Asian, Pacific Islander-Owned Alexandria Businesses To Support

ALEXANDRIA, VA — May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the contributions of these groups to American culture and history. In Alexandria, about 6 percent of residents are Asian American or Pacific Islander, and the city has a variety of Asian or Pacific Islander-owned businesses as well.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month comes amid a movement to combat hate against Asian American and Pacific Islander residents. While the U.S. has a documented history of racist incidents affecting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, anti-Asian sentiment notably rose with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nonprofit Stop AAPI Hate was created in March 2020 to documents U.S. incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. According to its latest report, 3,795 incidents were tracked by Stop AAPI Hate from March 19, 2020 to Feb. 28, 2021.

In Alexandria, one way for residents to show their support for the AAPI community is to enjoy a meal or purchase other services. Visit Alexandria has compiled a list of businesses to support in May and beyond. The businesses range from eateries to art-minded businesses.

Below are Visit Alexandria's business suggestions and a few of our own. We know there are plenty more businesses that deserve recognition, so give your favorites a shout-out in the comments.

Restaurants by Avanti Holdings Group: Alexandria native Teddy Kim is principal at Avanti Holdings Group, which has brought some new restaurant concepts to the city. A few of these restaurants are The People's Drug, Chop Shop Taco, and the double pairing of The King's Ransom and The Handover.

Spice Kraft Indian Bistro: The family and friends-owned Spice Kraft Indian Bistro replaced Bombay Curry Company along Mount Vernon Avenue in 2019. The restaurant was featured in the 2021 Washington Post Spring Dining Guide and was praised by the food critic for its samosas and palaak chat.

KungFu Kitchen: KungFu Kitchen specializes in Northern-style authentic Chinese food with dishes like soup dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, handmade dumplings and wok recipes. The restaurant is located at the Alexandria Commons shopping center.

Nicecream: Opened in 2017, Nicecream specializes in ice cream frozen using liquid nitrogen. The Alexandria was the second location opened by Sandra Welsford and has become a staple along King Street.

Pasara Thai Restauarant: Owner Thia Kongubol has two Pasara Thai locations serving Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood as well as Kingstowne. A few of the specialties are drunken noodles and roasted duck curry.

Momo Sushi: Chef Han Son and his wife Yeon Son opened Momo Sushi in 2004 and can still often be found behind the sushi counter. Diners can find a variety of sushi rolls and more specialties in Old Town.

Yunnan By Potomac Noodle House: Located in Old Town North, Yunnan by Potomac Noodle House brings the cuisine of China's Yunnan province to Alexandria. The owner, Dr. Zongmin Li, grew up in the Yunnan province and came to the U.S. Here she fulfilled her dream of bringing Yunnan cuisine to the U.S. A key part of the cuisine is the Mixian, a light rice noodle, served with meats, broth and other ingredients.

Wooboi Chicken: Chef Minwoo Choi brings hot chicken sandwiches to the Old Town North neighborhood at Wooboi Chicken. After the debut of Wooboi Chicken in Herndon, the second location opened in Alexandria in 2020.

T-ZO Vietnamese Cuisine: A taste of northern Vietnamese cuisine can be found at the West End's T-ZO Vietnamese Cuisine. Try menu items like Northern-style pho, Hanoi-grilled pork vermicelli, Vietnamese crêpe roll and Vietnamese egg coffee.

Pho Nam: Located on King Street, Pho Nam offers Vietnamese comfort food. The Old Town location is a spinoff of the original Pho Nam opened in Gaithersburg 20 years ago. His nephew, Ryan Le, manages the Old Town location.

Kyo Gallery: The Kyo Gallery showcases art from artists around the world. Art is typically available in three gallery showrooms, and the gallery also has an online presence.

AR Workshop: AR Workshop, owned by Katie Nguyen Wells, is a DIY studio and gift shop. In-person workshops and DIY to-go kits offer Alexandria residents fun activities to stay engaged. For shoppers that aren't crafty, AR Workshop can create a custom order and has a gift shop with local art, books, activities, decor and gifts.