Chao Phraya Thai Cuisine now open in Baldwin.

Chao Phraya Thai Cuisine has recently opened in Baldwin. It is located at 328 Curry Hollow Rd. in the Curry Hollow Center strip mall (map).

Virtual Lunar New Year celebration with OCA Pittsburgh, February 15.

The Pittsburgh chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans is hosting a virtual Lunar New Year celebration on February 15.

Celebrate #LunarNewYear2021 with us virtually as we look back at past performances and celebrate community members past and present who made or are making a difference in the Asian American community.

It will air on Facebook Live from 6:00 pm. Also visit this list of restaurants offering Lunar New Year specials.

Pad Thai Noodle opening soon in Oakland; N. Craig St. storefront changes hands yet again.

Pad Thai Noodle will soon open at 256 N. Craig St. in Oakland. It is run by the same couple who opened Street Noodles on the South Side in October (and who ran Golden Land Asian Cuisine the last few years until its reecent closure).

This particular location has changed hands numerous times over the past few years. It was Chiang Mai Noodle from August 2020 until recently; a different Pad Thai Noodle from August 2019; and a quick succession of Tan Lac Vien Express, Ana's Vietnamese Cuisine, and Miss Saigon 88 between 2012 and 2018.

Lawrenceville's Pusadee's Garden reopens on January 5; in-person dining by reservation only.

by Hal B. Klein for Pittsburgh Magazine.

Pusadee's Garden in Lawrenceville has reopened as of yesterday and is taking in-person diners by online advance reservationo only. The restaurant closed at the end of 2017 for renovations and was originally scheduled to open on December 3, but delays related to COVID-19 pushed the opening back. It is located at 5319 Butler St. (map).

Asian grocery opens in Indiana, PA.

via owner (@por.rider)

Chai-yo, a Thai-owned Asian grocery, recently opened in Indiana, PA. It's located at 1830 Oakland Ave. (map), along with Bann Thai Restaurant, and both are owned by a former manager at Bangkok Balcony.

Pusadee's Garden finally coming (back) soon to Lawrenceville.

Pittsburgh Magazine's Hal B. Klein profiles Pusadee's Garden, which is finally coming back to Lawrenceville after nearly three years of renovations.

“There were times when I was starting to wonder if this was ever going to be finished,” says Johnson. “But, in reality, this was a six-year project in the making,” he adds, noting that the new Pusadee’s Garden is the fulfillment of a longstanding vision to bring homestyle Thai cuisine served in an elegant setting to Pittsburgh.

New Thai place "Street Noodles" now open in the South Side.

A new Thai restaurant, Street Noodles, is now open on the South Side after being permitted to open last month by the county health department. It is located at 1703 E. Carson St. (map), in the former location of Dancing Crab TOO, and is run by the Burmese couple behind the Golden Land Asian Cuisine that existed in Allison Park from 2017 until recently.

Nakama again voted best Japanese food in Pittsburgh by readers of Pittsburgh City-Paper. GetGo not named Best Sushi.

The results of the 2020 Pittsburgh City-Paper Readers' Poll were released today and Nakama was again voted as Best Japanese food in Pittsburgh. Sichuan Gourmet was voted Best Chinese, Bae-Bae's Kitchen Best Korean, Nicky's Thai Kitchen as Best Thai, The Slippery Mermaid as Best Sushi, and Tram's Kitchen as Best Vietnamese.

Chiang Mai Noodle now open in Oakland.

Chiang Mai Noodle has opened in North Oakland, located at 256 N. Craig Street (map) in what was most recently Pad Thai Noodle (and three Vietnamese restaurants in recent years).

Bangkok's Cathedral of Learning.

via @assumptionuniversity

An overhead shot of the Cathedral of Learning (อาสนวิหารแห่งการเรียนรู้) in Bangkok, a 159-meter landmark at Assumption University modeled after the original Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh. Wikipedia says the 2002 version is the fifth-tallest educational building in the world, one behind the first one, and the university website writes of it:

The 39-storey edifice, with 88 columns around its exterior, rose windows, ceiling paintings, magnificent stairway, though unconventional, echoes loftiness and grandeur of ancient and modern civilization. It is surrounded on all sides by ten fountains. It houses the hall of fame, the library, a computer centre and lab, the shopping plaza, etc.

Oakland's Spice Island Tea House to reopen for pick-up, from May 8.

After temporarily closing on March 21, Oakland's Spice Island Tea House will reopen for pick-up orders on May 8.

After a month’s hiatus we are offering take-outs again except this time it’s online only! It’ll be a limited hours and menu items so if you don’t see your favorite dish, worry not! We will be adding items as we get back into the groove in this crazy new world. Check out what we have on the website.

Orders can be placed online via their website.
Spice Island Tea House is located at 253 Atwood St. in Oakland (map).

Big plans for Pusadee's Garden.

Work has temporarily halted at the new space for Pusadee's Garden in Lawrenceville, though when it reopens the restaurant will nearly double in size. The popular Thai restaurant closed in 2017 for renovations, though signage is up at 5317 Butler St. and the original storefront at 5321, with an expanded outdoor dining area spanning the gap. NextPittsburgh wrote last month:

If you’ve taken a stroll through Lawrenceville lately, you’ve probably seen the sign and started salivating. Pusadee’s Garden is reopening this spring after sprucing up 5321 Butler St. The restaurant, known for its traditional Thai dishes — mmm, can’t you just taste the crab fried rice? — is also a feast for the eyes. Its patio is one of the prettiest in Pittsburgh.

It was named "Best Outdoor Dining" by the Pittsburgh City-Paper in 2017.

The Pitt News profiles Timothy Vong of Thai Gourmet and Thai Gourmet Express for its Silhouettes 2020 series.

by Thomas Yang.

The Pitt News, the student newspaper of the University of Pittsburgh, has profiled Timothy Vong of Bloomfield's Thai Gourmet restaurant and Oakland's Thai Gourmet Express food truck as part of this year's Silhouettes series.

“I try to create a friendly environment and give my customers a warm welcome,” Vong said, flashing the trademark grin he gives every customer he serves. “If I see a friendly, familiar face I come out and shake their hand. As for my students, I treat them and try and take care of them like they’re my own kids.”

Each morning, Tim and Vilivan head to Thai Gourmet — their Bloomfield restaurant the truck is named after — to prepare the day’s supply of food for the truck. Depending on the season, they serve 30 to 120 people per day.

“Fresh, fresh, fresh, everyday. People support us, so we want to provide that for them,” said Vong. “I’m very satisfied and happy to be involved in the Pitt community — to meet the new students in the fall and give them satisfaction.”

The 52-year-old Turtle Creek resident is very satisfied with the life he has now, though his journey to Pittsburgh and the restaurant industry he adores actually took several decades.

Vong compared his childhood years in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, to that of today’s average American kid — spent doing chores and playing soccer with friends. But following the Vietnam War, life became harder and more dangerous for his family. In 1979, his parents made the decision to flee the country with Vong and his five younger siblings to attempt to start a new life elsewhere.

Keeping track of restaurants staying open for take-out and delivery options.

I recently started a thread on Facebook to help track the Asian restaurants that will be staying open for take-out and delivery service amid the shutdown.




Consider checking the comments to see which Asian restaurants will stay open in a limited capacity over the next few weeks.

Pitt sends message to its student community about racism and xenophobia against Asian students.

Kenyon Bonner, the Vice Provost and Dean of Students at the University of Pittsburgh, sent an announcement to the Pitt student population yesterday about the coronavirus's potential impact on health and well-being. The message also included a message about curbing racism and xenophobia that has been directed against Asian-American and international students at Pitt:

In addition to our physical wellness, it is important that during this time we remain committed to our communal well-being. Pitt aims to be an inclusive community in which everyone feels like they belong and are valued. Disappointedly, some members of our community have used the coronavirus as a vehicle to spew hateful rhetoric targeted at some of our international, Asian American students, and people who are perceived to have been in contact with COVID-19. This type of treatment is wrong, insensitive, harmful, and contrary to the University’s values. Although this outbreak started in China, having Chinese ancestry – or any other ancestry – does not place a person at higher risk for this illness.

As you discuss the coronavirus, please keep a few considerations in mind:

• Memes and jokes often stem from offensive stereotypes
• Jokes about Asian connections to the coronavirus normalize racist and discriminatory behavior
• Fact-check information before sharing on social media. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) are credible resources
• Empathize with those who have contracted COVID-19 or whose friends or family may be at risk, rather than blaming them
• Read the WHO A Guide to Preventing and Addressing Social Stigma

Together, we can make our campus feel inclusive for everyone by treating each other with dignity and respect and sharing accurate information with our fellow community members.

Profiles of KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery.

Yesterday the Pittsburgh City-Paper profiled KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery, which opened in November in the space formerly occupied by Bangkok Balcony.

In early September, Norraset (Nor) and Rujira Nareedokmai closed their beloved Thai restaurant, Bangkok Balcony, after a 15-year run. But fans of the Squirrel Hill restaurant can rest easy: The Nareedokmais aren't going anywhere, just shifting their focus a little to the northeast. KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery is now open in Bangcok Balcony's former spot with a mix of Thao and Laotian cuisines.

Because the more than thousand-mile border shared between Laos and Thailand is so blurred — the regions have passed flavors for centuries — I expected the menu to be a jumble of dishes from both countries. But instead, it’s divided neatly in half, the Lao side full of noodle soups and sticky rice; Thai delivering curries and stir-fry noodles. The separation allows diners to see where the two cuisines diverge as well as where they connect. And for the devoted fans of Bangkok Balcony, the split makes it easy to find favorites that were carried over to KIIN.

Pittsburgh Magazine and NextPittsburgh also reviewed the new restaurant last fall.

Pittsburgh's 2020 Lunar New Year Parade through Squirrel Hill, March 1.

The 2020 Lunar New Year Parade is scheduled to move up Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill on Sunday, March 1. Initially scheduled for February 9, it was postponed to accommodate local community members' efforts in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. It will begin at 12:30 pm at Murray and Phillips Ave. (map) and move to Forbes Ave.

Pittsburgh's 2020 Lunar New Year Parade postponed until March 1.

The Organization of Chinese Americans - Pittsburgh has announced today's Lunar New Year Parade will be postponed until March 1, 11:00 am.

Lunar New Year Parade through Squirrel Hill, February 9.

via @Lunar New Year PGH.

The fifth annual Lunar New Year Parade in Pittsburgh will be held on Sunday, February 9, to welcome the Year of the Rat. It starts at 12:30 and runs up Murray Avenue from Phillips Ave. (map) to Forbes Ave.

Guest Chef Dinner with Chef Nor of KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery, January 23 in Hazelwood.

Community Kitchen Pittsburgh will host an evening with Chef Nor of KIIN Lao & Thai Eatery and Silk Elephant on January 23 as part of its regular Guest Chef Dinner series.