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Jollene Kuo Hastings

@edamommydearest

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eat. drink. be cultured.
🇹🇼🇺🇲 bilingual boymom • sweet tooth • jet-setter
📍kansas city + beyond ✈️
@vivilorekc
my life is my niche.

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Happy 1st year of being a restauranteur to meee!

How has it already been a year? Has it really only been a year? Ha, the perspective changes depending on the day! I am not one to boast, but I'm pretty proud of myself for taking @vivilorekc to places we've never been in the past 12 years. We've hosted events that are new and refreshing to our community, served customers at record high numbers, and continue to push the envelope in various ways. This year will be no different, as we take our food to the next level.

I couldn't have gotten this far without the support of many great customers (new and familiar), loyal staff (especially Mary), and my husband. So thankful for Mark's business savvy, and hearing all my highs and lows, day in and day out. Going into this, I was most looking forward to being partners with my husband in a way that we've not experienced before.

It's been an adjustment "getting back out there" (I was a SAHM for 9 years!), and there were many bumps along the way. But every day, I feel grateful for this opportunity that was completely orchestrated by God. I'm also proud of building my identity outside of motherhood and showing my boys this new side of Mommy.

If you haven't been in yet, come and support local; especially during these slower winter months! I hope you'll stop by and join us on this ride.

Onward and upward, here's to many more years of success!

(1 Cor. 10:31)
📸 cred to my Big Sis: @jazzminearl taken in Vivilore by @edamommydearest

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2 years ago

👋 Ni hao/你好! (That’s hello in Mandarin Chinese.)

I got new photos by the amazing @haleighhowellphotos, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to share a little about myself w/you guys!

❤️ My husband & I have been married for 10 years. We met during my P&L shenanigan days at The Jones. Iykyk.

📍I’m a bi-coastal transplant, now living in the Kansas City area! I was born & raised in California (w/a few years in Taiwan) then moved to NJ in 8th grade. I went from the 909 to the 908 🤯 & ended up at the University of Missouri for college. M-I-Z! 🐯

🥡 I share about food! I’m an all-around foodie (proud Yelp Elite!) but most passionate about experiencing Asian culture through food. Follow me for all the foodie finds, local & across travels! Warning: I'm obsessed w/boba 🧋 & have the biggest sweet tooth.

🇹🇼🇺🇲 I share about bilingual parenting & Asian content! I’m a SAHM to 2 boys. Since they were in my belly, I spoke to them in Mandarin Chinese, & now they go to Chinese School on the weekends. Just like I did! Growing up Asian & raised by grandparents, I have stories for days & eMoTiOnaL daMaGe. But I can laugh about it now & some of you probably relate!

I'm also a Christian, redefining my faith identity & journey. I love Jesus & ALL His people, especially those outside the church walls.

Since I was a little girl, I loved writing & storytelling. I won writing & speech contests in elementary school. I was an editor for my high school newspaper. In college, I was a broadcast journalism major. Most recently, I am a yearbook committee recruit for the PTA. 😆 In my past professional life, I worked as a news reporter, VJ, wedding videographer, marketing exec, blogger, & video creator...w/plenty of unrelated, in-between jobs. But social media content creation brings me so much joy. It allows me the freedom to write, create AND tell stories. So THANK YOU for being here!

👇 If you made it this far, drop your favorite food emoji in the comments! 🥐🍔🍟🍣🍜 taken in Lee's Summit, Missouri by @edamommydearest

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3 years ago

6th love language unlocked 🔓 🍰

I wasn't mad, I was just one dessert away from becoming a significantly nicer person.

If you also need a daily dose of dessert, especially one that's "not too sweet", then you're my kind of person.
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#dessert #asianfoodie #kansascity #kcdesserts #kcfoodie taken in Kansas City, Missouri by @edamommydearest

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12 days ago

Gotta catch 'em all! 💛

LEGO x Pokémon is available at Wal-Mart. This new collection is so fun, with characters that talk, make noises and light up. These are all part of the LEGO Smart Play system. Buy the "Training House", which includes Pikachu, as your starter set. Then build off of each set, collecting characters along the way. We loved hearing Pikachu snoring in the bed. Eevee and Pikachu talking to each other? So cute! 🤭 Most noises are activated via shaking the character or making contact on a specific LEGO piece, usually on their tummy/midsection area.

At this activation, you could also make a little mini LEGO set with a Pokeball to take home! My boys loved it!

Have you played with these sets, yet?

#lego #pokemon #legopokemon #kidsactıvıtıes #screenfreefun taken in Lees Summit, Missouri by @edamommydearest

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5 days ago

Pho cures all 🍜

When in doubt, Asian noodle soup is the way to go!

@vietnamcafekc is a Kansas City staple. While the original location undergoes repairs from a fire, this is your sign to go to their OP location for a pho fix! Soup season is my favorite! 😋

📍Vietnam Cafe OP
9500 W 135th St, Overland Park, KS 66221

P.S. Don't come for me just because I don't like bean sprouts in my Bánh Xèo. 🙃
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#vietnamesefood #asianfoodie #kcfood #kc #bánhxèo taken in Overland Park, Kansas by @edamommydearest

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4 days ago

bestie is 5 apples tall. 🍎 IYKYK

@hellokittycafevegas is newly opened and ready for tea service! As a girly girl who is never outgrowing her love for Hello Kitty, this experience is a must. Everything is so cutesy, I can't! And the details from bow-shaped radish and sugar cubes to gold flakes on the tea sandwiches. 🤌

📍Hello Kitty Cafe (inside The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace)
3500 Las Vegas Blvd S, Floor 2, Las Vegas, NV 89109

My favorite bites were actually the savory ones on the bottom tier of the tea tray. These included: crab crostini, curried egg salad sandwich, and deviled egg nest.

#hellokitty #lasvegas #hellokittycafe #lasvegasfoodie #teaparty taken in Hello Kitty Cafe Las Vegas by @edamommydearest

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10 days ago

Still thinking about no. 28 tbh 🤤

Viral Italian subs and sandwiches? Say less. Here are all the ones we've tried. Not a bad one in my book!

No. 28 Chicken Caesar Sandwich
No. 17 Meatball Sandwich
No. 33 Eggplant Parm
No. 57 Chicken Vodka Parm

River Market (walk-up)
📍518 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64106

Gladstone
📍7319 N Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, MO 64118

@italiansausageco is a local company and so good! Have you been yet?
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#kansascity #kc #Italiansub #italianfood #kcfoodie taken in Kansas City, Missouri by @edamommydearest

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6 days ago

The one where my namesake cousin gets hitched! 💍

View: Brooklyn Bridge at sunset (perfection.)
Dress code: New York Chic 🤌

My boys wore suits for the first time and kept calling them tuxedos. Reunited with my lovely friend, Laura. Savored family time with the young and old(er) gen. Ate well and took notes at ABC Kitchen.

Very demure, very mindful, very patiently waiting for the bride to drop pics first. 😉❤️ taken in DUMBO, Brooklyn by @edamommydearest

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9 days ago

🐼🐼🐼

Each ticket will include the Kansas City panda pin!

This weekend, October 9-11 at Legends Field.
📍1800 Village West Pkwy, Kansas City, KS 66111

Friday: 4pm-10pm | Saturday: 10am-10pm | Sunday: 10am-8pm
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#pandafest #pandafestkc #asianfoodfestival #kc asianfood taken in Kansas City, Missouri by @edamommydearest

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11 days ago

Where are my fellow bakery connoisseurs? 🍞

Btw, if you haven't been to @banhbylauren, consider this your sign. From iconic, pandemic pop-up in Chinatown, NY, to a national, pastry sensation. This place is the real deal. And the critics agree.

The résumé (nbd):
🔹️2026 James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery
🔹️Voted one of the Best Bakeries in America by The New York Times (2024)
🔹️Featured by NYT Cooking, Eater, and The Infatuation for their legendary Pandan Honeycomb Cake (bánh bo nuong)
🔹️The Infatuation ranked their chocolate chip cookie in the Top 10 in NYC for multiple years

📍Banh by Lauren
42 Market St, New York, NY 10002

These delicious, French-Vietnamese fusion treats are worth all the hype. Save for your next NYC, bakery crawl!

#asianfoodie #ChinatownNYC #NYCFoodie #banhbonuong #nyceats taken in Chinatown by @edamommydearest

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13 days ago

Because in Vegas, the best plans are the ones you make last min 🎀🐱

#hellokitty #vegas taken in Las Vegas, Nevada by @edamommydearest

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16 days ago

Never overdressed. ✨️

Had so much fun at Night 1 of @kc_fashionweek with @natalieinkc ! Dinner @laziakc + a show! 🍝👠 The new, European-style runway allowed for a closer look at all the details! (Fun fact: I walked in 10 seasons of KCFW, including the very FIRST season ever + a season while very pregnant! 💅)

P.S. My dress is from my 8th grade dance. I kid you not. What's old is new again. Does this make it vintage? 😆

#kcfw #kansascity #kcfashionweek #kc #kansascitymodel taken in Union Station Kansas City by @edamommydearest

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22 days ago