It has been a decade since the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance launched Tastemakers of Orange County, a fundraising event that supports the Garden Grove-based nonprofit organization.
“Ten years ago, OCAPICA faced an uncertain future due to the financial crisis and limited funding. A remarkable group of chefs and restaurants came together to create Tastemakers of Orange County, celebrating our Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community while helping secure OCAPICA’s future,” Mary Anne Foo, OCAPICA’s executive director, said in a statement.
The 10th annual Tastemakers of Orange County will take place on Sept. 3 in the Julianne & George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.
Founded in 1997, OCAPICA was created by community leaders to respond to the needs of the growing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander population in O.C. Today, the organization helps under-served communities of all backgrounds. OCAPICA provides programs and community resources in areas like behavioral health, youth development and housing assistance through 140 staff members who collectively speak over 20 languages, including Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Samoan, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
OC Tastemakers celebrates Asian and Pacific Islander-inspired cuisine created by Orange County chefs.
(Lisa Hu Chen)
Tastemakers of Orange County is an annual culinary event produced by and benefitting OCAPICA that was co-founded by Tarit Tanjasiri, owner of Crema Café in Seal Beach.
“I really can’t take much credit for how we all came together. I believe it speaks to the strength and generosity of our Orange County chefs and bakers, who understand the importance of supporting an organization like OCAPICA,” Tanjasiri said in a statement. “These culinary visionaries are committed to being there for us year after year because OCAPICA’s mission and vision truly resonate with them. In fact, we’re fortunate that new chefs continue to ask if they can join the event each year, which is a testament to the impact OCAPICA has made.”
The evening features Asian and Pacific Islander-inspired tapas and bites created by local chefs served in an outdoor, all-you-can-eat tasting, along with live entertainment and music from a local DJ.
More than 25 chefs are participating this year, including Shachi Mehra of Anaheim’s Adya, Kristin Nguyen of Garlic and Chives in Garden Grove, Bill Bracken of Bracken’s Kitchen, Henry Pineda of Lola’s by MFK, Smoke Queen Barbecue’s Winnie Yee, Ross Pangilinan of Terrace by Mix Mix, Amar Santana of Costa Mesa’s Vaca and many others.
Tickets are priced at $295 for VIP, which allows early entry at 6 p.m. and $225 for general admission with entry at 7 p.m.
Tastemakers serves Asian and Pacific Islander-inspired bites, benefiting the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance.
(Lisa Hu Chen)
Foo is looking forward to the tasty tradition started by Tanjasiri a decade ago as well as the continued support for OCAPICA.
“The Tastemakers event transformed our organization, allowing us to expand our impact and serve more communities in need,” Foo said. “I will always be grateful to Tarit Tanjasiri for his leadership over the past decade and to every chef, restaurant, and business that has supported OCAPICA and our mission.”
The 10th annual Tastemakers of Orange County will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 3 at the Julianne & George Argyros Plaza at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. For tickets visit ocapica.org/tmoc.
