Poster House, a museum dedicated exclusively to posters, has closed its doors and rededicated itself to some virtual projects in response to the Coronavirus crisis. One of the projects is a video series about how the virus is affecting Chinatown. Here, they teamed up with chef and renowned cookbook author, Grace Young (The Stir-Fry Guru), to create this video about struggling Chinatown restaurants. Young posted on her instagram feed :
“On Sunday March 15, I went into Manhattan’s Chinatown to speak to the owners of mom-and-pop businesses and find out how they were dealing with the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Less than 48 hours later, everything has changed dramatically. It was sobering to learn that even before Mayor de Blasio mandated the shutdown of all the city’s restaurants, 70% of Chinese restaurant owners had already decided to close.
In the days to come I hope to share some of the interviews I conducted with these devoted, hardworking people, who are the heart and soul of Chinatown.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Dan Ahn. I put out a request on social media seeking a videographer, and Dan volunteered his services. From the moment we met in Chinatown we were in sync, as if we had been working together for years. Although each interview was emotionally draining, working with Dan was a pleasure—and a reassuring sign that there are good people all around us willing to help.
I also want to thank Jan Lee and Don Lee who made it possible for us to do the interviews at Hop Kee, Wo Hop and New Shanghai Deluxe. Thanks to Mei Chau of Aux Epices, Peter Lee of Hop Kee, Ming Huang of Wo Hop, Rose Wu of New Shanghai Deluxe and Ken Li of KK Discount.
At this time, about 50% of Chinatown’s restaurants (go to Chinatownpartnership.org to find the list) are offering take-out and delivery. Please show your support in any way you can including buying gift certificates that can be redeemed in the future.”
