Dinner and book giving with Xin Mời

No. 22 — A taste of home. A dinner and book giving hosted by Xin Mời and Seen Library in the beautiful Soho loft of LESSE.

In October 2021, Trish, co-founder of Xin Mời and I were messaging on Instagram, trying to meet in person for the first time after months of being online friends. We were thinking of a place to go when she asked, “Or do you just want to come over and I cook for you?”

I vividly remember how incredible her food tasted, how at home I felt with her and her partner Gui, and how passionate she was about cooking Vietnamese food. I told her that it’s something she needs to share more with others.

Almost exactly two years later, in October 2023, we came together to host a dinner and book giving, celebrating the things we care so much about — reading, cooking (and eating!), and our cultures — with friends old and new. Trish and I wanted to infuse dishes that were nostalgic and familiar to us both — dishes found in both Vietnamese and Filipino cuisines. The books curated were written by Filipino and Vietnamese authors — books that we don’t always find in the mainstream. Books that touch on themes shared by both cultures — familial expectations and pressures, the search for identity, and the realities of the American Dream. Books that make us feel seen.

I had a friend who admitted they weren’t much of a reader, but upon seeing the clues atop the wrapped book, felt drawn to their chosen book because of how much the themes of the novel resonated with them.

What was on the menu, which was so beautifully designed by Ryan Nguyen and printed on calligraphy paper with Trish’s grandmother’s handwriting:

Chả giò / Lumpia — pork, shrimp, apple snail, taro, carrot, wood-ear mushroom, glass noodle

Bo Kho / Mechado — braised beef, lemongrass, carrot, onion and served with bread and rice

Bánh Flan / Leche Flan — baked caramel custard, egg, condensed milk, vanilla, coffee drizzle

D.M. Brut Rosé and Sanzo Sparkling Water

Thank you Trish and Gui for putting together such a delicious and beautiful dinner, to Neada of LESSE for opening your space for genuine connection, to Ryan Nguyen for taking the time and your talent to make our menus, to COS for dressing us, and to D.M. Brut, Sanzo and Carrière Frères for the drinks and candles and to our dear friends who made the evening so special and one I won’t ever forget.

The next Seen Library event is on December 2 & 3 in Los Angeles — follow @seenlibrary or subscribe to this Substack to be notified first.

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Art book giving at Arcana Books

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Book giving and oysters with Auteur Studios