(RE)CREATING NOSTALGIA: PHILIP WANG

FROM WONGFU TO BOPOMOFO When speaking to Philip Wang, you can immediately feel his passion for storytelling. The young co-founder of Wongfu Productions has been directing, writing, and acting in short videos for over a decade. And for those familiar with Wongfu shorts, the concept of time is a common motif found in their content. In short films such as “Strangers, Again” or “Single by 30,” the idea that the flow of time can change relationships yet bring people back to the place where they began is recalled time and time again. Phil shares that as the years have passed, time has gifted him a greater perspective on how the world works and what cultural trends are: “In the beginning, it was about making things we liked and things that represented us. There wasn’t a heavy weight over us to define what we were doing. Maybe that’s why it resonated with people because it was authentic and organic. As we’ve gotten older, we now understand why Wongfu happened and took off the way that it did and why we want to build it today because of a bigger picture perspective and a more holistic approach.” This past year, the young director, writer, actor, influential online personality, and dreamer has added a new title to his identity: a bubbletea shop owner.

After having produced so many video shorts and even a movie or two, Phil embarked on this new journey to deliberately create a place where time could be captured for and in his hometown of Los Angeles. He chose to start his business in the heart of

San Gabriel, a small hub in L.A. where many Chinese Americans congregate for shopping and Chinese food. The restaurant came into discursive existence in 2016. After a few false starts, Phil and his good friend Eric Wang finally found the perfect space in 2018 and made it a place in 2019. Today, the café is “a playground to explore his ideas and share.” Phil shares wholeheartedly: “Bopomofo Cafe pays homage to the way we grew up.”