Crazy Rich Asians, free at outdoor drive-ins in Allegheny County parks in August and September.

The movie Crazy Rich Asians will play outdoors in South Park on August 28 and at Hartwood Acres on September 4" as part of the county's "Drive-In Date Night" series of films that are free and open to the public. (This is two weeks later than originally announced by the county.) A summary of the film, from the distributor:

"Crazy Rich Asians” follows native New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. It turns out that he is not only the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being on Nick’s arm puts a target on Rachel’s back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick’s own disapproving mother (Michelle Yeoh) taking aim. And it soon becomes clear that while money can’t buy love, it can definitely complicate things.

Gates open at 7:00 pm and the movies start at dusk. Spaces are first-come first-served, and the gates will close once the parking lots are full.

2019 Vietnamese martial arts film Furie (Hai Phượng), online with Row House Cinema July 10.

The Row House Cinema will present the 2019 Vietnamese martial arts film Furie (Hai Phượng) online on July 10. A synopsis, from the distributor:

When a little girl is kidnapped by a trafficking ring, they soon find they messed with the wrong child. Her mother, a notorious former gang leader (Veronica Ngo, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI), is close on their trail and will go to any lengths to bring her child home.

It starts at 9:15 pm and tickets are available online.

New Fuku Tea location on Craig St. opening July 6.

The new Fuku Tea location on Craig St. in Oakland will be open from July 6. It is located at 300 Craig St. (map) in what was formerly Razzy Fresh. It is the neighborhood's second Fuku Tea; the original opened at the corner of Forbes and Oakland Aves. in 2015

More delivery options for Asian restaurants, groceries, potentially on the way to Pittsburgh.

There have been a few job postings in Pittsburgh recently for places like Just Order Enterprises (饭团) and Chowbus, two companies that specialize in delivery services for Asian restaurants and groceries in other cities. Just Order Enterprises is another name for Fantuan, founded in Canada in 2014 as

one of the top Asian life-services platforms in North America, currently operating across Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York and other metropolitan areas in Canada and the US.

Chowbus was started in Chicago in 2016 as

a food delivery platform providing high quality, authentic Asian food to its customers in North America

and currently operates in 19 US cities including Ann Arbor, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

Both are currently hiring for positions in Pittsburgh: Just Order Enterprises for a Chinese-speaking City Manager, and Chowbus for a General Manager - Pittsburgh (Chinese Speaking).

I've heard talk for a while about more third-party delivery services coming that would service Asian groceries and restaurants here, but nothing specific. Pittsburgh did briefly have WholeChi (豪吃匹兹堡) circa 2014, which provided home delivery options for local Asian groceries, though the service no longer exists. Neither Fantuan or Chowbus have made public a timetable for any potential expansion to Pittsburgh.

2019 documentary Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly (online) at Row House Cinema, from July 10.

via @YoursTrulyDoc.

The 2019 documentary Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly will play online via Row House Online from July 10. A synopsis from the official site:

Following Ai Weiwei’s detention at the hands of the Chinese authorities, the outspoken artist and activist transformed the former island penitentiary of Alcatraz into an artistic platform. The resulting exhibition engaged nearly 900,000 visitors in a conversation about the plight of prisoners of conscience around the world..

Ticket information will be coming soon. The single-screen Row House Cinema is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map), though it has been screening movies exclusively online during the pandemic.

July Book Club: See You Again in Pyongyang by Travis Jeppesen with Maridon Museum, July 30.

Butler County's Maridon Museum will read and discuss See You Again in Pyongyang by Travis Jeppesen in its July Book Club meeting on July 30. From a 2018 Los Angeles Times review:

What makes “See You Again in Pyongyang” worth reading is the tension between the bold explorer and the impenetrable country, the feeling of frustration in the face of lies and exclusion and petrified resistance. Jeppesen may get as deep as Pyongyang will allow, at least to an American. That might not make him an expert, but it gives him more cred than most of us: he went, and chances are, we never will.

The meetings will be held in person from 3:00 to 4:00 pm but will also have a Zoom component for people not comfortable gathering at this time. Those interested in registering should call 724-282-0123 or email info@maridon.org. The Maridon Museum is an Asian art museum in Butler County that holds frequent movie screenings, classes, and book club meetings, in addition to the art exhibitions that take place when there isn't a pandemic.

Applications for APALA Pittsburgh COVID-19 cash assistance available in English and Chinese (so far).

The Asian Pacific American Labor Association Pittsburgh branchhas opened applications for a COVID-19 cash assistance program for those unable to receive stimulus funds earlier in the year. Application information is available in English and Chinese.

Are you in financial stress because of COVID? Were you ineligible to receive the federal stimulus money? APALA Pittsburgh is taking applications for COVID-19 cash relief! Anyone in Southwestern PA who did not qualify for a federal COVID-19 Economic Impact Payment earlier this year is eligible to apply.

Apply online: http://bit.ly/3ib891K

The application form is currently available in English and Simplified Chinese. We may be adding Vietnamese and Korea. Let us know if you need other language support.

If you have any questions, please DM us, text or leave a voicemail at 412-532-8517, or email apalapgh@gmail.com.

New Hot Pot place to occupy Mr. Egg's Kitchen spot in Squirrel Hill.

Mr. Egg's Kitchen was a noodle place under construction on Murray Ave. from March 2017 until May or June of this year, and though it was permitted to open last month by the county health department it never officially did (I did notice diners there for a lunch in mid-June). Work, however, progresses on a hot pot and juice place that will occupy both Mr. Egg's Kitchen at 2103 Murray Ave. (map) and also the neighboring 2101. The former storefront was most recently Sree's Foods.

Bubble tea chain 朝茶 TSAOCAA to soft open its first Pittsburgh location July 3.

Taiwanese bubble tea chain 朝茶 TSAOCAA will be opening its first Pittsburgh location in Squirrel Hill on July 3rd, a few days later than originally announced. It will be located at 5871 Forbes Ave. (map), most recently home to Kidz and Company. According to building permits the future occupants also run the New China House in Monroeville.

Consumer alert for Oriental Market.

Oriental Market, an Asian grocery on McKnight Road (map), was hit with a consumer alert by the Allegheny County Health Department on the 25th. The full report is available online; an excerpt on Food Source / Condition:

*HIGH RISK*** -Eight crates of sliced fish sitting directly outdoors under no protection in parking lot next to hillside in parking lot. Flies observed on the fish carcasses. Fish was set out to be dried. Finished fish product was observed in the second to left reach-in cooler. All were discarded and denatured on site. When inspector requested all fish be discarded, operator was hesitant and placed only a portion of fish in the dumpster and concealed rest of the fish from inspectors in the walk-in cooler. Eventually discarded. REPEAT VIOLATION REPEAT VIOLATION

-Drying or curing of meats without a HACCP plan or standard operating procedures. REPEAT VIOLATION.