15 Asian restaurants and eateries coming soon, or even not quite so soon, to Pittsburgh.

via @kpotbbqandhotpot

Pittsburgh has a ton of Asian restaurants and eateries in the works, from national Korean bakery chains and quick service Vietnamese restaurants to several hot pot and Korean BBQ places. There are event two Asian food courts in the works that may be open by year's end. What is interesting about this recent rush is the number of chains that are finally noticing Pittsburgh. National and international chains have tended to avoid Pittsburgh, until 朝茶 TSAOCAA opened in 2020 and New York-based Chinese fast food chain 98K Hamburger moved in next door in 2021. While some people may be turned off by chains, fearing , on the contrary I think their arrival is evidence of how much Pittsburgh's food scene has grown. Hell, it wasn't that long ago the only ramen place around was in Morgantown.

Here's a recap of 15 Asian restaurants and eateries coming to Pittsburgh in the near, or the not-so-near, future.

2023 Chinese animated movie Warrior King (雪域少年) in Pittsburgh, August 25 and 26.

The 2023 Chinese animated movie Warrior King (雪域少年) will play in Pittsburgh August 25 and 26.

In this epic true story inspired by the legend of King Gesar, a young man grows up in exile in a world overrun by demons and monsters. When evil forces threaten his home, he returns to save his people and embrace his destiny as great hero and ruler.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available onilne.

2003 Korean film Oldboy (올드보이) in Pittsburgh two extra days, August 25 and 26, to mark movie's 20th anniversary.

The 2003 Korean film Oldboy (올드보이), which has been playing in Pittsburgh since August 16th to mark its 20th anniversary, will be here an additional two days, on August 25 and 26. A synopsis from the distributor:

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Park Chan-Wook’s cinematic masterpiece, Oldboy will be released in theaters, restored and remastered in stunning 4K. After being mysteriously kidnapped and imprisoned with no human contact for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik) is suddenly released without any explanation. In a twisted game of cat and mouse, he has only five days to retrace his past, track down his captors, and get his revenge.

It will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Porco Rosso (紅の豚), The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ) in Pittsburgh, August 20 - 23.

The 1992 Japanese animated film Porco Rosso (紅の豚) and the 2014 film The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters on alternating days, August 20 - 23, as part of this year's Ghiblifest. The distributor summarizes Porco Rosso, which plays here August 20 and 22.

From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a dazzling aerial adventure set in and above the scenic port towns of the Adriatic Sea.

“Porco Rosso” is a world-weary flying ace-turned-bounty-hunter, whose face has been transformed into that of a pig by a mysterious spell. When he infuriates a band of sky pirates with his heroics, the pirates hire Curtis, a hotshot American rival, to get rid of him. But with the help of the teenage girl Fio, an aspiring airplane designer, and a sultry lounge singer named Gina, Porco takes to the skies for what may be his final high-flying showdown.

And The Wind Rises, which plays on August 21 and 23.

The newest masterpiece from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) comes a spellbinding movie beyond compare.

Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni. Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, he becomes one of the world’s most accomplished airplane designers, experiencing key historical events in an epic tale of love, perseverance and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world.

The films play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, Waterworks Cinema, Phoenix Theater in Bridgeville, and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online; be aware that some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival, September 30.

The Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival will be returning this year to North Park Lake (map) on September 30. From the organizers' press release:

Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Team is hosting a dragon boat festival on Saturday, September 30, 2023, from 8:30am-3:30 pm at North Park Lake Boathouse. REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Now in its fifth year, this vibrant event at North Park Lake brings together the exciting sport of dragon boat racing, entertainment, food, and fun family activities!

At this year’s festival, community, youth, competitive, para-paddlers, all cancer survivors, and breast cancer survivor teams will compete in spirited races at beautiful North Park. Anyone can learn how to paddle a dragon boat. Interested individuals can form a team by gathering 20-24 of their friends, family and co-workers. Every team will get a one-hour lesson/practice the week before the race and all equipment will be supplied. Register online at https://www.pghdragonboatfestival.org/, by no later than September 16, 2023. Paddlers must be 12 years of age and older.

In addition to the dragon boat races, there will be cultural performances, family-friendly activities, vendors and food trucks.

Japanese band Boris (ボリス) returns to Pittsburgh, September 15, with Melvins.

Japanese rock band Boris (ボリス) will perform at the Roxian Theatre on September 15, sharing the bill with Melvins. They've played in Pittsburgh several times before, most recently last fall, and tickets are available online. Roxian Theatre is located at 425 Chartiers Ave. in McKees Rocks (map).

Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette coming soon to Pittsburgh.

via @parisbaguetteus

Shortly after this summer's news of Pittsburgh getting its first Tous Les Jours (뜌레쥬르) is word that another Korean bakery chain, Paris Baguette, is coming to the North Hills. It will be located at The Block Northway, a shopping center in Ross Township (map).

Paris Baguette is a chain of bakeries ubiquitous throughout South Korea that has over 150 locations across the United States. The menu boasts a wide variety of cakes, baked goods, sandwiches, juices, and coffees, in addition its eponymous French bread. It has several spots in Philadelphia already, with a location in Youngstown also listed as "coming soon."

Estelle Z at Lounge at the Greer Cabaret Theater, August 24.

Estelle Z will perform at the Lounge at the Greer Cabaret Theater on August 24.

Estelle Z is a musician and performer of cover songs. She grew up listening to bedroom pop before it had a name, and resonates with some version of every sad girl with a ukulele on YouTube. She'll put an indie acoustic spin on any song she can get her hands on.

The concert starts at 5:30 pm and is free, but registration is required. The Greer Cabaret Theater is located at 655 Penn Ave. in downtown's Cultural District (map).

Food delivery service Hungry Panda hiring Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for Pittsburgh area.

Hungry Panda is hiring a Mandarin-speaking Business Development Specialist for the Pittsburgh area. As PennsylvAsia noted in Summer 2020, more Chinese delivery options, like Fantuan, Hungry Panda, and Chowbus, have made their way to Pittsburgh, with Fantuan and Hungry Panda the two most prominent in the city.

Main Duties and Responsibilities：

• Acquire merchants and assist them in achieving higher orders and GMV (Gross merchandise volume), Responsible for the Sales revenue and market share.
• Arrange in-person meetings to negotiate contracts with potential merchants
• Maintain existing relationships with cooperating merchants, coordinate and resolve issues with various stakeholders, continuously improve merchant satisfaction and merchant service quality, and ensure fluent business operations
• Conduct regular merchant visits, apply for/replace merchant material for merchants.
• Ensure the timely and successful delivery of our solutions according to customer needs and objectives
• Maintain and constantly update backstage setting for each merchant in charge
• Liaising with Marketing, and Delivery Operation to align strategies aimed at increasing Gross merchandise volume

Zen Ramen & Poke now open in Waterworks Mall.

"Grand Opening" signage is now up at Zen Ramen & Poke in the Waterworks Mall in Fox Chapel (map), and the restaurant is now open in the spot next to Ichiban Steakhouse that was formerly occupied by Italian Village Pizza. The menu includes items like chicken katsu curry rice, karaage, takoyaki, and a selection of Chinese-American dishes and other Japanese appetizers and desserts, in addition to ramen and poké bowls. The owner also runs Zen's Noodle House in Oakland.

Signage first went up for the new restaurant back in May. It is located somewhat close to the Pittsburgh Japanese School that brings together dozens of families in Fox Chapel most Sundays of the year, so has the potential to do well in spite of the painful road construction completely surrounding the shopping center.