Pepper Space coming soon to Oakland, replacing Orient Express.

Signage is up for Pepper Space, coming soon to Oakland in the spot long occupied by Orient Express. Orient Express, near the intersection of S. Craig St. and Forbes Ave., closed in May after 19 years of business. Though menu information is not yet available, if the logo is any preview it looks to promise some of the spicy Chinese cuisine that has grown in popularity in parts of Oakland and neighboring Squirrel Hill over the last decade. Pepper Space will be located at 4609 Forbes Ave. (map).

Japanese films Paprika (パプリカ), Dreams (夢) at Row House Lawrenceville from August 9.

Two Japanese films, 2006's Paprika (パプリカ) and the 1990 Akira Kurosawa movie Dreams (夢), will help comprise the Row House Dream Journal film series from August 9. The animated film Paprika runs from August 9 through 15:

Satoshi Kon’s anime thriller stars a young dream detective named Paprika, who must stop terrorists from using a stolen machine that allows therapists to enter their patients' dreams. The reality and dreams blur, and chaos breaks out in a not-so-far-off future.

Dreams plays the 10th and the 12th through the 15th:

Enter the dreams of Japan’s greatest directors in this deeply personal work. He explores the cost of war, the perils of nuclear power, and humankind’s need to harmonize with nature over the course of eight episodes rich in imagery and insight.

Tickets are available online. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Pho51 Cafe opens in Brentwood, another Vietnamese restaurant from team behind Saigon88 Express, Pho Saigon Cafe, and Pho Kim 88.

Pho51 Cafe opened last month in Brentwood in the South Hills. The restaurant, which has been in the works since last fall, features pho, bunbohue, spring rolls, and bobble tea, with an assortment of other Asian dishes and appetizers. It is run by the same ownership of Saigon88 Express in Robinson and Pho Saigon Cafe in Bethel Park, both of which have opened in the last five years, and Castle Shannon's Pho Kim 88, which opened in 2006.

Oakland's TW Kitchen to close; a second Norheastern Kitchen to take its spot.

TW Kitchen, a Taiwanese (primarily) take-out restaurant, announced on social media last night that it will close, its owners set to enjoy retirement. TW Kitchen opened in March 2019 on North Craig St. in North Oakland. It will be replaced by another spot called Northeastern Kitchen, which already operates a is independent from the spot in Squirrel Hill with the same name. Here is the announcement, from their Facebook:

【中文版在下面】

Dearest customers,

After 5 years of business, we are regretfully announcing the closure of TW Kitchen. We have been running restaurants in Pittsburgh for nearly 30 years now, and after these many years of hard work, we are looking forward to the calm of retirement. It has been a great pleasure to serve the residents of Oakland our authentic Taiwanese food, and we humbly thank all of you for your patronage.

A new restaurant, Northeastern Kitchen, will be coming soon later this month, specializing in dishes and dumplings from Northeastern China! Please give them your love and support. If you purchased a prepaid card from us, you can continue to use it at Northeastern Kitchen!

With deep appreciation,
Stephen and Jenny Chow

親愛的顧客，

經過這5年的營業，我們台味厨坊已於7月31日結束營業。我們總共在匹兹堡經營餐館接近30年，經過這些年的辛苦工作，我們決定退休過平靜的日子。非常榮幸這些年服務奧克蘭地區所有喜愛台灣料理的顧客們。非常感謝各位的支持與惠顧。

接下來【東北厨房】將繼續在這個地點服務各位，他們專精中國東北菜色，包括水餃，包子等等，請繼續給與他們支持。如果你有買我們的預付卡，也可在【東北厨房】繼續使用！

非常感謝各位，
Stephen and Jenny Chow

Asian Car Show with Pittsburgh Kyūsha and Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania at Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, August 3 and 4.

Pittsburgh Kyūsha and Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania will present classic Japanese cars and cultural activities at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix's Asian Car Show, part of the annual International Car Show, on August 3 and 4. From the Japanese Association of Greater Pittsburgh's mailing list:

This weekend, August 3rd (Sat) to 4th (Sun), the ' Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix International Car show' will be held at Schenley Park. The Japanese car enthusiasts group, Pittsburgh Kyusha, will have a booth!

They will be showcasing Japanese cars from the 1980s and 90s that were sold in the Japanese market, as well as "Itasha" cars. If you are interested, please visit their booth. For the location, please check the map at the bottom of the following page. It seems that Gate D is the closest: https://pittsburghkyusha.org/pvgp

Additionally, at the same booth, the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania will be hosting a Japanese cultural experience corner featuring water balloons, among other activities. This will be held from 9:30 AM to around 3:00 PM on both days.

The annual Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix takes place at Schenley Golf Course in Squirrel Hill (map). There is typically an entrance fee for visitors who wish to walk around the course.

"Creating with Context: East Asian Printing and Bookbinding," September 17 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's University Library System will present "Creating with Context: East Asian Printing and Bookbinding" on September 17.

Discover the fascinating world of East Asian print culture in this hands-on workshop! Participants will explore traditional printing techniques used in China and Japan, from ancient woodblock printing to various book binding formats, some of them dating back to the 14th century! We will start by traveling back in time to examine rare prints and books from Archives & Special Collections at the University of Pittsburgh Library System, curated by Runxiao Zhu, Head of the East Asian Library, and Hiroyuki Good, Japanese Studies Librarian. The workshop will conclude with a hands-on activity where you'll create your own block print or mini book in the Text & conText Lab.

Curious to learn more about this topic? Check out the East Asian Print Culture exhibit on display in the Archives & Special Collections Gallery on Hillman Library’s 3rd Floor on display Fall-Spring 2024!

It runs from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in room 320 on the third floor and is free and open to both the Pitt community and the public. Registration is required and can be completed online. Hillman Library is located at in Oakland (map).

2024 film Didi (弟弟) in Pittsburgh, from August 8.

The 2024 film Didi (弟弟) will play in Pittsburgh from August 8.

In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy learns what his family can’t teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and select dates at the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill, and tickets are available online.

2008 Hayao Miyazaki film Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ) in Pittsburgh, from August 3.

The 2008 Hayao Miyazaki film Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ) will play in Pittsburgh from August 3 through 7, part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2024.

From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a heartwarming family adventure. When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.

It plays locally at most Pittsburgh-area theaters, and tickets are available online. Please note, some shows are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

Korean-American singer-songwriter eaJ in Pittsburgh, November 7.

The Argentinia-born Korean-American singer-songwriter eaJ will perform in Pittsburgh on November 7, part of his When The Rain Stopped Following Me world tour. He will perform at the Crafthouse Stage and Grill in the South Hills (map). Tickets will be available to the public from 10:00 am EST on July 31.

New Thai place Breakfast With Tiffany coming soon to Fox Chapel.

A banner has gone up at 1034 Freeport Road in Fox Chapel (map), where Breakfast With Tiffany will be coming soon. It is next in a long line of Thai places in this spot, and replaces The98 Contemporary Thai Cuisine, which occupied the location for a few months in 2023. It is from the same head chef as Squirrel Hill's Took Took 98, who also ran The98.