Festival and Carnival : Cuisines of Asia Will Be in the Culinary Spotlight

Two events this weekend will focus attention on the cuisines of Asia.

The Asian Pacific Festival and Culinary Carnival Saturday and Sunday at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood will feature chef demonstrations and booths serving foods from some 25 local restaurants.

Demonstrators will include Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s restaurant in Hawaii; Tommy Tang of Tommy Tang’s restaurants in New York and Los Angeles; Barbara Tropp of the China Moon Cafe in San Francisco; Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of City restaurant and Madame Wu of Madame Wu’s Garden in Los Angeles.

Other restaurants providing demonstrations include Gaylord India Restaurant, Joss, Tito Rey of the Islands, Manila Sunset, Flags Cafe and Mon Kee’s/Mandarin Cove Seafood Restaurants. There will also be entertainment, art and costume exhibitions and a fashion show.

The event opens at noon each day and continues to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday. Adult admission is $4. Sponsors are the Mayor’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration Committee of Los Angeles; the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, and the city of West Hollywood. Proceeds will benefit a variety of community service programs.

‘A Taste of Asia’

Pacfic Asia Museum will host “A Taste of Asia,” its second annual food, wine and brew festival, Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The event will take place at the museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena.

Foods of Korea, Japan, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, India and the Pacific will be featured at restaurant booths. A variety of wineries will also be represented. Beers and waters will be available for tasting, and the Culinary Arts Council of the Museum will staff a tea tasting table.

In addition to cooking demonstrations by Hugh Carpenter, author of “Pacific Flavors,” S. T. Ting Wong and Cecilia de Castro, there will be an entertainment program featuring Japanese taiko drummers, Korean dancing and folk music from the Pacific Islands.

Admission is $40. For tickets or information, call the museum, (818) 342-6500.