East Meets West is a celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and a way to bridge the gap between generations, said festival founder and creator Maxine Sudharma.
“I’m a first-generation Chinese American,” she says. “Our parents and grandparents love to pass on traditions, food and culture. If we don’t continue this tradition, our traditions will be lost.”
On May 1st and 2nd, Sudharma, along with Orlando-area experts in everything from matcha preparation to mahjong, and more than 50 vendors from across the city and state, will be imparting their knowledge (and food) for everyone to enjoy.
East Meets West began as a small event hosted by East End Market in Orlando’s Audubon Park neighborhood and is now in its third year.
“It was a very small thing, but it was very well received,” Sudarma said. This year, the party will be moved to the Pioneers’ headquarters in Lake Nona, where space will allow for vendors, live performances, karaoke, yoga classes and more, as well as indoor workshops with limited seating.
These include a matcha class with Tenshin Matcha and a tea presentation by Molly Ward of The Monroe.
The former (90 minutes, $70, tickets available on the East Meets West website) guides participants through a curated progression as they learn to recognize the umami, structure, and aroma of matcha in its various forms.
During the two-hour tea workshop, guests will learn the basics of Kungfu tea while enjoying three types of tea. Tickets for both ($45 per person) can be purchased through the East Meets West website: chrysalisteaco.com/event-details/gong-fu-tea-brewing-workshop.
Of course, food is the most important thing. Mr. Sudharma prefers to focus on mom-and-pop shops rather than large-scale entities, such as hyper-local vendors who sell from their homes.
“It’s the kind of place that immigrants know,” she says. “The moms who make amazing traditional noodles and dumplings from their home countries…I love being able to give them a platform and make the invisible visible.”
She says the first step to discovering a new culture is often through its taste.
“Food is something everyone loves to sample, and people can feel proud when their culture’s food is celebrated and explored.”
At press time, East Meets West was planning to showcase cuisine from across Asia, with vendors including Ini Haw (Filipino), Gangnam Stix (Korean), MTS Kitchen (Lao/Cambodian, Saturdays only), Kabuki Soba (Japanese), Moonwalk (Chinese), and Tan Tan (Vietnamese).
Eight tables will be open and available for play, including merchandise, massages, and even mahjong with the Baldwin Park Mahjong Club. Beginners are also welcome.
You might even find Sudharma in one of them, especially in East Meets West, because learning about Asian culture isn’t just for non-Asians.
“I’m Chinese, so I don’t know how to play!” she laughs.
Admission and parking at East Meets West is free. Meals and some classes are a la carte. Sudharma wants guests to plan their day and enjoy multiple meals and plenty of entertainment, from Asian sports cars to free hip-hop dance classes for kids.
“It’s a stay and play situation,” she says. “People can literally train in the morning, take a matcha class, have lunch, go to karaoke and go about their day.”
Sudharma, who has second-generation children, gets emotional thinking about the significance of an event like ‘East meets West’.
“My heart completely floods when I see this community and how it can bridge that gap,” she says. “I’ve been able to see us building confidence in a younger generation while raising awareness. There’s joy in bringing it all together.”
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East meets west
The festival is a journey through Asian and fusion cuisine, with a marketplace selling handmade goods, souvenirs, tea workshops, matcha-making classes and artwork, and will be held from 5-9 p.m. on May 1st and from noon to 9 p.m. on May 2nd. It is located at 10123 William Carey Drive in Orlando. Admission and parking are free. Tickets for the interactive workshops range from free to $75.
