Tien Nguyen

Using the library's menu collection as a jumping off point, Nguyen will highlight how food tells the story of Los Angeles—its neighborhoods, traditions, and migrations.

Nguyen takes a look at our menu collection from 1984 to highlight how local restaurants served the public during the last Olympic Games hosted in Los Angeles.

The Menu Collection, one of the library’s Special Collections, was started in the 1980s. Tien Nguyen will be sharing more menus and how they reflect Los Angeles’s food and culture.

Nguyen highlights a few of the menus in our collection that give a taste of the diversity of Los Angeles.

Nguyen takes us on a trip down Pico with menus from the library’s Menu Collection, to imagine what it might have been like when Jonathan Gold “ate Pico Boulevard” back in the early 1980s.

Nguyen examines the ways that menus reflect not only dining culture and food, but also the social and political climate through ladies' menus from the library's Menu Collection

One of the most unique items donated to the library's Menu Collection is a gourd by Monica Lee.

Joined by librarian, Christina Rice, and Christina's mother, a former Thrifty's store manager, Tien explores the history of Thrifty's Drug Store through a menu from the Menu Collection.

Nguyen explores the history of Peking duck through food regulations and efforts made to keep this Chinese style roast duck dish on the menu.

Barclay Kitchen opened in 1938 and printed its menus on scrolls. Nguyen shares the history of this unique Los Angeles restaurant and its equally unique menu.

Michael Woo, former Los Angeles City councilmember (1985-1993) is interviewed by Tien Nguyen

Natsumi Saeki, owner of Ducks, is interviewed by Tien Nguyen.

Alex Park, nephew of Chang Hun Kang, owner of Choeng Wun Buffet, is interviewed by Tien Nguyen.

Chang Hun Kang, owner of Choeng Wun Buffet, is interviewed by Tien Nguyen.