Your Rich BFF founder Vivian Tu picks up her NYC Chinatown favorites for a girls’ night in

On this episode of In The Know Eats: Dinner Party, TikToker, financial literacy expert, and founder of Your Rich BFF, Vivian Tu (@your.richbff) hosts a party for her closest girlfriends at her New York City apartment, featuring everyone’s favorite type of currency: delicious food

Instead of cooking, Vivian is catering her party using her favorite local shops in NYC’s Chinatown. Her first stop is Mei Lai Wah Bakery, where Vivian picks up some baked buns to serve as an appetizer. She goes with pineapple roast pork, plain, and a “cocktail” bun, which features pineapple and coconut, to round out the fresh first course. 

Next stop on Vivian’s Chinatown tour is one of her “favorite sports in all of Chinatown,” Uncle Lou’s, which will be providing the TikToker with the main course for her party. After greeting Uncle Lou himself, Vivian procures an assortment of veggies, seafood and meat, including the house special salt and pepper pork chops. Armed with plenty of delicious dishes, Vivian heads home to prepare for the evening. 

Sampling along the way (who could resist?) Vivian plates the dishes family-style to accompany the modern, tasteful table setup. “It reminds me of growing up in a Chinese home,” says Vivian on the family-style meal. “Us grabbing food over the lazy Susan–I’m so excited to do that with friends tonight.” 

No good dinner spread is complete without a tasty beverage, so Vivian is serving Lunar Hard Seltzers, which uses real Asian fruits like yuzu and lychee. “Not only is Lunar delicious, but they also donate to AAPI non-profits every single month,” shares Vivian. 

With the food and drinks all set up, it’s time for the festivities to begin! Vivian’s friends make their way into the apartment and immediately crack open some Lunar seltzers, marveling at the unique flavor options. 

After a quick toast, everyone sits around the table, and Vivian provides a detailed rundown of the Chinatown delicacies. Luckily, Vivian knows her closest friends’ preferences when it comes to food, so there’s something for everyone, including a tofu and mixed vegetable dish for one of the guests who doesn’t eat meat, and ginger scallion shrimp and Peking duck, for meat-eaters. 

As her guests enjoy the meal and lively conversations, the financial literacy expert proves that good friends and good food are definitely worth investing in! 

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