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Featured Bio:

Ricky Ly

b. July of 1985 (West Palm Beach, FL) (Vietnamese Heritage)


          "Ricky Ly is a local community activist, author, and the founder of the local award-winning Orlando multimedia food and travel guide, TastyChomps.com. The son of Vietnamese refugees, he grew up in and around local Asian markets and restaurants and is passionate about sharing stories about our local Orlando food and beverage scene. He has been named by Orlando Magazine Orlando’s 50 Most Powerful People – Ones to Watch in 2023 and 2024, Orlando Sentinel’s Culinary Hall of Fame, and Orlando Weekly’s People Who Make Orlando A Better Place. He currently serves on the board of directors for Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida working to find solutions to ending hunger in our community and is the co-founder of AAPI Coming Together, a local Orlando organization focused on increasing AAPI civic engagement. He was recognized for his work by Congressman Darren Soto for AAPI Heritage Month, having his biography read into the US Congressional Record." (Stephens).

Media

Episode 5: Ricky Ly on Orlando Vietnamese

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Our guest for this episode is Ricky Ly - Founder of the tastychomps.com food blog and the Author of "Food Lover’s Guide to Orlando: The Best Restaurants, Markets, and Local Culinary Offerings." He is featured in Season 7 of the Netflix Series: “Somebody Feed Phil” starring Philip Rosenthal. He is a civil engineer and an alumnus of the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida. Ricky Ly has an active presence in the Vietnamese and Asian American communities of Orange County, Florida.

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Vietnamese Exhibit:
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          "In the 1970s, thousands of Vietnamese war refugees fled their native land, desperately seeking a new beginning, free of political persecution for themselves and their children. Many of those refugees settled just north of downtown Orlando and began opening businesses and revitalizing a fairly lackluster part of the city. This area, home to the largest Vietnamese community in the state, once was called "Little Vietnam" by locals and visitors. Recently, however, the neighborhood was rebranded the "Mills 50 District," as part of the Orlando Main Street Program. The new name reflects the major intersection here – Mills Avenue and Colonial Drive (SR 50) – but it doesn't quite capture the essence of the area. It is a place that beckons to visitors, a genuine and real-life attraction just a short drive from the nearby theme-park wonderlands" (Ketcham).


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