Meet Bonnie Tseng | Social Impact Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bonnie Tseng and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bonnie, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
I have three quotes that define my approach to most situations and opportunities. They allow me to tap into the superpower of empathy, resulting in more agile decisions. 1. Kindness is the power to make life even more beautiful.
2. Good people have bad days so forgive, even if it’s yourself.
3. It’s not a no, it’s more like a long yes.

What should our readers know about your business?
My superpower is that I am a true left and right brainer, tapping into both logic and intuition. Sometimes I’m more creative, sometimes I’m more strategic, and other times, it’s a perfect symphony of both, simultaneously. This duality allows me to make sense of and organize artistic pursuits to have more capacity and fulfillment in life. Creativity drives me, strategic thinking enables more of it to be possible.

I provide leadership consulting for social responsibility and diversity strategies and am excited to contribute to an industry thought leader, Virtuous Innovation, who artfully provides business solutions infused with the socially conscious mindset. I’m also reshaping my virtual platform BeauTV, Inc. to help others live, see, and thrive more beautifully from a global perspective on travel, culture, food, and beauty. My personal passions, actually! We all need to live more beautifully and inspired right now.

Lessons: give everything time to develop a more holistic understanding and strategic perspective. Understanding what people want or need always results in better business decisions. Have a master plan, but don’t be afraid to change course if something is no longer relevant.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Let’s start and end with the best view in L.A.! It is absolutely essential to start and end any visit or vacation with the Griffith Park Observatory. Day time, sunsets, and star gazing. Pro tip: Bring a decadent champagne picnic with prepared dips, salads, breads, cheese, charcuterie, smoked fish, and caviar from Eastern bloc specialties found at Jon’s Market. After taking all the selfies with the Hollywood sign and beach to mountain views as your real life backdrop, go down the hill to my favorite walkable L.A. “Village,” Los Feliz. Los Feliz is the best of local culture that is uniquely Los Angeles. Finley Street is the photogenic palm lined street landmarked by the very first Gurdwara temple. Hungry? Thirsty? Start with happy hour (or any hour) at Figaro on Vermont. You may end any night there too, but I will get to that later… After fueling up with spritz, martini, bubbly, and some apps (they are all good), it’s time to hit the road, on foot.
Meander through the unique shops on Vermont. Highlights are: Skylight Books, Sumi’s for handcrafted jewelry, LaLa Ling kids clothes, LEAP Wardrobe, where the owner is the designer and curates local and international finds, Half off Clothing to find an L.A. outfit from glam embroidered dresses to the swim shorts that didn’t get packed, or a funky T-shirt to commemorate the trip. It’s time for a snack… Look across Vermont to fuel yourself after shopping.
Pattaya Bay for authentic Thai (get the shrimp cakes, papaya salad with crispy pork, Issan Thai sausage, house special pad thai Sukhothai, and the soft shelled crab with basil), Starfish Sushi for fun rolls or nigiri, sashimi, and tempura, or for a massive real Italian deli sub, Eastside Deli. Another stop is Mirate for the most tequila bar, ever, and an upscale Tlayuda (crispy, thin, Oaxacan corn tortilla “pizza”). Turn east from Vermont on to Hollywood Blvd. for the ultimate Los Feliz Art gallery, books, and souvenir destination, Wacko. Cross everyone off your list there.
Next is walking to Hillhurst Ave. for less shopping, more food, and eye candy. Los Feliz has long been known for having the best-looking, and bravest Firemen who will always wave back. Their firehouse is across the street from the Enterprise Car Rental and the Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada…in Los Feliz. Low key celebrity sightings can be found further up Hillhurst starting with a favorite upscale and authentic Chinese restaurant (and full bar), Chi Dynasty, in the neighborhood for generations. In the same shopping center is the loud and very local Ye Rustic Inn, a mecca of drink and some of the best fried (and non-fried) food to pair. I vouch for their wings. Across the street is La Pergoletta is known for homemade pasta (stuffed Gnocchi!) and semi recognizable wine sippers. The Drawing Room is the other dive bar. For the real undercover sightings everyone wants from L.A., fortunately with consistent great food, espresso, decadent desert, and an award winning bar program, it’s the Alcove, also on Hillhurst.
Going into dinner and beyond, it’s back to Vermont for a real Sicilian red sauce joint, with almost free wine while you wait and stiff bar drinks, it’s Palermo Italian Restaurant. Personally, I order piccata, side of alfredo pasta, fried zucchini. Pizza is of course, the more obvious choice. Cross the street for a dessert at the House of Pies. Post dinner, down Vermont again, it’s time for the Dresden, a mix of L.A. white booth fine dining on one side, and a hopping bar and live music scene on the other. I do not recommend their signature “Blood and Sand” cocktail, but everyone should absolutely order one at least once. After the music, have one more cocktail at Figaro before heading up to Fred 62 for a late night nosh. Thai cobb salad is my favorite, but friends usually order breakfast or fried mac n cheese. If there’s still time, it’s back up to the Griffith Park Observatory for more star gazing.

I can absolutely “shout out” to so many other stimulating pockets in L.A. but I’ll focus on experiences distributed amongst the offbeat Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and Downtown, then heading west to Culver City and Mar Vista. Pick a day for any of the other experiences below.

Chinatown is always a stop for visiting friends. We fuel up on Po Boys early in the day at the Little Jewel of New Orleans. Besides having a drool worthy array of beverages, their food (everything) is delicious, fresh, and authentic. All the recipes were perfected by Chef and Owner Marcus, a second generation New Orleans Sicilian. Their bread is actually shipped from New Orleans! Favorites are the Crab Royale or Crab Supreme, and the Muffaletta with sides of Craw Mac, okra, and hush puppies.

After fueling up, we wander local Chinatown bakeries, food shops, and gift shops, as we make our way to the art galleries and shops that occupy historic buildings and store fronts along Chung King Road. Every first Friday, they stay open late for an art, music, and food filled evening after dark. Full House or Yang Chow are the popular traditional spots, but Steep LA, Pearl River Deli, Lasita, and Golden Tree are the new generation of Chinatown favorites. For drinks, it’s General Lee’s and Melody Lounge.

Little Tokyo is just a short stop away and everyone loves to check out their Japanese Pop Culture shops. We’re usually loaded up on pastries from the different styles of Japanese bakeries and dessert shops. Fugetsu-Do is the spot for traditional sweets, and Yamazaki, Café Dulce, and Okayama Kobo bakeries are other long time favorites. For ramen, it’s a toss up between Shin Sen Gumi (thinner noodles), Daikokuya (spicy options), Orochon (hearty), or one of my top picks, MenOh Tokoshima Ramen in the Honda Plaza. Drink and eat the rest of the Little Tokyo evening away in good company at the new Peking Tavern. Shout out to owners Andrew and Andrew for holding it down with their impressive array of authentic dumplings, mouth watering legit sauces, and crafty cocktails!

Downtown is a hub of culture and art. A day can be spent wandering the galleries and public art dispersed amongst historical buildings and the Music Center, which houses four theaters. Start with the Fine Arts Building on West 7th Street because the curated exhibits and the building itself are visually intriguing. Moving east to the Historic Core on Spring Street, I always visit my friends at The Hive and Gloria Delson Fine Art. The Spring Street Arcade further north is convenient to check out smaller studios and grab a bite.

Further East, the Arts District spots include Art Share and Angel City Brewery which displays more pieces, and further east is Corey Helford Gallery which is a very L.A. immense, intensely stimulating mix of fine art pop culture and heart melting whimsy. Spend a day at the museums in the heart of downtown such as the Broad, the Japanese American National Museum – JANM, MOCA, the Geffen Contemporary, La Plaza Cultura Y Artes. South of Downtown is the Grammy Museum and Exposition Park which offers the California African American Museum, the California Science Center, the Natural History Museum, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

Heading west from Exposition Park usually involves a trip to the beach. In between, there are pockets of culture and food that I always bring friends to. First stop is Papa Christo’s Greek restaurant in the historic Byzantine Latino quarter. Grilled Octopus (Oktapodakia), Marides, Shrimp Santorini, the feta plate, lamb chops, Moussaka, and their Gyro are favorites, and for some reason, they have one of the absolute best baguettes in the city. Their tzatziki and pita also have some secret magic I haven’t quite figured out. This family run business is on their fourth generation, and lucky for us, they’re all friendly and welcoming.
Next is exploring the West Adams Arts District, which is a South Los Angeles hub of Black owned businesses intertwined with artists both seasoned and emerging who were priced out of Downtown or who wanted more freedom and space.

Driving west to Culver City is my favorite pocket of Indian cuisine to share with friends. Annapurna Cuisine is vegetarian, specializing in South Indian dosas (crepes). My favorites: Special Rava Masala Dosa, the massive thin and crispy Paper Masala Dosa, and the Chilly Cheese dosa. Moving on to heftier regional Indian dishes just two blocks away, Banana Leaf, has an immense variety of both meat and vegetarian dishes. Chicken 65, Jackfruit Tikka Masala, their signature Saag (palak) Paneer made without cream, and Tindora stuffing fry a uniquely Indian tiny gourd coated with a crispy topping, and any of their Biryanis are usually ordered on repeat.

I end the crawl to the west side at adjoining Accomplice Bar and Little Fatty Taiwanese Soul Food restaurant in Mar Vista. The crafted cocktails are only upped by the fact that we can order authentic new Taiwanese cuisine with a retro underpinning to pair. We start with a Midori Sour or Woo Woo to go with our Squid Ink XLB dumplings, flaky Beef roll, Popcorn Quail bites, General Tso’s Cauliflower, Sichuan Eggplant, Shaking Beef, Hainan Chicken, Walnut Shrimp, and 100% legit Beef Chow Fun. It’s the perfect metaphor for the juxtaposition of cultures and passions that is uniquely L.A.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to these nonprofits and their leaders who inspire and motivate me every day and who enrich my life purpose of giving back to the community through servant leadership on nonprofit boards and committees that support impactful programs in diverse and creative communities.

Shoutout to the following organizations and their unstoppable leaders: Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk (shoutout to Qathryn Brehm), the LATTC Foundation (shoutout to Victor Reyes, Local 44 and myself), the Entertainment Community Fund (shoutout to Keith McNutt and David Rambo), the Hollywood Heritage Museum (shoutout to Brian Curran and Angie Schneider), Chrysalis (shoutout to Mark Loranger), and the Center for the Pacific Asian Family (shoutout to Patima Komolamit and Debra Suh). Thank you for doing collaboratively what we can’t accomplish alone.

Website: BeauTV.com; creativeheat.com

Instagram: @theBonnieTseng

Other: instagram.com/downtownartwalk