FOOD ROOTS Documentary Gets National Premiere on PBS

This May will mark the national premiere of the documentary Food Roots from Sunda New Asian CEO/Founder and Emmy Award-winning restaurateur, Billy Dec, coinciding with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.

In partnership with American Public Television, the doc will be available to audiences nationwide throughout May, streaming on the PBS app and airing on local PBS stations. It will also debut on YouTube via Billy Dec's channel (@BillyDecLife) beginning May 1.

Food Roots received Audience Choice Awards at the Nashville Film Festival and Vero Beach Film Festival, with additional screenings at the Chicago International Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, and others. 

The project includes three-time Oscar-winning executive producer Doug Blush (20 Feet from Stardom, Icarus, The Elephant Whisperers), Emmy Award-winning director Michele Josue, Grammy Award-winning artist apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas, Oscar-nominated producer Ronnie Del Carmen (Up, Inside Out), and creative agency COACT. 

Food Roots follows Dec on a journey through his mother's native Philippines, 7,641 islands, where he reconnects with his last living elders, uncovers ancestral recipes, and explores how food preserves identity, memory, and cultural connection. Traveling by plane, boat, motorcycle, jeepney, and on foot, Dec moves through bustling cities, remote islands, and mountain villages to capture traditions.

In celebration of the premiere, Sunda New Asian will introduce a curated lineup of AAPI-inspired dishes and cocktails available at all locations throughout May. Several of the featured menu items are directly inspired by flavors and culinary traditions explored in the film.

Featured AAPI Month offerings include Kinilaw with pressed tuna and calamansi coconut dressing, Lobster Lumpia with sweet chili butter, Ohhkoy Fritter with purple sweet potato and saswasan dipping sauce, and Short Rib Kare Kare with achiote peanut sauce and bagoong chili crisp. Beverage highlights include the Golden Sun cocktail with Grey Goose La Poire, calamansi, and prosecco, as well as the spirit-free specialty cocktail, sunrise, featuring yuzu, passionfruit, and San Pellegrino sparkling blood orange.

Throughout the month, Sunda will also host a series of special events tied to the Food Roots premiere, including major screenings in Chicago, along with a public-facing celebration in Detroit. Additional event details and programming will be announced in the coming weeks.

Sunda New Asian is the award-winning restaurant concept Dec founded in 2009. The restaurant has locations in Chicago, Nashville, Tampa, and a newly opened Detroit outpost in The District Detroit.