawrenceville in February. Past Lives plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

In the Mood for Love (花樣年華), Past Lives at Row House Lawrenceville, February 9 through 15.

The 2000 Wong Kar-wai film In the Mood for Love (花樣年華) and the 2023 Celine Song movie Past Lives will play at the Row House Lawrenceville from February 9 through 15, part of the Love Languages film series.

A summary of the former:

Wong Kar-wai’s vibrant romantic drama starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai explores the limits of morality, the passing of time, and courage as it follows neighbors drawn together by their spouses’ extramarital affairs in overcrowded 1960s Hong Kong.

And the latter:

Subtle and moving, Greta Lee stars in Celine Song’s deeply human story of two childhood friends who are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life.

Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Lunar New Year Celebration, February 10 at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel.

The Cooper-Siegel Community Library will host a Lunar New Year Celebration on February 10.

Celebrate and learn about the Lunar New Year! This annual celebration with a wide variety of different festival activities is organized by the Asian community of the Fox Chapel area. Enjoy traditional Chinese music performed by Dorseyville Middle School students, taekwondo performed by the Young Brothers Taekwondo School students, a dragon parade, storytelling, crafts, as well as treats and gifts.

All ages are welcome.

The event runs from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. Registration is required and can be completed online. The Cooper-Siegel Community Library is located at 403 Fox Chapel Rd. (map).

"Characters across Asia: Using "Kanji" to write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese," February 1 at University of Pittsburgh.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures will host Dr. Zev Handel and his talk "Characters across Asia: Using "Kanji" to write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese" on February 1.

Chinese characters originated in China over 3,000 years ago. Prior to their creation, East Asia was completely devoid of writing. By the time of the Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE), China already had a long literary tradition, a flourishing culture, and a sophisticated government bureaucracy. In this talk, Professor Handel will explain how the building blocks of the Chinese script were adapted to represent the words and sounds of Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean - and why today, only Japanese still use kanji in their writing.

Zev Handel is a professor of Chinese and chair of the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington, Seattle.

The talk runs from 11:00 to 12:00 in 4127 Sennott Square (map).

2023 Celine Song film Past Lives returns to Pittsburgh, from January 26.

The 2023 Celine Song film Past Lives will play in Pittsburgh from January 26 through January 31. From the distributor:

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

The movie opened here in June 2023 and had multiple runs throughout the last half of the year, and it is scheduled to play at the Row House Lawrenceville in February. Past Lives plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, and tickets are available online.

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from January 20.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from January 20. 

In the Mood for Love (花樣年華), Past Lives at Row House Lawrenceville, February 9 through 15.

The 2000 Wong Kar-wai film In the Mood for Love (花樣年華) and the 2023 Celine Song movie Past Lives will play at the Row House Lawrenceville from February 9 through 15, part of the Love Languages film series.

A summary of the former:

Wong Kar-wai’s vibrant romantic drama starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai explores the limits of morality, the passing of time, and courage as it follows neighbors drawn together by their spouses’ extramarital affairs in overcrowded 1960s Hong Kong.

And the latter:

Subtle and moving, Greta Lee stars in Celine Song’s deeply human story of two childhood friends who are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life.

Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Caroline Yoo Solo Show Alice & Alice: in Free Fall, January 19 - February 16.

Caroline Yoo's Solo Show "Alice & Alice: in Free Fall" will run from January 19 through February 16 at Bunker Projects in Bloomfield.

Inspired by the life of double agent Alice Hyun (1903- 1956??), A l i c e & A l i c e: in Free Fall, pays tribute to the first Korean American born in Hawaii and the first Korean American to gain US citizenship through birth. This new body of work is the first solo exhibition of artist and performer Caroline Yoo, who continues her research practice of amplifying stories of forgotten women, the women who rebelled, the women who were too loud for history.

Born while Korea was under Japanese colonization, Hyun believed in an independent one-nation Korea. The radical pioneer devoted her life to independence, enrolled in the USA military working partially as a linguist during World War II, and was stationed in Tokyo and Seoul until 1945-1946. However, in a turn of events, Alice was uncovered as a communist and was named as a double agent for North Korea. Despite her incredibly complicated and high stakes life, the independence fighter’s legacy is absent from Korean American and feminist histories in both mainland South Korea and the United States.

A multimedia and multi-sensory installation, Alice & Alice includes a 3-channel video work, an interactive tea performance, and prints of translated archival documentation. The exhibition’s centerpiece, a 3-channel video made completely through thermal technology, weaves text from Alice Hyun’s archives and Lewis Carroll’s Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to pose questions about the role of nationalism in the diaspora. Alice Hyun was labeled a communist, a devil, a spy, both an enemy and ally. A l i c e & A l i c e: in Free Fall positions Alice as a metaphor for bodies that simultaneously house multiple cultures and multiple truths while asking what is the past, present, and future of diaspora politics tethered to motherland and birthland nationalism.

The show starts with a soft opening on the 19th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, and punctuated by We're all made here, 35-minute sound, vocal, movement performances on February 8 and 15th. Bunker Projects is located at 5106 Penn Ave. in Bloomfield (map).

University of Pittsburgh East Asian Library Open House, February 7.

The University of Pittsburgh University Library System will host an East Asian Library Open House on February 7.

Come join the University Library System's East Asian Library for an open house featuring a selection of rare and unique East Asian materials from Library's Archives & Special Collections.

Librarians from the East Asian Library will also be onsite to share information and resources available to the Pitt community and beyond.

. . .

Paris Baguette to open in Shadyside.

via @parisbaguetteus 

Paris Baguette, a Korean bakery chain with locations around the world, has announced plans to open a second Pittsburgh location in Shadyside. It will be located at 5514 Walnut St. (map), according to a Pittsburgh Business Times article, in what was William Sonoma until January 2022. The area's first Paris Baguette will open in Block Northway in the North Hills; since not much work has progressed on that location, it is undecided, really, which will be Pittsburgh's first to open.

Street View, via Google Maps

21 Asian restaurants and eateries coming soon, or maybe not quite so soon, to Pittsburgh.

via @parisbaguetteus

Since 2011, PennsylvAsia has documented the Asian restaurant openings (and closings) in the Pittsburgh area. In August, we looked at the 15 biggest names coming soon (or not-so-soon) to the area, taking a page from the local news outlets that seemed to find success posting lists from PennsylvAsia scoops. Now, at the start of 2024, let's take a look at a list of the 21 biggest Asian restaurants coming in the near or distant future. Some of these are repeats from the summer, if progress has been slow, while others are recently new developments. The additions will certainly be welcome in the area: new bakeries and dessert spots, more dim sum, five Korean BBQ places this year, for example, and of course more bubble tea. We are also attracting a number of national and international chains, which is a testament to the growing power of Pittsburgh's food scene, since these places were content with overlooking Pittsburgh over the last decade or two. Let's dig in . .

Top Pot Hotpot & Korean BBQ coming soon to Pittsburgh.

Top Pot Hotpot & Korean BBQ is coming to Southside Works in 2024.

Top Pot Hotspot [sic] & Korean BBQ will open a 6,000-square-foot restaurant on East Carson Street in SouthSide Works. The concept has the same operator as Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao, the New York-based chain which signed a lease with SouthSide Works in September.

Top Pot Hotpot & Korean BBQ is a restaurant concept that offers a combination of Chinese hot pot and Korean BBQ. The chain was founded in 2010.

This is one of several Korean BBQ places set to open in Pittsburgh in 2024, including KPot in Squirrel Hill, Korean BBQ in Oakland, Shabu Shabu Hot Pot and Grill in McCandless, and Hong BBQ & Hot Pot on McKnight Road.

Work progresses on Pittsburgh's first Tous les Jours, coming pretty soon to East Liberty.

Work progresses on Pittsburgh's first Tous les Jours Cafe coming soon to East Liberty. Signage first went up for the international Korean bakery chain in June 2023. Tous Les Jours is the first of the big Korean bakery chains to announce a Pittsburgh spot (though it was followed about two months later by another one), and will complement Sumi's Cakery, which has been Pittsburgh's lone Korean bakery since it opened in 2012.  Tous Les Jours, says its US website,

"has developed into a reputable neighborhood bakery specializing in French-Asian inspired baked goods, hand crafted beverages and bold, flavorful coffee and espresso made with the finest ingredients."

While some people may sneer at excitement over (inter)national chains coming to Pittsburgh, I've written before that I actually consider it a healthy sign and representative of Pittsburgh's growing Asian food scene, as these chains have almost completely ignored the region prior to this year. Tous Les Jours will be located in the Eastside Bond Building C, across the street from Target (map).
via @TousLesJoursUSA