Welcome!
Hey folks! Summer days are just around the corner, and you know what that means—the Asper Scoop is back and better than ever with me, Yosi Jacobowitz, ready to bring you the latest and greatest with The Asper Scoop. May is a particularly exciting month because it ushers in the warm, sunny weather we’ve all been craving (or so we thought). May is also packed with fun events like the Met Gala, “May the Fourth Be With You,” Cinco de Mayo, and the NHL and NBA playoffs. Whether you’re a Star Wars geek like me or a sporty fashionista, there’s something exciting for everyone!
May also brings in Asian Heritage Month, a month dedicated to highlighting and showcasing Asian Canadians, Pacific Islanders, and people of Asian origin all around the world. In honour of Asian Heritage Month, I had the privilege of interviewing a few members of Tring5 Cafe and Asper’s own Juliana Dabalos to learn how they got started in business and what pride and representation mean to them.
Without further ado, let’s get into this month’s edition of the Asper Scoop: Showcasing Asian Excellence
Tring5 Cafe: A Taste of Home
Leah Chang, owner and head chef of Tring5 Cafe, came to Canada with her family in 2012, never imagining she would open a restaurant. Laid off from her job due to COVID-19, Leah began making and selling triangle rice to her friends and family from home. It wasn’t long before she had a steady customer base, but the idea of opening a restaurant only dawned on her when a customer suggested it.
With little to no experience in starting or running a restaurant, Leah relied on her family to help build Tring5 Cafe from the ground up—literally. To save on costs, Leah and her family rolled up their sleeves, putting up drywall, painting the entire interior themselves, and so much more. After months of hard work and dedication from Leah’s family and her landlord, Tring5 opened its doors at 3305 Portage Avenue.
Family is at the heart of everything Tring5 does, and it truly shows. They started Tring5 Cafe together and continue to run it as a team. Tring5 Cafe has thrived not only because of its delicious and unique Korean street food but also because of the warm, family-like ambiance it creates. When you enter Tring5, you feel like part of the family, and that sense of belonging keeps customers coming back.
Owning and operating a business has taught them the importance of community connections. “We love learning about different cultures from our customers,” Leah shared. “Creating a community where everyone feels welcome and positive is very important to us.” There were many difficult moments throughout the business process; however, it was important to Leah and her family to share their culture and food with Winnipeg. Anna Chang, manager of Tring5 Cafe, explained that she was nervous people would be too scared to try Tring5 because no one was offering what they had, but to their surprise, the community loved it and even began marketing and promoting their products for free.
Representation and Asian pride have always been very important to Tring5 because they would not be where they are without the support of the Asian community. Winnipeg is an extremely diverse city with many differences; however, food unites us and allows us to share our cultures, which creates tolerance and understanding. Tring5 Cafe aims to continue sharing its food and exposing all of Winnipeg to Korean cuisine and culture.
Tring5 is super excited about opening its second location at 100 Osborne Street this summer. Follow them on Instagram @tring5ca to stay updated on all their exciting upcoming news. It was also important to Anna, Leah, and Francisco (Leah’s son and Tring5 supervisor) to take this opportunity to highlight other Korean and Asian restaurants as well. There is such a rich and vibrant Asian community in Winnipeg, and they would have been remiss if they didn’t also highlight Sushi One, Little Korea, Tokyo Sushi, Kuma Sushi, and many other local Asian businesses. Anna and her family urge everyone to spread the love with all Asian businesses, which speaks to their character and explains why Tring5 Cafehas captured the hearts of Winnipeg.
Juliana Dabalos: Creating a Community
Juliana Dabalos, a fifth-year marketing student at Asper, has always been passionate about her culture and fostering a sense of community since her early days at university. She reached out to the University of Manitoba Filipino Students Association (UMFSA) straight out of high school and officially joined the group in 2021. Eager to get more involved, it was only a short time before Juliana found herself in a leadership position as the president of the UMFSA.
Juliana was thrilled to have found a community, but she had big hopes and visions for the UMFSA, aiming to expand their reach and connect with as many students as possible. Starting in 2024, Juliana and her team took the club to new heights by partnering with local businesses and working alongside the Filipino consulate to reach out to international students.
As president, Juliana’s goal was to expand their horizons and set a strong foundation for the association, ensuring that future members have the resources they need to thrive and connect with students across the city. It was imperative that the club feel like a warm and inviting place for newcomers to join. By hosting events and partnering with small Filipino businesses in Winnipeg, Filipino students could share their food and culture with others. Many Filipino students who grew up in Canada search for a connection to their past and history. Providing a space for students to explore their heritage was a significant reason why Juliana took the initiative to expand the club and create a strong support system for the future.
As Asian Heritage Month comes to a close, we welcome Filipino Heritage Month in June. Juliana explained that Asian and Filipino pride is invaluable because it’s important to remember your history and culture and not forget where you came from. For second or third-generation immigrants, finding your place within your community can be challenging, but the UMFSA provides a place for young Filipino adults to discover what Filipino pride means to them.
To celebrate Filipino pride, UMFSA is partnering with several local institutions to offer a variety of workshops throughout June. From martial arts to Filipino Indigenous history workshops, there are opportunities for everyone to engage in Filipino activities and share them with their community. UMFSA will be very active in the coming months with workshops and elections, so make sure to follow their Instagram @uofm.fsa to stay updated on all the amazing events and opportunities to get involved!
See You Next Month <3
And with that, we wrap up our May edition of The Asper Scoop! Thank you to Anna Chang, Leah Chang, and Francisco Li from Tring5 Cafe, as well as Juliana Dabalos for sharing your stories with us. And how could I forget about my lovely readers? Thank you for reading, I truly appreciate it, and stay tuned for next month’s edition!
Pookie Out ✌️