Roger ParkCalling all Srirachaholics! The 2nd Annual L.A. Sriracha Festival is back, by popular demand, taking place this Sunday, Oct. 19, at Chinatown’s historic Central Plaza from 3- 6 p.m.
Organized by Randy Clemens, author of The Sriracha Cookbook, and Joshua Lurie, founder of Food GPS, the 21+ festival will showcase a variety of Sriracha-themed creations including dishes, desserts, local craft beers, cocktails, soda, iced coffee and more. Not everything served there will have Sriracha in it, but you can be sure that a lot of the dishes will contain the iconic hot sauce.
Chefs and restaurants participating in this year’s event include: Jitlada, Willy B’s, Sqirl, Beachwood BBQ, Eggslut, Komodo, Little Jewel of New Orleans, Mei Lin, Mendocino Farms, Mud Hen Tavern, Shophouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese, The Gadarene Swine + Scratch Bar, Eagle Rock Brewery Public House, Eastside Market Italian Deli and more.
As if you needed incentive, here are 6 reasons to hit up the 2nd Annual L.A. Sriracha Festival.
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Randy Clemens; Credit: Tyler Graham
6. Randy Clemens
“There’s only one thing I love more than Sriracha as a condiment,” Randy Clemens told us. “Sriracha as an ingredient. It works unbelievably well in all kinds of recipes, which inspired me to write my cookbooks.” Randy Clemens will be there to sell and sign his Sriracha-inspired cookbooks and meet with fellow Srirachaholics.
Peruvian Steak Sandwich with Spicy Aji Amarillo; Credit: Mendocino Farms
5. Peruvian Steak Sandwich
Mendocino Farms will be bringing their special seasonal Fall 2014 sandwich to the festival. Chef Judy Han will serve up a Peruvian Steak Sandwich with spicy aji amarillo Oaxacan cheese, herb aioli, red onions, tomatoes, and shredded romaine on panini grilled Drago Bakery’s torta bun. And what’s in the spicy aji amarillo? Sriracha, of course.
4. Pork Belly
Willy B’s chef Christian Page will be serving up his smoked Berkshire pork belly. It’s a dish made of Willy B’s dehydrated red hot sauce, honey, scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
See also: A Tour of the Huy Fong Sriracha Factory
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Holy Petit S'mores; Credit: Creme Caramel LA
3. S’mores
For those inclined to combine sweet and hot, there’ll be Sriracha-inspired desserts to sample. Crème Caramel LA will be making their Holy Petit S’mores: Sriracha marshmallow layered on a fudgey dark chocolate brownie, dipped in white chocolate, rolled in graham cracker and topped with Sriracha honeycomb dust.
2. Charity
A portion of proceeds from the L.A. Sriracha Festival will directly benefit Food Forward. “Food Forward provides two important services: rescuing fresh food that would otherwise go to waste, and feeding hungry people. Double bonus,” Josh Lurie, told us. For more information on Food Forward news, read “Urban Fruit Foraging Feeds L.A. Needy.”
Credit: Huy Fong Foods Inc
1. Chinatown
The difference from last year’s festival is the shift to a larger setting. The Chinatown Plaza will provide more elbow room and accommodate extra vendors. But there’s also a historical perspective, according to festival organizers. “Huy Fong Foods got its start in L.A.’s Chinatown back in 1980,” said Randy Clemens. “So it’s kind of homecoming for us to be able to hold the 2nd Annual L.A. Sriracha Festival near to where it all got started.” The current factory tours in Irwindale are still on, but will be ending this month.
General admission tickets for the L.A. Sriracha Festival are $59, if purchased in advance, and $69 at the door. VIP admission is $90 and for the hard-core, the Srirachaholic VIP Pass is $160. The L.A. Sriracha will be at 943-951 North Broadway, Los Angeles (Chinatown) on Sunday Oct. 19, from 3-6 p.m. Check admission times for various tickets. Tickets available here.
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