Third Thursdays

Ever wondered where the culinary elite get their ramen fix or if that new pho place down the street was worth trying? Or maybe you’d like to find out where the most authentic Indian place is?

A recent NY Times Magazine article explored the difference between Chinese food in the US and China, decrying that they were as different as night and day. The question of authenticity comes up time and time again when you start discussing the ethnic food scene in the US, leading to intense debates amongst foodies all over.

Join Third Thursdays this July as we explore these questions and more with panelists from both sides of the kitchen door. From the merits (and demerits) of authentic Asian cuisine to the elevation of Asian food to fine dining and the melting pot of fusion cooking, we’ll go through it all and see if grandma’s kim chee is really the best.

Panelists include:

• Dominic Ainza
  Mercury Appetizer Bar
• Joyce Guan
  Charles Chocolates
• Scott Hocker
  San Francisco Magazine
• Thy Tran
  KQED’s Bay Area Bites

About the Speakers:

Dominic Ainza, Chef

Mecury Appetizer Bar

Former Youth Counselor for Youth Program Director for two Asian community organizations, Dominic left non-profit to look for a career in the food industry and went to culinary school. With a former stint at Beltelnut, he became opening sous chef for the Pan Asian cuisine restaurant, Poleng. There he worked with the executive chef, to create a menu and help earn the restaurant Three Stars from the tough critic, Michel Bauer, as well as earning a Top 10 new restaurant and Top 100. He is currently working at both Poleng and Mercury Appetizer Bar, a small restaurant that he opened with his brother and some friends. There he tries to do big things in a small place. Mercury Appetizer Bar although only open for a few months, it has gained strong local paper recognition as well as an online presence. With a full bar and Pan Asian Small plates.

Thy Tran
Writer, Wandering Spoon

THY TRAN is a writer specializing in the history and culture of food. Trained as a professional chef, she gained experience cooking in the kitchens of restaurants, food magazines, newspapers, and cooking schools. Her features have appeared in The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle, and she contributes regularly to Bay Area Bites, KQED’s food blog. She received a grant from the International Association of Culinary Professionals to research ancient maritime trade routes that stretched from China through Southeast Asia and India to Africa, and her current project involves commerce, culture, and change in the cuisines of Asian immigrants. A past board member of the Kearny Street Workshop, Thy is currently the Community Services Chair for the San Francisco Professional Food Society. She resides near the center of San Francisco with four cast iron pans, herbs on her fire escape, and a Kelsey printing press. Learn more about her writing and travels at www.wanderingspoon.com.

Joyce Guan
Sales & Marketing Manager, Charles Chocolates

Joyce is responsible for sales and marketing for Emeryville-based Charles Chocolates, featured as Best of the Bay in San Francisco Magazine, East Bay Express, and the J Weekly, as well as Best of the West by Sunset Magazine. Prior to Charles Chocolates, Joyce managed marketing for the SF Asian American Film Festival. Joyce holds a B.A.
in Technology & Entrepreneurship from UC Berkeley.
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Scott Hocker
Associate Editor, San Francisco Magazine

Scott Hocker is associate editor at San Francisco magazine, where he covers food, drink, and nightlife. He has also written for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Oakland Tribune, and epicurious.com.