Wednesday, August 7, 2019 | 5:45 PM EDT - 8:00 PM EDT
National Committee on U.S.-China Relations | New York, NY
In the past few years, there has been a noticeable increase in the diversity and creativity of the Chinese cuisine landscape in New York. From jiaozi to jianbing, mala to mian, there is a generation of up-and-coming food entrepreneurs who are redefining the way American audiences experience Chinese food.
On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations hosted a conversation with two individuals who are rethinking the way Americans experience Chinese cuisine. Brian Goldberg of Mr Bing and Lucas Sin of Junzi shared their insights on current trends in the Chinese cuisine landscape in America. They also discussed how missions drive their businesses, and the role food plays in transcending cultural boundaries.
The National Committee’s Young China Professionals (YCP) program engages China-focused individuals between the ages of 25 and 45 to increase their knowledge about China on pertinent issues. Through substantive programming, social activities, and interaction with leading China experts, YCP aims to enhance participants’ China interests, foster meaningful connections among participants, and ultimately help prepare the next generation of leaders in the bilateral relationship across various industries. Click here to subscribe for YCP email updates.
Brian Goldberg
Born and raised in New York, Brian Goldberg fell in love with jianbing while studying in Beijing in 1998. A graduate of Columbia (M.A.) & Brandeis (B.A.) universities, Mr. Goldberg is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Prior to launching Mr Bing (老金煎饼) – a chain of Beijing-style street crepe shops – he spent 9 years in Asian equity sales and trading (BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, Macquarie), and three years as a TV news producer and reporter (CNBC, Channel News Asia). He qualified for the 2002 Winter Olympics in the sport of ‘luge,’ and currently competes in Masters swimming. Mr. Goldberg originally wrote the business plan for Mr Bing in 2001, while a graduate student at Columbia. He lived and worked in China, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong for 13 years, and currently resides in New York City.
Lucas Sin
Lucas Sin opened his first restaurant when he was 16 in his hometown of Hong Kong. As an undergraduate at Yale, Mr. Sin ran restaurants out of his dorm. After stints at Michelin 3-star Kikunoi Honten in Kyoto and Modernist Cuisine in Seattle, he is now on a mission to revitalize Chinese cuisine in the United States as the chef and culinary director of Junzi Kitchen.
In 2019, Mr. Sin was named a Rising Star Chef by StarChefs and an Eater Young Gun. His writing about Chinese cuisine and culture have appeared in Lucky Peach and Cleaver Quarterly.