Jean Trinh

Jean Trinh is a food and entertainment writer, whose work has appeared in VICE, Los Angeles Magazine, LA Weekly, GOOD and The Daily Beast. Previously, she was the Deputy Editor at LAist, and once landed the prestigious role as a judge for a bacon festival cook-off.

Three storefronts along a main road. The store on the left is a restaurant, Hong Kong BBQ. The store in the middle is Queen's Bakery. And the store on the right is Wing Wa Hing Gifts & Arts Co.

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Broken Bread

5 Under-the-Radar Spots to Eat Like a Local in L.A.'s Chinatown

Try something new and engage with local Chinatown business owners. Here are five under-the-radar Chinatown spots recommended by Southeast Asian Community Alliance founder Sissy Trinh.

Five pedestrians cross the street, walking across a tiled pedestrian pathway. Behind them is the main plaza of Chinatown.

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Broken Bread

5 Ways You Can Be a Better Chinatown Visitor

Based on her community engagement and spending a great deal of time in Chinatown, Sissy Trinh of the Southeast Asian Community Alliance shares some ideas on how people can be better Chinatown visitors in supporting businesses.

A flat lay photo of dishes from Pearl River Deli over a checkered yellow and white tablecloth. In the top left corner is a bowl of yellow noodles with leafy greens and siu mai. In the bottom left corner is a plate of roasted poultry in a dark brown sauce. In the middle is a plate of blanched leafy greens with a thick brown sauce drizzled over. In the bottom right corner is a plate of red char siu pork served over fluffy white rice and a side of leafy vegetables. At the top right corner is a plate holding a yellow bolo bao with breaded bone-in pork chop sandwiched between its buns.

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Broken Bread

Pearl River Deli Navigates Gentrification and Renewal in L.A.'s Chinatown

Pearl River Deli, famously known for their authentic Hainanese chicken rice, has turned heads and earned national attention for their quality Cantonese comfort food. Chef Johnny Lee shares his journey to Pearl River Deli and reflects on best practices for modern businesses settling in Chinatown — a neighborhood that has been facing gentrification in recent years.

Two hands a centering clay on a potter's wheel.

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Artbound

What the Resurgence of Pottery Says About Life Today

Pottery is getting a reboot both in the Southland and mainstream media (just check out Seth Rogen's work and a few episodes of "The Great Pottery Throw Down). Here's why it matters in the age of endless video meetings and social media doomscrolling.

A neon sign that reads "WACKO" and walls covered with face masks adorn the interior of the store.

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Artbound

50 Years of Counterculture Art at Soap Plant, WACKO and La Luz de Jesus Gallery

From its humble beginnings as a family-run soap shop, to its evolution into a vibrant gallery space that propelled California’s lowbrow art movement into popularity, Soap Plant, WACKO and La Luz de Jesus Gallery made an indelible mark on California's lowbrow art scene.

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Southland Sessions

Cumbiatón, a Safe Space for L.A.'s Queer and Latinx Communities, Grows Virtually

The Cumbiatón collective is finding new creative ways to connect to undocumented immigrant and queer communities through its virtual dance parties.

A black, square-shaped piece of fabric with chain stitch embroidery reading the words, "BLACK LIVES MATTER" in white thread. The ends of the threads are long and loose. The patch sits on top of a multicolored, striped surface.

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Southland Sessions

When Embroidery Stitches a Portrait of Our Times

These L.A. artists have been using the craft of embroidery to send messages of hope, renewal and justice. With designs inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement and the presidential inauguration, their pieces have become a way to protest and record history.