The As I Am podcast
Episode 26: Food and Authenticity
This episode features a chat about the obsession with authenticity that many Asian people hold as it pertains to food, particularly Asian food. We discuss the relevance of authenticity, the reasons why we've tried to gatekeep "traditional" food in the past, as well as the importance of not allowing authenticity to be a barrier to innovation and creativity. This is an episode where we tried very hard to take the logical path, however the discussion highlights that we still have much to learn in terms of navigating this complex issue.
Episode 23: Scoopy
Tesia Tran and Angelo Labrador are 2 of 4 founders behind Scoopy Milk Bar. In this episode, we speak about the transition from their humble beginnings testing out bingsu recipes in their own kitchen, all the way to becoming a household name in the Melbourne food scene. Angelo and Tesia also speak about how the business launched in the midst of a perfect storm, the diversity of Asian influences they draw from, as well as their desire to build an Asian-Australian foodie community.
Episode 20: Mr Yum
Our first post-hiatus episode features a sit down with Co-Founder and CEO of Mr Yum, Kim Teo. Mr Yum is a start up focussed on showing beautiful mobile menus married with the ability to order and pay through a QR code. QR codes have become integral with everyday life during the era of COVID-19, and there aren’t many more recognisable than Mr Yum. We chat with Kim about her experiences navigating the tech startup scene, and her key motivations in paving a new narrative on gender norms for the Asian identity.
Episode 18: Naked Asian Grocer
Global warming, environmental degradation and sustainability are amongst the key challenges of the 21st century. Yet, the magnitude of these problems can make tackling them seem daunting and unapproachable. We sit down with Brian and Jian, the co-founders of Naked Asian Grocer - Australia’s first zero waste Asian grocer - to chat through their founder journey, as well as how people can implement sustainable practices in their lives through small progressive changes.