Q&A with Amanda and Felix
Amanda Yee and Felix Le, also known as Amanda & Felix Eats on YouTube, are a Hawai‘i-based couple with a passion for food, travel, and supporting local. Born and raised in Honolulu, Amanda and Felix document their food and travel adventures via their YouTube channel, where they’ve garnered a following of 36,000+ subscribers affectionately known as the Foodie ‘Ohana.
Amanda is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa School of Communications (now known as the School of Communication and Information) and Felix is a graduate of Kapi‘olani Community College’s radiologic technology program. We asked them about the inspiration for the Amanda & Felix Eats YouTube channel, what they love most about their work, and what they took away from their time at UH.
What inspired you to create the Amanda & Felix Eats YouTube channel?
We’ve always been foodies, we’ve always had a passion for food and trying new places. During the pandemic when Amanda was furloughed, she wanted to try making YouTube videos because she felt like an artistic person without an outlet. With the decline of tourism and our economy affected we found ourselves supporting local businesses and wanting to encourage our friends and family to do the same. In an attempt to combine our love for food, art and our home, we put ourselves out there and started filming videos for YouTube. Through our YouTube channel we hoped to bond with our Foodie ‘Ohana subscribers over food and our local culture!
What’s been the most rewarding aspect of creating your channel?
The most rewarding aspect would be sharing our local culture! Showing the scenes, the tastes and the spirit that makes our home Hawai‘i different from any where else in the world!
Since starting your channel, what are some things you’ve learned about the foodie scene that you didn’t know previously?
We’ve learned so much about the hard work and determination that all the people in the food industry do. Whether you're a chef, a supplier, a waiter, a manager, a food photographer, everyone is so dedicated.
Both of you attended a UH campus. Looking back, do you have any special memories, favorite courses/teachers, or a UH experience that really impacted you personally or professionally?
Amanda: While studying at UH Mānoa I didn’t know what I ultimately wanted to do with my life, but decided to major in Communications. I learned a lot about social media and mass marketing. After graduating, I found myself working in the travel and hotel industry, never using what I learned. Now I’m in the field that I actually majored in.
Felix: My favorite experience would have to be the bond that was created with my cohort and instructors. They say misery loves company and I learned that while in the X-ray program at Kapi‘olani CC. Although grueling, we had each other and shared plenty of laughs along the way. We were fortunate enough to have been the final graduating class of the legendary Harry Nakayama. He taught us to respect the craft, ourselves, and above all, patient care. The feeling of being able to help others is something that has impacted me until this day.
If you could hold on to just one food-related memory for the rest of your life, what would it be?
One memory that comes to mind was the time we were in Vietnam with Felix’s family and we were with a Saigon/Ho Chi Minh local. He took us down several back alleys walking for over 20 minutes until we arrived outside of someone’s house. They had a small grill with a metal grate and a long table with a variety of bowls filled with fresh shellfish. You could even choose how it was prepared: grilled, steamed, with or without lemongrass, with or without cheese. We sat down on a small plastic table on the side of the road and enjoyed heaping bowls of fresh shellfish, one of the best meals we’ve ever had.
Follow Amanda and Felix on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/c/amandafelixeats