A taste of World’s Fare to whet the appetite
BY ALEJANDRA
O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
The smells of cheesecake nachos,
lasagna dim sum and woody Filipino
coffee hit WeWork users in
waves as they came in and out of the offi
ce at 222 Broadway last Thursday. The
co-working space had transformed into a
bite-sized World’s Fare, the massive food
and beer festival set to take place at Citi
Field on May 18 and 19 that will feature
cuisine from 100 different cultures provided
by more than 100 vendors. Last
week’s event was a special tasting event
for the press.
Like its namesake, the World’s Fair,
this Fare seeks to highlight innovation.
Counter space at the Downtown We-
Work was fi lled with cake stand after
cake stand with new takes on old classics,
like mini cheesecakes made from ube, a
purple yam native to the Philippines, and
French pastry puffs with Asian-inspired
fl avors, like black sesame, hojicha and
strawberry jasmin, almost too pretty to
eat. Tables were fi lled with rows of paper
food boats carrying unique fl avor
fusions, like Southern pulled pork slathered
in spicy Korean barbeque sauce.
All of the food present featured a fl avor,
texture or a look atypical even for
the always-changing New York City food
scene. And the stories behind the restaurants
and pop-ups responsible for these
creations are just as delicious as the food.
Besides, food is also a means for learning
about different cultures and people.
Among the vendors on hand was
Black 6 Coffee Trading Co., which
started two years ago as a veteran-led
nonprofi t called the Black 6 project that
provided disaster relief and charity aid
around the world. In 2018, Black 6 traveled
to the northern part of the Philippines
to respond to a landslide. While
there, the group saw a coffee farm and
learned about the nation’s coffee history.
They decided to bring back some beans
A tray of Domi pastry puffs sit waiting to be eaten. Domi’s puffs come in Asian-inspired flavors, such as
sesame, jasmine, yuzu curd and green tea and are a twist on the classic French treat.
PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
Miniature ube cheesecakes from
the Vietnamese restaurant Ginger
and Lemongrass feature a purple
yam used in a variety of desserts,
especially in the Philippines.
to roast and sell in Queens in order to
fund future medical missions.
Then there is Bart Hubbuch, owner
and founder of Memphis Seol, who
started his passion project after being let
go from the New York Post for tweeting
about President Donald Trump’s election
in 2017.
“It was the best thing that ever happened
to me,” said Hubbuch, who, after
30 years in the newspaper business, was
ready for a change. He is happy working
for himself.
To learn more about the World’s Fare
and to buy tickets, visit http://theworldsfare.
nyc/ .
PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
212 - 254 - 1109 | www.theaterforthenewcity.net | 155 First Ave. NY, NY 10003
24th Annual L.E.S.
The Lower East Side Festival of the Arts
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
May 24, 25, 26, 2019
Performances begin 6pm each evening
Saturday: Youth Program 1-4pm, Film Program 12pm-12am,
Cultural Festival on East 10th Street 12pm-5pm
Sunday: Poetry Program 4-7pm
FREE!!! FREE!!! FREE!!!
Theater Music Dance Art Poetry Puppetry Film Cabaret
Celebrate the Cultural and Artistic explosion of the Lower East Side!
THE SON OF THE SUN
Written & Directed by
Michael Vazquez
FINAL WEEKEND!!!
May 16 - May 19
Thu - Sat 8PM, Sun 3PM
All Seats $18
KNOCK IT OFF!
A Farce
Written & Directed by
Peter Zachari
FINAL WEEKEND!!!
May 16 - May 19
Thu - Sat 8PM, Sun 3PM
All Seats $18
PHOTO BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
Buns filled with chicken parmesan
were served in bamboo
steamer baskets at a food-tasting
event at 222 Broadway. Raviolo
restaurant, one of the more than
100 vendors at this year’s World’s
Fare, takes Italian classics and
serves them in traditionally Asian
fashions in order to create “twobite
delights.”
Schneps Media TVG May 16, 2019 23
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