Diwali fundraiser dinner, Redbird preview, Nobu 20-year anniversary omakase

The L.A. Mumbai Sister City Affiliation is celebrating Diwali (India’s festival of lights) with a special fundraiser dinner Oct. 12 at the Bombay Cafe. The evening will include food, and wines by Alexana Estate Vineyards and Winery, as well as a dance performance, tarot readings, henna painting and gift bags filled with Indian spices, teas, scarves and accessories. Festivities will take place from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person or $600 for a table of 10. Proceeds will benefit Americares India’s flagship mobile medical program, which provides medical aid to residents of Mumbai’s slums. Checks must be sent to L.A. Mumbai Sister City, c/o Mira Honeycutt, 2283 W. 21st St., Los Angeles, CA 90018 by Oct. 3 to purchase tickets. 12021 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, www.sistercities.lacity.org/html/05.htm.

Neal Fraser is inviting the public to take a sneak peek at Redbird, his new restaurant located in the rectory of Vibiana Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles, scheduled to open in the fall. Fraser partnered with Careers through Culinary Arts Program Los Angeles for a dinner on Oct. 2 to benefit at-risk youth who would like to pursue a career in the culinary arts. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a cocktail party featuring truffled grilled cheese sandwiches with beef tartare, Dungeness crab with curried cauliflower flan, popcorn shrimp with yuzu kosho aioli and vegetable spring rolls in black sesame soy paper with miso ginger sauce. Beverages include an Absinthe One cocktail. Tickets to the cocktail party are $50. The party will be followed by a three-course dinner and a tour of Redbird. The menu features kale salad with farro, squash, Parmesan and lemon zest, braised beef short ribs with black garlic polenta and succotash and a tarte for dessert. Tickets for the dinner are $150. Tickets to the cocktail party and dinner are $175. Reservations can be made at https://ccapredbird.bpt.me or by calling Gloria Barke at (818) 756-1260. 214 S. Main St., Los Angeles.

Nobu is celebrating its 20-year anniversary with a one-night special omakase menu Wednesday, offered at every Nobu location in the United States, including Malibu and Los Angeles. The “20 Years in 20 Bites” menu will feature five courses of four bites each, with classic Nobu dishes and signature cocktails. The menu includes crispy rice with spicy tuna, ceviche taquito, spicy edamame, grilled shishito with umami sake soy, toro tartar, hamachi jalapeno, soft shell crab roll, Wagyu balsamic teriyaki and more. Dinner is $120 per person. 903 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 657-5711 and 22706 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, (310) 317-914 ,www.noburestaurants.com/.

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