Worst Quality Crab

Episode 41: TAMLYN TOMITA!

We can’t even pretend to have chill about this. On this extra special episode, we interview the namesake of our mascot and inspiration for the title of the show, Waverly herself, the legend, the icon, Tamlyn Tomita!

We of course ask Tamlyn about the Joy Luck Club, what it meant 30 years ago, what it means now, and her thoughts on playing Waverly. She also talks Karate Kid II, her equally iconic role of Kumiko, and her personal ties to it as a person of Okinawan-descent.

Plus she shares one of her all-time comfort foods, what it meant growing up as the daughter of an Okinawan-Filipina mom and a Japanese-American cop dad. 

Listen in as we try to keep our cool and Freesia almost makes it through the whole episode without crying, almost. Huge thanks to Tamlyn for being so gracious and so generous with her time and storytelling. Truly a best quality heart.

Episode 40: Shrimp Chips with Cynthia Huie

We’re honoring AAPI month with one of our favorite local AAPI community leaders, Cynthia Huie, owner of On Waverly, an AAPI gift shop and bookstore in the heart of Chinatown. Cynthia shares her childhood fondness for shrimp chips made at home by her grandfather, her lasting love for the crunchy, salty, airy snack.

Cynthia talks about representation through retail, her relationship with her grandparents and how that has led to intergenerational friendships as an adult, and how our kids get to take a lot of things for granted–and that’s a good thing!

Plus creating community and bringing people back to Chinatown, super cool events series and spaces, and that one time Freesia met a Grammy winner when she was hanging out at On Waverly.

Episode 39: Hong Shao Rou with Eddie Lo

This episode we pick up the soy sauce/restaurant kid threads with guest Eddie Lo. Now a food professional himself, Eddie talks about growing up in Chinese restaurant and being raised by amazing cooks, including his grandma, who would make him Hong Shao Rou, a braised pork belly dish. 

We talk about growing up in Wisconsin and Southern California eating exclusively Chinese food, having a first hamburger in college, and then never looking back on trying new foods. 

Eddie shares how his full throttle into new foods led him to cooking classes, traveling for food, and eventually to the businesses he runs today teaching dumpling classes and promoting premium soy sauce Liv Cook Eat.

Episode 38: March Madness of Chinese Cuisine - Live at On Waverly 3/22/2025

On this episode we’re doing something a little different. In the spirit of March Madness we present to you, March Madness of Chinese Cuisine!

We partnered with our friend Curtis Chinn of the Infatuasian podcast and our friend Cynthia Huie at On Waverly to record this live, with an audience inside of On Waverly, the best AAPI gift shop and bookstore in Chinatown.

This was a just for fun attempt to crown one Chinese dish winner among many excellent choices. It was all for goofs and laughs so please don’t @ us if your favorite dish didn’t make it out of the first round or didn’t make the brackets. They were near impossible choices and my personal pick didn’t make it out of round one.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy this fun live episode. We’ll be back soon with regularly scheduled programming!

Episode 37: Soy Sauce! with Laura Lee

This episode we’re talking about everyone’s favorite cooking staple and condiment (please don’t @ us if it’s not your fave) soy sauce, with author and illustrator Laura G. Lee who has a new children’s book by the same name. 

We talk with Laura about growing up in West Virginia among mostly blond-haired blue eyed children, her parents' decision not to pass along the Korean language, and her mother’s use of soy sauce in just about everything. 

We of course talk about Laura’s beautiful book–painted with real soy sauce– her many visits to schools and classrooms to share the book with kids, and the emotional intelligence of kids to not yuck yums.