“In the Mood for Food”: Giving Support and Love to Chinatown with Our First Block Walk

Nothing brings people together like good food, and this past weekend, people showed up for Chinatown at our first socially-distanced block walk, a hybrid of a food crawl meets walking tour. With a name inspired by Wong Kar-Wai’s seminal 2001 film, “In the Mood for Love,” our block walk’s goal was to reignite people’s love for Chinatown through their love of good food and community.

Using our pink and red maps (inspired by the designs of Chinese restaurant paper placemats) to navigate the winding streets of Chinatown, guests sampled delicacies from some of our favorite haunts and took pictures in front of the many murals along the way. These small businesses not only were introduced to new customers but also experienced more visibility on social media to spread the word about Chinatown’s distinct offerings. The block walk, our socially distanced approach to a food tour, proved to be a great way to inspire camaraderie and solidarity in an area that has been deeply hurt by these unprecedented times.

Participating businesses:

• Grand Seoul

• Fong On

• Jing Fong

• Soft Swerve

• Taiwan Bear House

• Tonii’s Fresh Rice Noodle

• Wing On Wo

  With drinks sponsored by Sanzo

Here’s what participating business owners and attendees had to say:

“A lot of people came and said they never heard of us until this event. It brought a lot of new people to these small shops in Chinatown.” – Liz, Tonii’s Owner

“My son, my daughter, and I had a fantastic time walking around Chinatown, enjoying all the yummy flavors, and soaking in the great ambiance of the Chinatown vibe.” - Debra, Event Guest

Thank you to our guests, volunteers, and small business partners for helping to bring back Chinatown’s lively spirit and unique energy!

Did you miss our first block walk? You can download a copy of our block walk map here to do a self-guided tour at your leisure. Stay tuned for future events like this one by subscribing to our newsletter at the bottom of this page our following us on Instagram for updates: @welcome.to.chinatown.

In the Mood for Food poster by: Sonya Han
Stamp Map created by: Anna Chau