LA's Taipei Night features Taiwanese dishes and pop culture

Three female professors look at immigration and love through art and culture

Oct. 13, 2022 13:33

The art and cultural event Taipei Night took place atUSC Pacific Asia Museum.(Taiwan News, Venice Tang photo)

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TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A popular cultural gathering, Taipei Night, featuring art, film, and fine Taiwanese foods, took place at USC Pacific Asia Museum, Los Angeles, on Saturday (Oct. 8).

Curated by USC Roski School of Art Professor Jenny Lin, the event rolled out an array of activities that explored culture, self-identity, and the diasporic experience. It included a movie screening and filmmaking workshop, accompanied by delicious Taiwanese night market foods and mandopop.

The two-hour event was fully booked in advance and attracted over 100 people, per the organizer. "We even needed a waiting list. Food ran out and the line was so long that it went around the museum."

Directed by Occidental College Professor Vivian Lin, the featured film, “With Love From Taiwan” made its debut screening in the U.S. It looks at immigration and love through five short stories.

The immigration-themed modern art prints, created by University of Oregon Professor Charlene Liu, were on display as well as free giveaways. Lin was born in Kaohsiung and her work has been showcased at the MOMA museum.

Also on Saturday, the L.A.-based restaurant Pine and Crane, specializing in Taiwanese cuisine, served shrimp wontons, veggie potstickers, dan dan noodles, and bao buns in the outdoor yard of the museum. Fresh fruit tea and black milk tea with boba were on the drinks list.

Pine and Crane’s menu and decorations are all Taiwan-inspired. Notably, the wanton recipe was passed down by the restaurant owner, Vivian Ku’s grandmother.

Ku’s family is originally from Bakersfield, California, and targets making Taiwanese food more accessible. It now has three branches in Los Angeles County and customers can enjoy Taiwanese-style breakfast only at “Pine and Crane Downtown Los Angeles.”

Taipei Night's participating artists, Charlene Liu, Vivian Lin, and curator Jenny Lin. (Taiwan News, Venice Tang photo)