05/05/2026
It's MAY!
Welcome to one of our favorite months of the year. May is special to us for many reasons. With the weather growing reliably warm, our food truck season officially kicks off this week. We're looking forward to busy weekends and late sunsets for the next few months.
Our calendar is quickly filling up with graduations, weddings, birthdays, office parties, and festivals. Click the link below to book us for your next event!
SHOP SMALL, SHOP LOCAL
May is National Small Business Month
We believe that every bite and sip contributes to the heartbeat of our community. This Small Business Month, we invite you to shop small and support local as much as you can. Your choice to dine with us not only fills your belly with delicious poke and bubble tea but also helps keep our local economy vibrant.
Thank you for supporting us so that we can continue doing what we love. 💖
ASIAN AMERICAN & PACIFIC ISLANDER INFLUENCE
Did you know that May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month? This special month honors the rich history, culture, and contributions of AAPI communities across the United States. Hawaiian poke and Taiwanese bubble tea are two great examples of how AAPI heritage has shaped modern American food culture.
HISTORY OF POKE
Poke is a native Hawaiian dish that evolved into its modern form through the "Plantation Era" melting pot of Asian immigrants.
Native Hawaiians first ate diced fish as a snack with readily available ingredients such as sea salt and seaweed (limu). Japanese immigrants then introduced soy sauce and sesame oil and turned poke into a meal by serving it over rice. Aromatics and heat were then introduced by the Chinese and Koreans through ginger, green onion, sesame seeds, and chili flakes.
These diverse influences contributed to the version of poke that we enjoy today at Hometown.
HISTORY OF BUBBLE TEA
Boba (a.k.a. "bubble tea") originated in Taiwan and was brought over to the US in the 90s. Immigrant communities opened bubble tea shops which functioned as social "third spaces" for young Asian Americans.
In the 2000s, the bubble tea market exploded in the US due to globalization and the growth of the Asian-American population. New flavors such as Ube (Filipino), Thai Tea (Thai), and Matcha (Japanese) were introduced to appeal to a diversifying palate. What started out as a niche, culturally specific drink, has moved into American mainstream with thousands of locations across the country.
Hometown Poke and Bubble Tea would not exist without the influence of AAPI culture and immigration in this country. We are proudly Asian American, and that is reflected in everything we serve.
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