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Feeding the American dream with their Asian heritage Six Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses that have flourished despite the odds
Photographed For The Washington Post Photo Editor: Monique Woo These days, it’s common to see a sushi joint on the same street as a McDonald’s. In the past century, Asian American and Pacific Islanders have transformed the American palate. Yet many of these businesses face steeper financial hardships because of the pandemic, economic uncertainty and rising anti-Asian hate.
“They suffered tremendously,” said Min Zhou, director of the Asia Pacific Center at UCLA.
Traditionally, many Asian American and Pacific Islanders found work in restaurants because they faced discrimination in other fields. “That was the only thing that they could do,” said Justin T. Huang, a University of Michigan professor of marketing whose research on anti-Asian racism in the pandemic found that Asian restaurants’ revenue declined more than others. While just 7 percent of Americans identify as Asian, the Pew Research Center recently reported that 12 percent of the country’s restaurants serve Asian food.
A new generation is looking to do more than just survive, said Huang, who added that his grandfather’s work in a restaurant enabled his dad to be a physicist and him to become a professor. “They have a message” to offer, “and they want to now express themselves through food.”
From the oldest tofu enterprise in the nation, to a Filipino fusion food cart that just opened in March, The Washington Post focused during this Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on six businesses defying the odds, passing down tradition and so much more.
An old photo of Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, from the early 2000s, is seen in Fairfax, VA, on Sunday, May 7, 2023.
Spicez
When Rani Soudagar first emigrated from Mumbai, in 1997 at the age of 20, she was open to “whatever it takes,” even if that meant cleaning bathrooms.
She became a masseuse and an esthetician, worked in yogurt and coffee shops, and decorated cakes for Baskin-Robbins. She navigated her way through several challenges, including being diagnosed with lupus and sleeping at a salon where she worked when she could not afford rent.
But thanks to a supportive son who always assured her that “everything is going to be good,” plus a stimulus check and a new understanding landlord, she was able to open her own business in 2020.
Spicez is a door to another world, tucked inside the second floor of a historic brick house in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. Hard-to-find spices in a rainbow of colors line the walls.
In addition to spices, Soudagar offers weekly takeaway meals, sweets, reiki, henna art and eyebrow threading. She also holds workshops at other locations like the Qatar Embassy and the Washington Printmakers Gallery.
“I just want to be known for giving what I know” to others, said the 46-year-old.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, blows a kiss to a young customer as they say goodbye in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, designed a henna tattoo with her spices in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, Owner of Spicez, a community Store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, poses for a portrait inside her shop in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 8, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, hugs her friend, Rachel, at the annual Georgetown French Market in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, sells spices at the annual Georgetown French Market in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, offers classes of making rotis and parathas, round flatbreads native to the Indian subcontinent, at the Washington Printmaker Gallery in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, does eyebrow threading for her first host mom, Neelam Toteja, whom she spent the first seven years in America with, at Toteja's home in Fairfax, VA, on Sunday, May 7, 2023
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, burns sage in her kitchen to relax in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Left: Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, offers classes of making rotis and parathas, round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent, at the Washington Printmaker Gallery in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29, 2023; Right: Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, makes Daal Takar, a type of lentil curry, for her clients in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 8, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, makes Indian food for her clients in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 8, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, chats with her son, Ansh Matharu Singh, 18, after a long day in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
An old picture of Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, and his mother, Dr. Zongming Li, Founder of the restaurant, traveling in Kunming (昆明), the capital city of Yunnan Province, China, is seen in Alexandria, VA on Thursday, May 4, 2023. Kunming (昆明) is Dr. Zongming Li's hometown.
Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House
Growing up, Shao Bruce struggled to find his identity as a Chinese American who did not speak Chinese well in predominantly White neighborhoods, so he found an outlet in sports. But when he tore his ACL in his junior high school year, it gutted him so hard, he started partying and then found an outlet in drugs, using them and selling them.
“I have had such a long, rocky, twisty, winding road of an adolescent life,” said the 32-year-old, who was repeatedly kicked out of different high schools and had his skull crushed in during a drug deal. “This restaurant is all a reflection of who I’ve really worked to become.”
Originally, his mom, Zongmin Li, had the idea for a restaurant after taking early retirement to take care of Bruce’s stepfather, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She really missed her hometown dish from the Yunnan province of China, mixian, a slippery, light rice noodle in a savory, spicy sauce.
But the family had no background in food service. Both of Bruce’s parents worked in economic development. His mother started apprenticing at another restaurant, while Bruce entered what he jokingly called “YouTube University.”
After opening in 2019, at first the family had “no clue what they were doing,” said Bruce. They had to learn how to keep food fresh and find dependable workers. They ended up going to the local high school for help. At the start of the pandemic and the rise of anti-Asian hate, someone yelled at his mother to “go back to your country.”
But just as how his parents stayed loyal to his needs, Bruce did the same when taking over the restaurant in 2020 with his staff. Many of those same high-schoolers still work there. And Bruce plans to move to a bigger location next year. “Everything is possible because of my parents,” said Bruce.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, and his wife, Grace, laugh with their friends and staffers during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, poses for a portrait with his mother, Dr. Zongming Li, Founder of the restaurant, in Alexandria, VA, on Thursday, May 4, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, lines up plates and glasses on each table in the morning as he prepares to open the restaurant in Alexandria, VA, on Friday, May 5, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, takes photo orders as the restaurant opens in Alexandria, VA, on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, cooks dinner for his staff during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Little Pot Mǐxiàn Noodles (米線), a signature dish at Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, is pictured in Alexandria, VA, on Friday, May 5, 2023. Mǐxiàn (米線) is a type of rice noodle from the Yunnan Province, China.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, serves Lamb Yángròu Shaokao (羊肉燒烤) in Alexandria, VA, on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, greets one of his staff during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, toasts with his friends and staff during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, plays with his staff's child during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, and his wife, Grace, check on the progress of their new restaurant’s construction in Arlington, VA, on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Spicez
When Rani Soudagar first emigrated from Mumbai, in 1997 at the age of 20, she was open to “whatever it takes,” even if that meant cleaning bathrooms.
She became a masseuse and an esthetician, worked in yogurt and coffee shops, and decorated cakes for Baskin-Robbins. She navigated her way through several challenges, including being diagnosed with lupus and sleeping at a salon where she worked when she could not afford rent.
But thanks to a supportive son who always assured her that “everything is going to be good,” plus a stimulus check and a new understanding landlord, she was able to open her own business in 2020.
Spicez is a door to another world, tucked inside the second floor of a historic brick house in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. Hard-to-find spices in a rainbow of colors line the walls.
In addition to spices, Soudagar offers weekly takeaway meals, sweets, reiki, henna art and eyebrow threading. She also holds workshops at other locations like the Qatar Embassy and the Washington Printmakers Gallery.
“I just want to be known for giving what I know” to others, said the 46-year-old.
Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House
Growing up, Shao Bruce struggled to find his identity as a Chinese American who did not speak Chinese well in predominantly White neighborhoods, so he found an outlet in sports. But when he tore his ACL in his junior high school year, it gutted him so hard, he started partying and then found an outlet in drugs, using them and selling them.
“I have had such a long, rocky, twisty, winding road of an adolescent life,” said the 32-year-old, who was repeatedly kicked out of different high schools and had his skull crushed in during a drug deal. “This restaurant is all a reflection of who I’ve really worked to become.”
Originally, his mom, Zongmin Li, had the idea for a restaurant after taking early retirement to take care of Bruce’s stepfather, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She really missed her hometown dish from the Yunnan province of China, mixian, a slippery, light rice noodle in a savory, spicy sauce.
But the family had no background in food service. Both of Bruce’s parents worked in economic development. His mother started apprenticing at another restaurant, while Bruce entered what he jokingly called “YouTube University.”
After opening in 2019, at first the family had “no clue what they were doing,” said Bruce. They had to learn how to keep food fresh and find dependable workers. They ended up going to the local high school for help. At the start of the pandemic and the rise of anti-Asian hate, someone yelled at his mother to “go back to your country.”
But just as how his parents stayed loyal to his needs, Bruce did the same when taking over the restaurant in 2020 with his staff. Many of those same high-schoolers still work there. And Bruce plans to move to a bigger location next year. “Everything is possible because of my parents,” said Bruce.
An old photo of Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, from the early 2000s, is seen in Fairfax, VA, on Sunday, May 7, 2023.
Spicez
When Rani Soudagar first emigrated from Mumbai, in 1997 at the age of 20, she was open to “whatever it takes,” even if that meant cleaning bathrooms.
She became a masseuse and an esthetician, worked in yogurt and coffee shops, and decorated cakes for Baskin-Robbins. She navigated her way through several challenges, including being diagnosed with lupus and sleeping at a salon where she worked when she could not afford rent.
But thanks to a supportive son who always assured her that “everything is going to be good,” plus a stimulus check and a new understanding landlord, she was able to open her own business in 2020.
Spicez is a door to another world, tucked inside the second floor of a historic brick house in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood. Hard-to-find spices in a rainbow of colors line the walls.
In addition to spices, Soudagar offers weekly takeaway meals, sweets, reiki, henna art and eyebrow threading. She also holds workshops at other locations like the Qatar Embassy and the Washington Printmakers Gallery.
“I just want to be known for giving what I know” to others, said the 46-year-old.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, blows a kiss to a young customer as they say goodbye in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, designed a henna tattoo with her spices in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, Owner of Spicez, a community Store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, poses for a portrait inside her shop in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 8, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, hugs her friend, Rachel, at the annual Georgetown French Market in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, sells spices at the annual Georgetown French Market in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, offers classes of making rotis and parathas, round flatbreads native to the Indian subcontinent, at the Washington Printmaker Gallery in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, does eyebrow threading for her first host mom, Neelam Toteja, whom she spent the first seven years in America with, at Toteja's home in Fairfax, VA, on Sunday, May 7, 2023
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, burns sage in her kitchen to relax in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Left: Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, offers classes of making rotis and parathas, round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent, at the Washington Printmaker Gallery in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, April 29, 2023; Right: Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, makes Daal Takar, a type of lentil curry, for her clients in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 8, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, makes Indian food for her clients in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 8, 2023.
Rani Soudagar, the owner of Spicez, a community store that offers spices, herbs, and desserts, chats with her son, Ansh Matharu Singh, 18, after a long day in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
An old picture of Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, and his mother, Dr. Zongming Li, Founder of the restaurant, traveling in Kunming (昆明), the capital city of Yunnan Province, China, is seen in Alexandria, VA on Thursday, May 4, 2023. Kunming (昆明) is Dr. Zongming Li's hometown.
Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House
Growing up, Shao Bruce struggled to find his identity as a Chinese American who did not speak Chinese well in predominantly White neighborhoods, so he found an outlet in sports. But when he tore his ACL in his junior high school year, it gutted him so hard, he started partying and then found an outlet in drugs, using them and selling them.
“I have had such a long, rocky, twisty, winding road of an adolescent life,” said the 32-year-old, who was repeatedly kicked out of different high schools and had his skull crushed in during a drug deal. “This restaurant is all a reflection of who I’ve really worked to become.”
Originally, his mom, Zongmin Li, had the idea for a restaurant after taking early retirement to take care of Bruce’s stepfather, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She really missed her hometown dish from the Yunnan province of China, mixian, a slippery, light rice noodle in a savory, spicy sauce.
But the family had no background in food service. Both of Bruce’s parents worked in economic development. His mother started apprenticing at another restaurant, while Bruce entered what he jokingly called “YouTube University.”
After opening in 2019, at first the family had “no clue what they were doing,” said Bruce. They had to learn how to keep food fresh and find dependable workers. They ended up going to the local high school for help. At the start of the pandemic and the rise of anti-Asian hate, someone yelled at his mother to “go back to your country.”
But just as how his parents stayed loyal to his needs, Bruce did the same when taking over the restaurant in 2020 with his staff. Many of those same high-schoolers still work there. And Bruce plans to move to a bigger location next year. “Everything is possible because of my parents,” said Bruce.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, and his wife, Grace, laugh with their friends and staffers during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, poses for a portrait with his mother, Dr. Zongming Li, Founder of the restaurant, in Alexandria, VA, on Thursday, May 4, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, lines up plates and glasses on each table in the morning as he prepares to open the restaurant in Alexandria, VA, on Friday, May 5, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, takes photo orders as the restaurant opens in Alexandria, VA, on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, cooks dinner for his staff during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Little Pot Mǐxiàn Noodles (米線), a signature dish at Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, is pictured in Alexandria, VA, on Friday, May 5, 2023. Mǐxiàn (米線) is a type of rice noodle from the Yunnan Province, China.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, serves Lamb Yángròu Shaokao (羊肉燒烤) in Alexandria, VA, on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, greets one of his staff during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, toasts with his friends and staff during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, plays with his staff's child during a monthly gathering in Alexandria, VA, on Sunday, April 30, 2023.
Shao Bruce, Chef and Managing Partner of Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House, and his wife, Grace, check on the progress of their new restaurant’s construction in Arlington, VA, on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Shuran Huang | Photographer
Shuran Huang (she/her) is a photographer based in Washington, D.C.