Yang started dancing when she was six. She continued dancing until she became an instructor. Her passion for dance technique can easily be seen through her eyes as she stands in front of her students and mentors them throughout the performance. 

“Since she moved to the United States with her family in 2000, Bing has been a member of the Chinese Theatre Works (CTW) in New York City. As a principal dancer and lecturer of CTW, Bing with her team performed in many places including the Rockefeller Center, the New York Metropolitan Museum, the Lincoln Performing Arts Center, etc., and had won multiple awards.”

Yang and her peers have developed the Bing Yang Chinese Performing Art Center (BYC-PAC) where they promote the development, advancement and appreciation of Chinese cultural heritage through the art of Chinese dance.

Come out and see them perform!

Street Pops is icing up a flavorful storm of popsicles at the festival. They’ll have adventurous flavors such as Thai Basil Lime, Lychee Coconut, Pineapple Habanero, Red Bean and more. “The popsicles are always made with fresh fruit and herbs, local and organic ingredients whenever possible and never include anything you can’t pronounce, unless you have trouble with ‘cardamom’”.

It’s a must try if you haven’t stopped at the street pop shop yet. Come check out their Popsicle cart at AFF!

Last year at Taste of Cincinnati, Budina's sister restaurant won "best damn dish" for their crab and shrimp dumpling noodle dish. Under the same owners, it's exciting to see what Budina will bring to the Asian food fest. We're drooling over the menu: 

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Chả Giò (Vietnamese fried spring roll)
Grilled Beef Ball
Egg Noodle with Fried Wonton
Vegetable Spring Roll
Bubble Drinks

The grilled beef balls looks like an "off menu item" which means "a must try" in our opinion. We're excited to see how it tastes! (Item below was found online and may not appear same as featured item )

Make sure to check them out!

9114 West Chester Towne Center Dr
West Chester, OH 45069

www.budinausa.com

What is Henna?

Henna, derived from crushed Henna plants, is a paste mixed with various essential oils to temporarily seal a reddish brown color when applied to the skin. The paste is artfully applied to create intricate designs that can last up to 2 - 4 weeks. In various regions of India, depending on beliefs, rituals, and traditions, Henna is used for any elaborative affair, such as pre-wedding celebrations, wedding or post wedding event. An artist will be hired to draw on the bride and guests to awaken the inner being.

Anisha Sanghani, owner of Arts Versatile, found her passion for art at a very young age. She loves all forms of art and appreciates the beauty of moving beyond what’s normal. Embraced with India’s rich and cultural heritage, Sanghani traveled to the US where she earned her profession as a graphic designer. Her artwork uniquely stands out. “I promote it with an international twist” 

At AFF, Sanghani will be painting her vivacious sophisticated designs for all ages. She’ll be astounding everyone with Henna, face painting, body art, caricatures and nail art. Get ready for some color, glitter and rhinestone embellishments.

Webpage: https://artversatile.jux.com
Phone: 859-380-9384
Email: anisha_sanghani@yahoo.com
 

Earning Judge’s choice for best Asian BBQ, Huit Asiatique Delicatesse is mustering up for another bbq zest at the food fest. The group entered the Asian food fest cook off series in March at Findlay Market and made quite an impression. All three proprietors of the group: Tobias Harris, Trang Vo, and Jennifer Eng have different cultural backgrounds with the same dream in mind, to cultivate flavors. “We believe in memorable experience: great food, great friends, full belly, and smiley face…” Their love for food made the event more enjoyable as they shared and described their ingredients to all attendees.

Huit Asiatique Delicatesse started off as a bunch of Foodies and Travelers, eager to share their love of food and food environment to their beloved hometown: Cincinnati. Huit means “eight” (in French). In most Asian cultures, number eight is a symbol of infinity, which is a sign of perfection. This name is inspired by intricacy of preparation and attention to food that is served. (Blends of their signature spices, herbs, and combination of eight ingredients to name a few)

Rooted in Asian tradition, Huit’s food is highly influenced by western culinary techniques, especially French – hence the name. The result is a collection of food that is simply bold and flavorful. The delicacies of Huit dishes are being revealed when savored. Each spice will reveal its character creating a layer of unforgettable taste. At Huit, they cultivate flavors.

So what are they serving at the festival? A signature 8 spice rib dish. The riblets will come with a side of spring mix, jicama Slaw and Huit’s BBQ sauce. “Huit’s Spice Rice will be a star on its own. It will come with Pork BBQ, Jicama Slaw and Huit’s BBQ sauce. We are also excited to feature our Steam Bun Pork Belly Sliders.”

Come check them out!

Website: www.facebook.com/huitasian
Tel. 513 545 3560

The restaurant will be featuring one menu item, Hapa Wings, chicken wings marinated in lemongrass and soy, then tossed in nuoc mam and honey and one off-menu item, Demon dogs, an Asian recreation of the corn dog that originated in Korea.

“We'll be battering nem nướng (see note below), rolling it in crinkle cut fries, and deep frying it,” says Bao Nguyen, partner of Lang Thang Group. “This is an Asian play on corn dogs and will be served with an Asian style ketchup and mustard, which we are still working on.”

The aspiration behind Quan Hapa’s venture on Vine St is to bring new and different experience to the Asian dining scene in Cincinnati. The style of food is swayed by Asian Street Food experience, which is mostly from visiting Vietnam, working in Japan, or eating these types of food while growing up. “We like to try to recreate these dishes, add our touch to them, or create/modify other dishes that might fit into this category”.

If you happen to stop by the corner of 14th and Vine on a warm sunny day, you’ll see the garage doors opened and people leisurely eating and drinking.

*Nem nướng, also known as Vietnamese bbq pork patty, is marinated grilled meat flavorful enough to be eaten by itself, with rice or vermicelli noodles. Depending on region, the recipe for the finely ground pork varies. It can be mixed with sugar, salt, minced garlic, fish sauce, honey or lemon grass.*

For more photos from the Cook-Off series, please visit our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/asianfoodfest

Don't forget to come out next week when we will be cooking up curry!  Enter the Cook-off  here!

Here's a snippet with more details about the event from Findlay Market's website:

Sunday, March 3rd,contestants braved cold weather and some snowflakes to compete for the best Congee in the Asian Food Fest Cook-Off series!
The judged portion of the event was won by:

1st place - Lam
2nd place - Paul
3rd place - Tommy

Shoppers and visitors voted for their favorite congee by donating $1.00 to a contestant's cup at the table; The People's Choice winners are:

Thy $76.00
Mapi $51.00
Paul $47.00

Overall, the event raised $390.00 in support of the Asian Food Fest. Congratulations to the winners. .

Suzie Wongs, an East Walnut Hills Pan-Asian favorite, will be at the Asian Food Fest!  If you haven't had a chance to visit their location on 1544 Madison Rd, then you can have a sample of their food this weekend!

The selection of food looks exciting! From finger foods, to noodle bowls, to rice plates, the restaurant is preparing a variety of food. 

Crab Rangoon - cream cheese & crab pastry

Curry Spring Roll - vegetarian fried roll

Saigon roll - shrimp & chicken, herbs & rice noodle in thin wrapping, cold

Cold noodles - Wheat flat noodles soaked with Thai peanut dressing. This entree can be found in variations of Chinese, Thai and Japenese culture

Vietnamese Roll - Chicken & shrimp crispy roll w/mint & lettuce wrap

Singapore noodles w/ chicken -  Stir-fried rice vermicelli seasoned with curry powder, bean sprouts, pak choi, soy sauce, and sliced chillies or peppers. It is served as a vegetarian dish or can be accompanied by small slices of chicken

Basil Chicken - Thai inspired chicken & vegetables in dark basil sauce

Curry Fried Rice - Fried rice with Curry

For more information, visit www.suziewongs.com!