ULRI-ULSE Honors AAPI Heritage Month with Renowned Chef Kevin Tien
The ULRI-ULSE Inclusion for Impact Committee recently celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI) with a food and culture event that showcased the unique culinary contributions of this community. AAPI Heritage Month is an annual celebration in the United States and Canada that recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders on the history, culture, and achievements of these nations.
The committee hosted the second installment of its “Across the Table” series, a celebration of how food brings people together while honoring culinary diversity and cultural heritage. This program features renowned local chefs and speakers who share insights into the history and cultural connections of traditional foods, with each event focusing on the culinary traditions of a different community.
The event featured guest speaker Chef Kevin Tien, the executive chef and owner of the nationally celebrated restaurant Moon Rabbit. Moon Rabbit is a personal journey and exploration of Chef Kevin’s journey as a first-generation Vietnamese chef. His modern cooking philosophy and dishes are non-traditional Vietnamese cuisine but feature the true essence of Vietnamese flavor. ULRI-ULSE employees held in-person lunches to sample local cuisine, share stories and make connections over a meal.
Chef Tien is a 2024 James Beard Foundation semifinalist (his fifth nomination and a 2024 finalist), the 2023 Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, and was named Best New Chef by Food and Wine in 2018, as well as Esquire’s Best Restaurant of the Year in 2021. Additionally, he is a co-founder of Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, an organization that unites the culinary world to support AAPI and social justice causes. This initiative began in the spring of 2021 to raise funds and awareness about the increase in violence against Asian Americans in the United States. Since its inception, it has brought together more than 50 chefs nationwide, hosting dinners and take-out meals, and raising over $500,000 for various like-minded organizations at regional, national, and global levels. It was also recognized in Washingtonian’s list of “100 Reasons to Love Our Fierce Food Scene.”
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