A social media chef reinvents American classics with an Asian flare

The cooking series is as playful as it is cathartic. Frankie Gaw conjured up fun brand names and designs to go with each meal.
Frankie Gaw hide caption

Toasted sesame flavored Cheerios. A Pop-Tart topped with strawberry lychee frosting. And a Lunchable that includes a fried pork gua bao, cucumber salad and a Yakult.

Frankie Gaw's social media page is filled with videos of creations like these — items you won't usually find at your local American grocery store.

That’s the whole point, says Gaw, a Taiwanese American food creator and author of the cookbook First Generation.

“I asked myself, in an alternate universe, where the world is much more inclusive and embraced all of these diverse flavors, what are the things that Asian Americans would want to see?” he said.

Gaw talked with NPR about how his hit social media cooking series “Turning American classics Asian" came to be, and its origin as a tribute to his family and his Midwest upbringing.

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The idea sprouted after a trip to his local supermarket. Traversing through the aisles, Gaw noticed that much of the food stocked on the shelves resembled what he saw as a kid 20 years ago. Meanwhile, ingredients like soy sauce and miso were still strictly grouped in “Asian” or “International" aisles.

“Restaurants have been embracing more Asian ingredients, and it feels like grocery stores have remained the same," Gaw said.

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For many immigrants and children of immigrants, food is an intimate part of identity. For Gaw, straddling between the “Asian” aisle and the rest of the grocery store was also symbolic of his upbringing in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Growing up, Gaw felt like he was living a double life. In public, Gaw enjoyed McDonald’s chicken nuggets and fries. At home, he feasted on his grandmother’s beef noodle soup. It took time for him to embrace his dual-taste palette.

Years later in his Seattle apartment,Gaw began experimenting with his childhood favorites. He tinkered with Campbell's cream of mushroom soup and turned it into congee. He infused mac and cheese with miso. He went as far as designing the packaging for each meal as if he owned a food company.

Gaw shared his concoctions on social media. It took off. His food and his experiences at the grocery store resonated with people, especially other Asian Americans.

“It was a surprise. I didn't realize how many people had similar experiences as me," he said.

“Turning American classics Asian” is not just about Gaw’s appreciation for Asian flavors and ingredients, or a diss to American staples. Instead, it’s Gaw’s way of paying homage to both — and on a larger scale, to the experiences of Asian Americans.

“I have always straddled this sort of in-between space,” he said. “Growing up in the Midwest, I never felt Asian enough. But then, being with my Asian family, I didn’t feel American enough.”