Maryland influencer is putting the spotlight on Asian restaurants in the state
There's a Maryland food influencer who's on a journey to showcase 100 Asian restaurants all over the state.
Kimberly Kong, who many know as Nomtastic Kim on Instagram and TikTok, started her #100AsianRestaurantsInMaryland series in December. Through it, she's been featuring eateries up and down the state.
For her, it's about showing off hidden gems that may need some help getting the spotlight.
A passion project
CBS News Baltimore got to tag along with Kong and her partner, Minje Suh, as they shot their post about Chosun Hwaro in Ellicott City. The Korean barbecue joint is right off of Baltimore National Pike.
As Kong and Suh moved through the restaurant, it was clear each shot captured on Suh's phone was one with intention, getting the perfect shot for the perfect dish.
Kong has been showing off the region's best eats for years, but after her dog died in November, she decided to start the 100 Asian restaurants series. It's a passion project she'd been thinking of doing for some time.
"I needed a place to put my grief, and I thought that this would be a really good opportunity to kind of pour my grief into something I'm so passionate about," Kong said. "So, in honor of my little floof, we launched our first episode in early December."
Kong and Suh, who met when Suh was a client of Kong's, aim to only feature mom and pop businesses that may not have much in the budget or staff for advertising themselves.
"I think for both of us, food is such a powerful and strong way for us to connect with our community and our culture," Kong said. "It's just been so great being able to learn so much more about other people's cultures."
The story behind the plate
Aside from getting mouthwatering shots of the dishes they're featuring, Kong and Suh feature each businesses' story as much as they can on their posts.
"Say [the post is about] a Filipino restaurant, we want to showcase what [motivated] them to create [their] menu," Suh said. "Is the menu created from their parents' recipes, or from their hometown?"
CBS News Baltimore saw this in action as Kong was sitting with Sean Kim, Chosun Hwaro's owner.
"How does your family story show up in Chosun Hwaro," Kong asked.
"We like going out to eat a lot, we just couldn't find good restaurants around in the area So, we decided why not make a restaurant ourselves," Kim replied.
Kong and Suh released their 80th video in the series Thursday. The one about Chosun Hwaro will be released soon.
