Epicurean  |  05.11.10

New York City is one of the world’s most exciting culinary hot spots, and last week’s Lucky Rice Food Festival was further proof that the reputation is well deserved. Some 3,000 hungry food fans attended the festival’s different events, which took place over a sunny spring weekend.

Asian cuisine has never been so innovative or diverse, and the Lucky Rice Food Festival celebrated that fact over four food-filled days. Host of Top Chef Masters, Kelly Choi, got things started with a Thursday-evening launch party at the East Village’s historic Bowery Hotel. Guests were treated to a wide range of drinks prepared by Apotheke, a Chinatown bar and “libation lab” that’s known for its inventive approach to all things cocktail (think cucumbers, lavender, and flames).

The next day, the festival shifted into higher gear with a dumplings workshop lead by chef Anita Lo during the afternoon, followed by the recreation of an Asian night market in the evening. Hosted by Momofuku‘s David Chang, the market — based upon the lively pan-Asian tradition of night-time, open-air food markets — took place in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood, where the estimated 1,000 guests sampled delicious fare provided by Korean, Taiwanese, and Malaysian restaurants, as well as Asian-inspired dishes like hot dogs topped with Thai pickled cucumbers and mango. Another big hit of the night was the Mighty Leaf Tea — made with FIJI Water.

Saturday’s climactic event was the appropriately named Grand Feast, showcasing exceptional dishes from many of the city’s best-known restaurants, including Daniel, Morimoto, and Jean-Georges.  Held in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel ballroom overlooking Central Park, the night saw 600 people dine on such fabulous fare as the Korean mixed-rice dish bibimbap, prepared right in front of them.

Founded by media entrepreneur and Asian-food enthusiast Danielle Chang, the Lucky Rice Food Festival’s debut was an unqualified success, and promises to become a fixture on the New York epicurean scene.