Dozens of community members gathered Saturday, Aug. 29, for AAJA-LA’s “Taste and Tell: AAPI Food Pioneers, Journalism and Community” event. The panel, moderated by FOX 11 anchor Susan Hirasuna, featured three iconic family food business owners discussing their personal journeys and the legacies they hope to leave behind. Brian Kito of Fugetsu-Do, Kathy Chan Ceppi of Phoenix Bakery, and Wing Lam of Wahoo’s Fish Taco sat down for an hourlong conversation at the Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo.
Topics of conversation included growing challenges to small businesses, the preservation of culture through food, and whether or not Fugetsu-Do can truly claim to have invented the fortune cookie.
When asked about her evolving Chinatown neighborhood, Ceppi, a second-generation owner, hailed new development in the area, saying that it would help increase business.
“You have to give them a reason to come back,” Ceppi said, adding that she salutes the young people who put in the effort and have the skills to open new shops in today’s economic climate.
Lam echoed a similar sentiment regarding the difficulty of operating in food service today, noting that the cost of labor and supplies has increased significantly in the last few decades.
After the panel, attendees queued up to enjoy fish tacos from Wahoo’s, Fugetsu-Do’s mochigashi, and almond cookies and strawberry cake from Phoenix Bakery.
The event was organized by AAJA-LA advisory board members Teresa Watanabe and Gita Amar and AAJA national advisory board representative Anh Do.
— Ananya Thyagarajan, AAJA-LA member and 2026 Gregory Yuen Yee Training Grant recipient
Photo credits: Rubaina Azhar and Zayd Andre