Asian Food Fest showcases culture and cuisine

CINCINNATI — It’s a major celebration of culture and cuisine in Cincinnati.

The Asian Food Fest is returning for its 14th year, and dozens of restaurants are eagerly waiting to showcase their best dishes.

“So a lot of the food here takes a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of love,” said Gabriela: Filipina Kantina Head Chef Mel Imberg.

From the 100 pounds of pork shoulder that will take six hours to cook, plus the 80 pounds of pork belly already roasting, for Imberg, there’s a lot going into the menu for this year’s Asian Food Fest.

“I’m Filipino on my mom’s side, and I grew up eating all of the food that I cook every day, and I thought it would be a good way to honor them and make them proud,” Imberg said.

The restaurant brings a unique fusion of Filipino and Spanish cuisine.

The beef empanadas are another highlight for the festival.

“So it’s a beef stew that is usually peanut butter based, but for us we use sunflower butter because we have a lot of nut allergies. It’s pretty common,” said General Manager and pastry chef Savannah Clark.

Clark started the pastry program from scratch. 

“We originally just had one bread on the menu when I started, and now we have at least 100 different items that we rotate,” she said.

Being able to share their passion at the festival makes the hard work and success even sweeter.

“When you want to get to know somebody better, you invite them to your home and cook them a traditional meal,” said Asianati Board of Directors Member and AFF Co-Chair Lam Dang.

This year’s festival will not only feature mouth-watering Asian food, but there will be a little something for everybody like traditional games, performances and crafts for kids.

It’s also a test ground for chefs to see what recipes hit the spot.

“We’ll have 55 or more food vendors serving 150 unique dishes,” Dang said. “We have a culinary team that works with all the vendors to ensure the list is authentic, traditional, or very interesting and new.”

For the team at Gabriela, it’s a chance to let Filipino culture shine.

“I think Filipino food is very underestimated for what it is. Filipino food is honestly a hidden gem that’s slowly making its way to the top as many people in the U.S. are starting to get familiar with it,” Clark said.

“We make everything fun, and sometimes I don’t think we realize how amazing we are. So this is a really good opportunity for us to showcase how talented we are as a team,” Imberg said.

The festival is free and runs Saturday and Sunday in downtown Cincinnati.

The event attracts more than 120,000 people.

On Sunday, visitors can experience a special appearance by FC Cincinnati featuring mini soccer drills and a meet-and-greet with Gary the Lion from Noon until 2 p.m.