Mai Bach is the founder of Ooh Cha Cha, the first B Corp certified vegan restaurant in Taiwan. Mai grew up in Orange County, which has the biggest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. She shares her family’s story of how they fled the Vietnam War and settled in Orange County, and her journey of becoming a vegan.

Mayra Alvarado is the Deputy Chief of the Economic Section at the American Institute in Taiwan. Similar to Mai, she is also from the L.A. area and shares many similar memories of growing up there.

You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Welcome to the AIT Podcast, from the American Institute in Taiwan and Ghost Island Media.

We’re here to talk about everyone’s favorite topic: food. In each episode, we discuss – with a special guest – food from an American city. Season 1, we’re heading to Boston, New York, San Jose, Orange County, and New Orleans. Subscribe to The AIT Podcast, now on all your favorite podcast platforms.

Check out all five episodes on our show-site - https://aitpodcast.com/

Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes photos:
Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
American Institute in Taiwan | Facebook | Instagram

Co-Produced by the American Institute in Taiwan, Ghost Island Media, and American Spaces

Producer - Emily Y. Wu
Editor + Production Coordinator - Teresa Yen
Editing Assistant - Gerald Williams
Engineering Supervisor - Dino Lin
Graphics - Logan Dosher
Interns - Chloe Ramond, Mikey Redding

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jane Chen and Alex Denner are the co-founders of Empress Hot Sauce, a local brand working to bring Taiwanese flavors to the world. They spent several years in New York City and are big fans of the Big Apple. Jane and Alex share with us their favorite pizza shops, bagel bakeries, and other must-try food spots.

Pat Boland is an Economic Officer at the American Institute in Taiwan. He’s a big fan of hot sauce and New York City, so he’s eager to learn more from Jane and Alex. He also got try some of their hot sauces on New York Style Pizzas.

You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Welcome to the AIT Podcast, from the American Institute in Taiwan and Ghost Island Media.

We’re here to talk about everyone’s favorite topic: food. In each episode, we discuss – with a special guest – food from an American city. Season 1, we’re heading to Boston, New York, San Jose, Orange County, and New Orleans. Subscribe to The AIT Podcast, now on all your favorite podcast platforms.

Check out all five episodes on our show-site - https://aitpodcast.com/

Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes photos:
Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
American Institute in Taiwan | Facebook | Instagram

Co-Produced by the American Institute in Taiwan, Ghost Island Media, and American Spaces

Producer - Emily Y. Wu
Editor + Production Coordinator - Teresa Yen
Editing Assistant - Gerald Williams
Engineering Supervisor - Dino Lin
Graphics - Logan Dosher
Interns - Chloe Ramond, Mikey Redding

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dennis Nieh (聶雲) is a household name here in Taiwan. He’s a famous TV and radio host and owns a food brand. But Dennis actually grew up in San Jose, California. He talks to us about his memories of fishing with his father, great seafood places in the Bay Area, and the beginnings of Silicon Valley.

Kevin Kallmyer is a Political Officer at AIT. Even though he’s from the East Coast, he shares Dennis’ love for fishing. He’s never been to San Jose, so he’s excited to hear Dennis talk about the city and offer some tips on where to go for his visit.

You can find the transcript for this episode here.

Welcome to the AIT Podcast, from the American Institute in Taiwan and Ghost Island Media.

We’re here to talk about everyone’s favorite topic: food. In each episode, we discuss – with a special guest – food from an American city. Season 1, we’re heading to Boston, New York, San Jose, Orange County, and New Orleans. Subscribe to The AIT Podcast, now on all your favorite podcast platforms.

Check out all five episodes on our show-site - https://aitpodcast.com/

Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes photos:
Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
American Institute in Taiwan | Facebook | Instagram

Co-Produced by the American Institute in Taiwan, Ghost Island Media, and American Spaces

Producer - Emily Y. Wu
Editor + Production Coordinator - Teresa Yen
Editing Assistant - Gerald Williams
Engineering Supervisor - Dino Lin
Graphics - Logan Dosher
Interns - Chloe Ramond, Mikey Redding

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.