Bibimbap. 비빔밥.

When I was living on my own for the first time after college, a guy I was seeing looked over at me from the driver’s seat of the car and said with a hushed, mock-incredulous tone: “You’ve never had bibimbap?” As a Korean adoptee who grew up in white, rural Pennsylvania, of course I had […]

Hawker Delights Cuisine: Your New Favorite Asian Restaurant

Hawker food culture is a culinary force to be reckoned with. With its roots coming from a storied Asian lineage, its appeal is undeniable. Gone are the days when food labeled as such can only be found on the streets and food courts. It has garnered such a huge fanbase that it has reached Illinois […]

Album Review: Vertigo Volume II

I first discovered Griff when watching a Disney commercial that represented a Filipino family passing down a stuffed Mickey Mouse. This commercial was the first time that I had ever seen a company like Disney embrace my Filipino heritage. I will admit I got a little teary-eyed watching the commercial. After watching that commercial, I […]

K-Folk Meets K-Pop: Coreyah Revives Traditional Korean Folk through Psychedelic Fusions

With the global rise of Korean music groups like BTS and Blackpink, American audiences might be familiar with K-pop—but what about K-Folk? Coreyah (고래야), a Seoul-based band that debuted in 2010, fuses traditional Korean sound with global influences from genres ranging from rock and roll to funk. Coreyah’s US tour is currently taking place, and […]

POC Food & Wine Festival: A Celebration of the Global Majority and Our Allies in Food, Wine, Music, and Culture

The POC Food & Wine Festival is all about building and cultivating community. It’s a 3-day festival happening May 2-5, 2024 that brings the global majority together through food, wine, music, and culture.  From established to up-and-coming chefs, artisans, musicians, and more, the event celebrates our ever-growing presence as creators and tastemakers, all enthusiastically creating […]

A HELLO HAPI Welcome

Ji Bowlus here, the Founder and CEO of HELLO HAPI. I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity to connect with you. As a 1.5-generation Korean American who immigrated to the United States at age three, I’ve experienced firsthand the complexities of navigating between cultures. HELLO HAPI isn’t just another media company—it’s a culmination of a vision […]