Featured Culinary Talents

A partial list of participating companies. Click on the vendor name for more information and the link to read their story.

FOOD TASTING

JOODOOBOO

Crowds are lining up at Oakland’s new Korean deli, Joodooboo, for seasonal banchan as well as unusually pillowy tofu. Steve Joo makes his dooboo, the Korean word for tofu, fresh every day. [Here’s an inside look.]

ALAN HIRAHARA

A graduate of the California Culinary Academy, Alan Hirahara spent 12 years at Shogun sushi bar in Mammoth Lakes, California, working up to head sushi chef. He has his own sushi catering business, worked as a personal chef, and culinary instructor.

IMMI

The duo, Kevin Law and Rumpasri Chicharoen — are both first generation Americans who grew up in California: Law, whose family is from Hong Kong and Taiwan, grew up in Sunnyvale; Chicharoen, whose family is from Thailand, grew up in Los Angeles.  Immi (an abbreviation of immigrant) is their translation of that experience. [Read more.]

OX AND TIGER

Restaurants are personal by nature, but the themes of Ox + Tiger’s ever-changing tasting menus are driven by family heritage. Before you eat each course, one of the chefs will break from all the grilling, tweezing, and plating to deliver a spiel about their connection to each dish. [Read more.]

OK’S DELI

At Ok’s Deli (pronounced “oak”), there’s a lot of thought that goes into each signature and classic sandwich before it even lands on the menu. And I mean, a lot. Details such as whether or not the vegetables inside the Californian should be julienned or shaved to make the eating experience a less messy one is just one consideration. [Read more.]

PIGLET & CO

Piglet & Co. — the much-anticipated debut restaurant from chef Chris Yang and partner Marcelle Gonzales Yang . . .  It’s a bit difficult to categorize exactly what kind of food they’re serving, they admit, but only because the menu is so deeply personal. “I guess to sum it up in three words it’s Asian comfort food,” Chris says. [Read the article.]

YUJI ISHIKATA

J-Sei’s nutrition chef and our local chef in the community trying to bridge all the different worlds through his food. “There’s so many different types of foods that represent different aspects of life in Japanese culture,” [Read the article.]

WINE TASTING

AXR

The axr dream began with four friends sitting around a table sharing, dreaming, laughing, and occasionally sipping! The room was filled with an intense passion for wine and a good intention to be true to themselves and the history of napa valley: this is where axr was born.

MIKAMI WINES

In 1895, our grandfather journeyed to California, settling in Lodi where he developed a passion for grape growing. Now in our second century and 3rd generation of farming, Mikami Vineyards produces single vineyard, handcrafted wines from the premier blocks of the family vineyard estate. Four generations  [See the video.]

MONTICELLO NAPA

Monticello proudly remains one the few family-owned wineries in the valley and following Jay Corley’s vision, continues to create award-winning, estate-grown wines of singular quality and distinction. From planting and pruning to harvest and crush, from barrel to bottle, Monticello handcrafts its wines in small batches, devoting meticulous care to every step of the winemaking journey to produce fine wines that enrich life.