I have been bowled over by so many acts of kindness, bravery, and courage during this pandemic. I am particularly struck by the restaurants that have turned over their operations into relief kitchens in a moments notice. As someone who is employed by a crisis shelter, the moment we closed our administrative offices my job turned into one of seeking meal donations our shelter residents. While our amazing and dedicated kitchen staff still turn up day in and day out to cook and prepare hot meals, the truth is that our budget needs relief and our youth need morale. Several restaurants and catering groups have answered our call for partnership, and we are so thankful for the supplemental delicious food they provide!
One story has struck me in particular. 886 and Ho Foods, two Taiwanese eateries, and Raku, an udon spot, have worked together to provide 7,500 meals (and counting!!) to hospital workers in NYC over the last 5 weeks. All of it is funded by individual donations, which they are collecting through their Venmo @bentoessential. Their packaged meals are Taiwanese-style bento boxes — no doubt delicious, and it makes me smile thinking how many more people have been exposed to Taiwanese food because of this service.
In the face of the xenophobia that the Asian-American community has experienced over the last 3 months, I feel really inspired by their call to action. A few weeks ago I heard someone say, in regards to donated food, “Will people want to eat Chinese food…you know, because of all of this?” It wasn’t meant as a hateful question (this person is not of Asian descent), but it was asked out of earnest concern. I didn’t know how to respond — the truth is that question cut deeper than some of the other comments I had been subjected to as the pandemic grew.
And I did stop and wonder, will people still want to eat Asian food? Deep down I know the answer is yes, but it’s still hard to hear Asian food be feared, when among Asian families it is such a symbol and extension of love and appreciation. I’m thankful for groups like 886, Ho Foods, and Raku (and others!) for leading with generosity and service, and doing this selfless, hard work for hospital workers that are putting it all out on the line for us.