NOVA ESEA

Your guide to the UK's best ESEA (East & Southeast Asian) music, arts, culture & more

FEATURE

Monica Hsueh on Resilience, Migration and Stand-Up in London

Taiwanese comedian Monica Hsueh went from lockdown banter to a full live hour with How to Be a Strong Woman in One Hour in London, her funny and honest show about resilience, migration and messy life moments.

NOVA ESEA

My Kids Are Hungry: Vietnamese comfort, made for Southbank weekends

Born in lockdown and run by Vivien, a London mum-of-three, My Kids Are Hungry serves home-cooked Vietnamese comfort food with an easygoing “family kitchen” vibe. The stall grew from sharing recipes online to a full-time spot at Southbank Centre Food Market, and yes, the kids helped choose the menu. What to eat? Two signatures stand out: chicken & prawn bao — pan-fried, juicy, sesame-topped dumplings — and a crunchy, classic bánh mì. Everything at the stall is nut-free, wh

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My Kids Are Hungry Asian Food Stall at Southbank Centre Market

Sen Noods 仙麵: Best Dan Dan & Vegan Ramen in London

East Asian noodles, made for London streets. Sen Noods began as a lockdown idea between two friends, Godfrey and Johnny. They were living together, both out of work, and kept joking about “one day” running a food truck. In late 2021 they bought a van and actually did it. Their first bestseller was a soy-milk ramen inspired by an episode of Food Wars, created to give the menu a strong vegan option. Today, it is one of their most ordered bowls. From kitchen mates to a noodle

NOVA ESEA

Sen Noods 仙麵: Best Dan Dan & Vegan Ramen in London

Meet Cantoast: Hong Kong Style French Toast

At Victoria Park Market each weekend, Cantoast keeps things simple: thick-cut milk bread, dipped and fried, topped with butter, golden syrup and condensed milk. It looks classic because that is the point. The founder wants the toast to feel familiar to people from Hong Kong and easy to try for first-timers. (updated: Cantoast no longer in Victoria Park, you can find them at Shōtengai Market at King's Cross) The key is the bread. They bake their own Shokupan (milk bread) s

NOVA ESEA

Meet Cantoast: Hong Kong Style French Toast

Wheelcake Island: Taiwanese‑Japanese Pancakes Winning Londoners One Flip at a Time

When JC and Yin set up a modest griddle stall in an Oxford market back in 2017, the goal was simple: pay rent and cure homesickness with the sweet, round pancakes they grew up eating. Six years and thousands of wheel‑shaped cakes later, Wheelcake Island has become a fixture at Old Spitalfields Market, luring queues with the hiss of batter and the scent of custard and azuki bean. A “fun‑to‑watch” dessert that caught London’s eye "People were intrigued by the cooking process

NOVA ESEA

Wheelcake Island: Taiwanese‑Japanese Pancakes Winning Londoners One Flip at a Time

ABOUT

NOVA ESEA is dedicated to curating and spotlighting the most vibrant East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) cultural experiences, creating a central hub that makes it effortlessly simple for both enthusiasts and newcomers to discover and engage with music, arts, and cultural showcases. Our aim is to become the definitive online platform, where the richness of ESEA culture is celebrated, shared, and explored, bridging communities and fostering connections through the universal language of art and heritage.

NOVA ESEA

Your guide to the UK's best ESEA (East & Southeast Asian) music, arts, culture & more

FEATURE

Monica Hsueh on Resilience, Migration and Stand-Up in London

My Kids Are Hungry: Vietnamese comfort, made for Southbank weekends

Sen Noods 仙麵: Best Dan Dan & Vegan Ramen in London

Meet Cantoast: Hong Kong Style French Toast

Wheelcake Island: Taiwanese‑Japanese Pancakes Winning Londoners One Flip at a Time

ABOUT

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