ElevAsian celebrates Asian cuisine and culture in Milwaukee

ElevAsian celebrates Asian cuisine and culture in Milwaukee

Ni Burmese is located near Kinnickinnic Avenue and Bay Street in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood.

Updated: 9:49 AM CDT May 23, 2025

NEWSCAST. WELL, DEREK, RIGHT NOW IT IS ASIAN RESTAURANT WEEK RIGHT HERE IN MILWAUKEE. MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH. AND JOINING ME NOW ARE CHERI TRAN WITH ELEVATION AND NEW NEWLIN OWNER OF NE BURMESE IN BAYVIEW. LADIES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HANGING OUT WITH US FOR A LITTLE BIT. THIS SMELLS AMAZING. WE’RE GOING TO GET TO THE SMELLS AND SIGHTS IN JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AMAZING FOOD, BUT I WANT TO START FIRST WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF ASIAN RESTAURANT WEEK. OF COURSE IT’S FUN. IT’S GREAT TO GO OUT AND ENJOY THESE RESTAURANTS, BUT THERE’S ALSO CULTURE INVOLVED IN THIS. ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, WE LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT THE ASIAN OWNED BUSINESSES AND THE CULTURES OF ASIA DURING THIS MONTH. SO ELEVATION LIKES TO PROMOTE AND ELEVATE LIKE WHAT RESTAURANTS ARE SERVING DIFFERENT THINGS. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TRY NEW THINGS AS WELL AND, AND BREAK OUT OF THE MOLD OF MAYBE JUST GOING TO CHINESE RESTAURANTS OR JAPANESE RESTAURANTS, TRY SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT, BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A RICH AND DIVERSE CULTURAL HERITAGE WITHIN ASIA AND ASIAN CULTURES THAT ARE REPRESENTED HERE IN MILWAUKEE. THERE’S SO MANY GREAT RESTAURANTS THAT WE WANT PEOPLE TO TRY. SO THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO DO THAT AND TAKE SOME FRIENDS OUT WITH THEM. ABSOLUTELY. AND YOUR EXPERIENCE AND IN THE POSITION THAT YOU HAVE WITH ELEVATION, HAVE YOU SEEN THAT INCREASE THE INTEREST OF WANTING TO KNOW MORE THAN JUST WHAT YOU KNOW IS OUT THERE, LIKE THE CHINESE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, ASIAN OTHER FOOD LIKE THAT? ABSOLUTELY. THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF GREAT FOLLOWERS TO OUR PAGE, OUR WEBSITE. WE LIST ALL THE DIFFERENT CUISINES ON OUR WEBSITE THAT ARE KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR MEMBERS FOR THIS MONTH THAT PEOPLE CAN TRY OUT. WE HAVE THEM LISTED BY DIFFERENT CULTURES AND DIFFERENT CUISINES AS WELL. SO PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS SAY, OH, THERE’S SOMETHING I’VE NOT HEARD OF BEFORE, SOMETHING I HAVEN’T TRIED. WE BRING PEOPLE OUT TO THESE RESTAURANTS. WE’RE JUST SENDING THESE RESTAURANT YESTERDAY AND TRIED SOME OF THE NEW FOODS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE NOT HAD BEFORE. SO WE’RE GIVING PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TRYING SOMETHING NEW WITH WITH OTHER PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I’M SO EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THE FOOD THAT WE HAVE HERE. I HAVE PERSONALLY NOT HAD BURMESE FOOD. SO WALK US THROUGH A LITTLE BIT. YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THIS TYPE OF FOOD THAT WE’RE SEEING HERE RIGHT NOW? WE HAVE. SO WE HAVE LIKE BURMESE FOOD, A COMBINATION OR LIKE THAI FOOD, CHINESE FOOD AND INDIAN FOOD. OKAY, PERFECT. SO YOU GET THOSE THREE CULTURES ALL IN ONE AND IT SMELLS DELICIOUS. AND YOU HAVE TO YOU HAVE TO WALK US THROUGH IT REALLY DOES. DEREK WAS TRYING TO GET SOME FOOD HERE. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SOME NOODLES HERE. WALK US THROUGH THIS FIRST PLATE HERE. THIS CALL THE EGG NOODLE MADE WITH CHICKEN AND THE EGG NOODLE. AND THEN OUR. OUR WHAT? SORRY. IT’S OKAY. CARROTS AND CABBAGE. OKAY. PERFECT. AND THIS ONE IS MORE OF LIKE A SALAD. IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A SALAD. YEAH, EXACTLY. YEAH. IT’S A GREEN TEA. AND THEN TOMATO, AND THEN FRIED BEANS AND CABBAGE. OKAY, PERFECT. WHEN YOU THINK OF BURMESE FOOD, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF? YOU THINK OF SPICES. IS IT MORE SPICY THAN REGULAR FOOD? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT? YEAH, OUR FOOD IS SPICES. AND THEN YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT A HOT, WE CAN MAKE IT HOTTER. OKAY. AND GOT IT. YOU HAVE YOUR LEVEL OF SPICINESS. WHATEVER YOU CAN TOLERATE. WHEN SOMEONE GOES TO A NEW RESTAURANT, WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST THEY START WITH? WHETHER IT’S MAYBE UNDERSTANDING THE MENU, OF COURSE. BUT WHAT’S ONE MEAL THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD START OFF WITH? IF THEY GO TO YOUR RESTAURANT? OKAY, SO I WANT TO START OFF WITH THE TEA SALAD. YEAH. OKAY. PERFECT. THAT’S OUR NATIONAL DISH. OKAY. AMAZING. AND SHERRY, YOU GET TO WORK WITH SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE AND SO MANY TALENTED CHEFS. I MEAN, WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF BEING ABLE TO SEE THIS? THAT PEOPLE COME TOGETHER OVER FOOD AND SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW IS SO DELICIOUS. IT’S SO GREAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOOD IS THE GREAT KIND OF ENTRY POINT TO A CULTURE. LIKE EVERYONE LOVES TO TRY DIFFERENT FOODS, BUT AT THESE RESTAURANTS THEY GET TO NOT JUST TRY THE FOOD, BUT GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE FOOD TOO, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR LIVES AND THEIR STORIES. GETTING TO KNOW YOU AND HER AND HER FAMILY’S RECIPES. GETTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CULTURE IT GIVES YOU LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORT AND UNDERSTANDING, AND IT HELPS US BUILD MORE BRIDGES WITH PEOPLE. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND GOING OFF OF THAT, YOU CALL MILWAUKEE HOME OR THE SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN AREA HOME. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND HOW YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH COOKING, COOKING IS LIKE WE GROW UP OWNING A RESTAURANT BACK IN BURMA, NOT JUST WE OPENED IN MILWAUKEE, YOU KNOW, WE GREW UP OWNING RESTAURANT. SO PASS DOWN FROM MY GRANDMOTHER TO MY MOTHER AND ME RIGHT NOW. OKAY, SO YOU HAVE THE RECIPES. YES. THE REAL RECIPES THAT ARE WAY BACK THEN. AMAZING. EXACTLY. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DISH AT YOUR RESTAURANT? I LIKE TO EAT SALAD. I LIKE MOHINGA, I LIKE EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING. I DON’T HAVE MY FAVORITE. I LIKE IT. YEAH, EVERYTHING IS SO GREAT. WELL LADIES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. IT’S SUCH AN IMPORTANT WEEK TO TALK ABOUT CULTURE, SUCH AN IMPORTANT. I ALREADY FEEL HIM. I ALREADY FEEL THEM. WHAT DO YOU GUYS. THEY CAME WITH PLATES. CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS? ALL RIGHT, WELL, I GUESS WE’LL GET A SNA

ElevAsian celebrates Asian cuisine and culture in Milwaukee

Ni Burmese is located near Kinnickinnic Avenue and Bay Street in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood.

Updated: 9:49 AM CDT May 23, 2025