Take Out With Lisa Ling

With the help of local chefs, artists, and activists, award-winning journalist Lisa Ling's cross-country road trip begins with the Filipino American community in the bayous of Southern Louisiana. While there, Lisa tries halo halo for the first time, and is invited to both a cajun shrimp boil and kamayan at the home of a local chef. Along the way, Lisa is surprised to learn about the Filipino community's long history in the United States, the impact of the culture on New Orleans-style cuisine, and the future of its multifaceted food scene.

Charting her own experiences in the Golden State, Lisa explores all that California – and the country – owes to Chinese immigrants, from the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad to the popularization of Chinese American cuisine. Lisa talks with historians, culinary figures, and farmers – and pays a visit to America's oldest rural Chinatown, as well as her family's former restaurant. While on the trip, Lisa's inspired to reevaluate the stigma she experienced growing up and reconnects with her roots.

Lisa explores Orange County's Little Saigon, home to the biggest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam – and a community in transition. Connecting with the initial wave of residents who settled in southern California as refugees and younger generations expressing their identity and culture outwardly and unapologetically, Lisa finds a thriving community defined by its resilience, survival, and success.

Though New York City is home to the largest Bangladeshi community in the U.S., their cuisine remains underrepresented, often grouped under the banner of Indian food. With help from local politicians, poets, and residents across the five boroughs, Lisa explores the complex history of Bangladesh, its burgeoning American immigrant community, and its vibrant culture through dishes from notable restaurants and popular food carts.

Lisa travels to Los Angeles to spotlight the deep Japanese roots of Boyle Heights, a predominantly Latino neighborhood today. Through community fixtures like the legendary Nobuko Miyamoto, plus visits to the last Japanese diner in Boyle Heights and a new Japanese Mexican pop up, Lisa explores the history of a community impacted but not defined by war, internment, and intolerance – as well as the resilience of the Japanese American families.

Lisa’s husband Paul takes her on a tour of the D.C.-area suburb of Annandale, VA, home to one of the largest Korean communities in the U.S., boasting a plethora of Korean restaurants, bakeries, shops, and bars. With insights from restauranteurs Danny and Yesoon Lee, musician and author Michelle Zauner, and artist Julia Chon, Lisa explores the powerful impact of Korean culture on the nation’s capital – and the world.