SuChin Pak’s Favorite Gifts to Give From Asian American Brands and Makers

Ettitudemakes all of its bedding from bamboo, a more sustainable material than cotton. It’s not the only brand that makes bamboo sheets. But its L.A.-based founder Phoebe Yu, who was born and raised in Shanghai, attempts to do so more sustainably and transparently (the company releasesso-called Impact Reportsthat document these efforts in detail). I appreciate this focus, but it’s the quality and feel of thelinensthat I think make them stand out. While you can always gift a set of those, Ettitude’s sleep bundle would let whomever you’re shopping for try a few things because it includes two pillowcases, an easy cami, and an eye mask, all of which are made from a sateen bamboo fabric that feels like the most luxurious silk.As a mom, I can’t imagine being anything other than delighted if I were to unwrap it.

My friend Chriselle Lim introduced me to this (admittedly very expensive) gadget during an episode ofAdd to Cart, when she told Kulap and me about how it not only helped her skin but also simplified her makeup routine. It’s hard to describe how it works without seeing it for yourself, but the device basically does two things. Using a built-in camera, it scans and detects any hyperpigmentation on the skin, then emits blue light to treat uneven areas. As it scans, the device also precisely applies an included serum (you can get in one of three shades) to areas that need attention, camouflaging problem spots without the need for a full face of foundation. The result is skin that looks like your skin, but with the most flattering Instagram filter. The tool was created by Filipino American Derrick Dinglasan, who foundedOpteafter studying medicine and then computer engineering. It would make a most luxurious gift to yourself — or a very special someone who wants for little else.

I started using these mints after my second child was born and I had trouble finishing sentences and emails.Neurofounders Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen met in college; Yoshimura practices Muay Thai, while Chen trained with the U.S. Paralympic Team, and they combined their passion for fitness with their degrees in neuroscience and chemistry to develop the line of mints and gums. The brand says that two of the mints equal about a cup of coffee in terms of energy, something I’ve found to be true. While they do have caffeine, the mints combine it with other ingredients like vitamins B6 and B12 that you won’t find in many (any?) beans, so I don’t get jittery like I can after having coffee. Now I buy them by the case (you can get a 12-pack in addition to this six-pack) so I can give the mints to my dad or new parents or anyone else who might be looking for things other than coffee or tea to help them focus and feel more energized. In addition to peppermint, they also come in a cinnamonflavor — and those who like them as much as I do can subscribe for regular deliveries and save a bit on each order.

There are, of course, those folks who’d rather get their energy and focus from coffee or tea. In my life, they’re often my kids’ teachers, all of whom over this past year received one of these bundles fromCopper Cow Coffee, a company founded by Vietnamese American Debbie Wei Mullin. The set has all the ingredients you need to make pour-over Vietnamese coffee, Thai iced tea, and chai tea, including what I consider the most important element: single-serve packets of sweetened condensed milk. (To make the gift even sweeter, I suggest pairing it with afun mug.)

These ceramic wall vases from San Francisco–based artistSam Leeare a beautiful addition to any space, whether home, classroom, or office. Even someone with tons of traditional vases will appreciate how the unique vessels are décor in themselves — and even more so when you fill them with a fresh (or dried,orfaux) flower or something more imaginative.

Speaking offlowers, this set of (caffeine-free) floral teas fromThe Qiwould be a fun twist on the concept for anyone you might typically give an arrangement to. Watching the dried buds unfold into giant flowers as they steep in hot water can be so meditative, not to mention beautiful. The Special Connection set includes a sampling of the brand’s herbal flower teas, including lotus, chrysanthemum, and rose, all of whichChinese American founder (and Strategist contributor) Lisa Lisources from remote villages in Asia where residents have been brewing them like this for some time. Making it more giftable are an included glass pot you use to brew the teas and two delicate, gold-rimmed glass cups to drink them from.

I’ve given wooden toys from Merci Milo to my adult friend Carol Lim, who was delighted beyond measure to receive them. But the different sizes and colors and pleasing-to-the-touch wood bodies of the eggs in this nest make them just as good a gift for kids. These eggs’ shape, texture, and colors will stimulate the senses of theyoungest chilren(who are old enough to hold them), whiletoddlerscan use them for more imaginative play andolder kidscan appreciate them as a way to learn more about the actual birds whose eggs inspired their design. Merci Milo is a favorite place to find toys and other precious things every other child doesn’t have. Its Asian American founder Caroline Rodrigues follows in the footsteps of her immigrant grandfather, who owned a small children’s store in Los Angeles for more than 15 years.

[Editor’s note: This boxed wooden egg set is sold out, but the similarboxed wooden mushroom setis in stock for $47, along with hundreds of otherwooden toysof all types.]

Everyone has a special someone in their life whoappreciates gifts of quality. Mine is mymother-in-law, a collector of vintage furniture and art and someone I don’t mind spending a bit more on to impress. I’ve carried a bucket bag fromBuilding Blockfor years and it has never gone out of style. Sisters Kimberly and Nancy Wu founded the accessories brand after years of working in product design for Honda and Nike. Each of their bags, wallets, and other leather goods are handmade in Taiwan at a family-run workshop. Like my bucket bag, this (vegan-dyed) basket bag is designed to be timeless: It’s neither too big nor too small and comes with a removable coin pouch, making it more like two gifts in one.

Next to sourdough loaves, it seems a lot of people have been busy making babies during the pandemic. To new parents (or any parents), I love to give these colorful yet sophisticated cane frames fromSociety Social, a brand known for furniture and décor that nods to its founder Roxy Te’s North Carolina and Filipino roots. Everyoneoohsandaahsover them (no matter if pictures of kids make it inside).

Asian or not, every kid should be taught how useful chopsticks are at a table. The skill of deftly moving food from one plate to another will serve them well into adulthood. I’ve given each of my kids these starter sets fromUmami Mart, which make learning how to handle the tricky utensils a lot more fun. If you come for the chopsticks, I suggest browsing the site’sconbinisection (conbinimeansconvenience storein Japanese), a treasure trove of drinks, sauces, instant noodles, and incredibly handykitchen accessories. Founders Kayoko Akabori and Yoko Kumano created a website that’s like a shoppable love letter to Asian food and culture; everything on it feels curated with an eye toward even the most discerning fans of Asian cuisine.

[Editor’s note: This exact pair of training chopsticks is sold out, but Kotobuki’sKitty- andElephant-themed kids’ chopsticks are in stock for the same price.]

Chop Suey Clubis a store in the Lower East Side that curates really cool stuff from mostly young Chinese artists and designers. It’s my first stop for hard-to-shop-for people like close guy friends or my younger brother, whom I’ve been eyeing this book for ahead of his birthday.Until Death Do Us Partchronicles the use of cigarettes in Chinese weddings during the ’80s and ’90s through a collection of photos that its author Thomas Sauvin salvaged from a recycling plant near Beijing. (Sauvin, who is French, made the book with Jiazazhi, an independent Chinese publisher.) Custom was for the bride to light a cigarette for all the men invited to the wedding and then the bride and groom would play smoking games as part of the celebration. Each paperback book is packaged in a red Chinese cigarette box that’s as neat to look at as the photos inside.

Everybody has asnacker(or two or three) in their life. I love surprising mine with tasty treats fromTuk Tuk Box, which delivers all sorts of snacks that its Southeast Asian founders Christy Innouvong and Beatriz Aurelio-Saguin grew up eating to doorsteps nationwide. My favorite is the Just the Noods Box, an homage to all kinds of Southeast Asian instant noodles that comes with two sets of chopsticks and eight to ten varieties of noodles in varying degrees of funk, from mild to strong and spicy. But that’s just one of its many specialty boxes, some of which can be ordered via subscription so your hungriest loved ones will always have a steady supply.

These equally artistic and practical ceramic bowls are my go-to gifts for pet parents. (Who says humans are the only species to spoil with nicer things to eat or drink from?) They come in two sizes (each is sold separately) and are also made in Brooklyn by the female artisans behindFranca, a ceramics studio co-founded by two Pratt students — one of whom, Sierra Yip-Bannicq, grew up in Beijing. While made for pets, I think the bowls are gorgeous enough to hold snacks for two-legged humans as well.

This last gift is the most specific, but perhaps the most thoughtful for anyone who would appreciate it. I discovered Han Books years ago while racking my brains to get something for my dad. He wasn’t around much growing up because he worked six days a week. My earliest memories of my dad are of him reading the few books in Korean he brought with him when he moved to the U.S. Of all the things he had to leave behind when he came here, access to books he could understand has always been one of his most profound losses. That’s why I was so excited to findHan Books, which sells Korean translations of lots of titles. Every year, I give my dad some the best books I’ve read;Klara and the Sunis one I know he’ll be getting this year. While we may not always understand each other (because my Korean is so terrible), it means so much knowing that my dad and I will always be able to communicate through these books.