Sarku Japan, katakana, South Hills Village.

Nakama voted best Japanese restaurant again by Pittsburgh Magazine readers.

Pittsburgh Magazine announced the winners of Best Restaurants 2014 readers' poll today, and Nakama was voted the best in the Japanese / Sushi category. The Southside's Little Tokyo Bistro and Shadyside's Umi finished second and third, respectively. Umi was also included on the list of best restaurants, as decided by the magazine's editors. Nakama was also voted the best Japanese restaurant by readers of the Pittsburgh City-Paper in 2013 (and in 2008, 2009, and 2011).

These three are in highly visible locations, and Nakama routinely places first in these sorts of polls (most recently in 2012 and 2013). Restaurants most liked by local Japanese and by fans of authentic Japanese cuisine---restaurants like Chaya, Kiku, and Kyoto Teppanyaki---rarely earn spots on readers' "best of" polls.

Sesame Inn was voted first in the Best Chinese category and Everyday Noodles, which opened in February 2013 in Squirrel Hill, was also named to the magazine's Best Restaurants 2014 list. Nicky's Thai Kitchen was voted Best Thai place, and made the editors' list as well.

University of Pittsburgh alumnus named director of Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute.

Inwoo Han (한인우) was named director of the Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute on Thursday, May 22. Han, a graduate of Seoul National University, earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Pitt in 1989, and titled his dissertation "The Study of the Multichannel Astrometric Photometer". He will assume the position from the 24th and hold it for three years, writes Asia Gyeongje.

More sweets at Sumi's.

Recent sign outside Sumi's Cakery, a Korean bakery in Squirrel Hill (map), advertising two new ice cream flavors. Stay tuned for patbingsu, too. Sumi's Cakery was recently named the Best Bakery by Carnegie Mellon University's C-Book, and it announced last week that it will soon offer Bubble Tea.

Where Asians live in Allegheny County.

Over the weekend the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted a map online, "Where Immigrants Live in the City", that shows approximately where immigrants have settled locally. The highest concentration of dark-orange dots---representing East Asians---is, predictably, in Oakland, Shadyside, and East Liberty. The P-G map also shows a high concentration in Blawnox, though the area is closer to Fox Chapel in real life. The source is the American Community Survey 2012, compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau.

An article, "Pittsburgh's economy has gained from high-skilled immigrants", accompanied the map, and looked at Pittsburgh's "new immigrants" in general and at one bicultural Asian family in particular. It covered local Asian population trends, too:

Despite our somewhat one-sided immigration, the statistics show some interesting trends.

In 1980, Asians made up about 10 percent of the Pittsburgh region's foreign-born population. By 2010, they constituted 45 percent of them.

In Allegheny County, the two biggest Asian groups, as in many other parts of the U.S., are the Indians and the Chinese. As of 2010, the county had nearly 5,600 Chinese residents, which was 14 times greater than in 1980.

That's up from 270 Chinese in 1900.

In 2012, the New York Times mapped the 2010 census, and showed a similar distribution. Census Tract 4, in North Oakland around the intersection of North Craig St. and Fifth Ave., had a population comprised of 31% Asian. Asians were the second-largest group in most of Oakland, Squirrel Hill North, and Shadyside.

Return of the Street Fighter (殺人拳２) at Hollywood Theater, May 28.

The 1974 Japanese martial arts film Return of the Street Fighter (殺人拳２) will play at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont on May 28. A review on Love HK Film calls it an

[a]musing follow-up to the previous year's Street Fighter. Thin on plot, but long on sick comic action, Return of the Street Fighter is a definite guilty pleasure.

Of the first film in the trilogy, Wikipedia tells us it was "the first film to receive an X-rating in the United States solely for violence"

The movie starts at 7:30 pm and tickets are $5. The theater is located at 1449 Potomac Ave., one block south of Potomac Station.

Squirrel Hill's Cool Ice Taipei closes, to be replaced by Thai restaurant.

Old news from last week, but Squirrel Hill's Cool Ice Taipei has recently closed at 5813 Forbes Ave., and will be replaced by Sukhothai Bistro, a Thai restaurant. It may be a familiar name to Pittsburghers: there used to be one in Oakland on Semple St., and ages ago there was a Sukhothai downtown.

Sukhothai Bistro will join Bangkok Balcony, Silk Elephant, Sun Penang, and Curry on Murray as the neighborhood's fifth Thai restaurant.

Free Japanese class at Carnegie Library East Liberty begins May 21.

The Carnegie Library branch in East Liberty periodically offers free Japanese classes, and the latest session will begin on May 21.

Learn Japanese in a fun and friendly environment. All ages and levels are welcome.

The class runs from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, and the library is located at 130 S. Whitfield Street, about four blocks northwest of Whole Foods.

The Oakland branch still offers several free Japanese classes: Japanese For Beginners on the second and fourth Mondays of each month (next is June 9); Japanese II for high-beginners and intermediate learners on the second and fourth Tuesdays; and a Japanese conversation club for intermediate and advanced learners, also on the second and fourth Tuesday. Visit the library's event page and search "Japanese" (or Korean, or Chinese) for more information.

Pittsburgh Bonsai Society 33rd annual Bonsai Show, June 7 and 8.

The 33rd annual Bonsai Show will be held at Phipps Garden Center in Shadyside (map) on June 7 and 8. It's presented by the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society and is free and open to the public from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday the 7th, and from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on the 8th.

Pink Box, an "Asian-European fusion bakery", coming to Squirrel Hill.

Signage went up today for "Pink Box," what the owners call an Asian-European fusion bakery at 2104 Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill (map). Situated next to Crazy Mocha in the old Chaya location that's been empty for years, it's across the street from a Korean bakery (Sumi's Cakery), up the hill from a Taiwanese bakery (Bubble Pi), and down the street from two others.


The facade on Tuesday (left), and the facade on Thursday with the new signage.