Restaurant menus are ephemera that can reveal fascinating stories and compelling histories. Drawing from the Los Angeles Public Library’s extensive Menu Collection, Tien will explore how restaurant menus can offer insights into the formation of immigrant enclaves throughout Los Angeles.
Tien Nguyen has been writing at the intersection of food and culture for over a decade. The former Senior Food Writer for LA Weekly, she's written for the Los Angeles Times, Lucky Peach, and Eater, among other publications, and her work has been honored by the Association of Food Journalists. She currently is an editor for Synonym Magazine and is the co-author of several books, including The Choi of Cooking and L.A. Son with Roy Choi; My Cambodia with Nite Yun; and the IACP-nominated Sohn-Mat with Monica Lee. She has taught food writing at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Tien lives in Los Angeles.