Lisa Cheng Smith is the founder of Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry, an importer, online shop, and brick-and-mortar general store in Brooklyn offering premium ingredients for Taiwanese and Chinese cooking. Yun Hai has quickly established itself as a beating heart of the Taiwanese diaspora here in New York, and in this episode, we talk with Lisa about growing the business into making their own products, where to get great Taiwanese food in NYC, and more.

Also on the show, Clayton and Matt go over their favorite books of 2024, both new and less new!

Clayton’s picks: The Stronghold – Dino Buzzati, Three Summers – Margarita Liberaki, In Love – Alfred Hayes, Speedboat, Renata Adler Mating – Norman Rush,The End of Vandalism – Tom Drury, Playboy – Constance Debre, Love Me Tender – Constance Debre, Permafrost – Eva Baltasar, Boulder – Eva Baltasar, Mammoth – Eva Baltasar, The Third Realm – Karl Ove Knausgaard, Long Island Compromise – Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Matt’s picks: Great Expectations – Vinson Cunningham, Reboot – Justin Taylor, The Friday Afternoon Club – Griffin Dunne, Real Americans – Rachel Khong, Ghosts – Dolly Alderton, Hard Rain Falling – Don Carpenter, The Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead, Chang-Gang All-Stars – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Long Island Compromise – Taffy Brodesser-Akner

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MORE FROM LISA CHENG SMITH

• 9 Recipes for a Vibrant Lunar New Year Celebration [Bon Appétit]

• Yun Hai Taiwan Stories [Substack]