The Bay Area's Hub for Asian Pacific American Community Arts Since 1972
Saqib Keval
Host
aka "Khuushuur Flickerman"
Tamiko Wong
Honorary Chair
aka "President Char Siu Bao"
Tamiko Wong is a Chinese and Japanese American San Francisco native who attended Nihonmachi Little Friends and the Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program as a child. She graduated from Cal (Go Bears!) with a degree in American Studies focusing on law, politics, and public policy with minors in Education and Asian American Studies. She thought she was headed towards a career as a TV journalist and still dreams of producing radio segments and YouTube videos. Who knows, maybe one day she’ll even be a YouTube star with millions of subscribers and Facebook likes on her status updates. Right now, she is the Executive Director at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC), and she is excited for all the different ways she can support the Bay Area API community through this position. Strengthening our communities is one of Tamiko’s biggest passions, which also include Pez dispensers and quality dumplings.
The perfect dumpling... is rich in texture, flavor, and attitude.
Saqib Keval is the founder of People's Kitchen and a lover of kitchen dance parties and cardamom. He comes from a family of deer hunters and off-road enthusiasts. He knows how to build shelter and track wild game. In the Arena, his weapon of choice would be masala and he would most likely be found drinking chai under a tree.
The perfect dumpling... is a state of mind.
Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and community cook born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles. With family from Colombia, India, Japan, and the U.S., Sita has a long list of foods that she considers comforting. As an artist, Sita has collaborated with organizations nationally and internationally to perfume museums with the smell of curry powder and serve miniature masala chai. When not cooking in miniature, she has cooked for the masses at Left Wing Fútbol Club, KSW, CAAM, Kaya Press, and other community organizations. She has been the art features editor for Hyphen magazine and a recent Lucas Artist Program Resident and Montalvo. She is currently a Research Fellow at the Institute for Art and Olfaction.
The perfect dumpling... doesn't take shortcuts to feed my soul.
Penny Baldado is one of the owners of Café Gabriela, a small, green business-certified local hub in Downtown Oakland, that is known for kickass food, coffee, and its support of the Oakland community. Her tumultuous love affair/career in the food industry started at 8 years old when her parents needed help making burger patties and peeling potatoes on the weekends to support their new source of livelihood. After migrating from the Philippines to California, her first job was bussing then waiting tables at a Filipino restaurant. Eventually, she was promoted to a position in the back of the house. After a year of working as a sous chef, she led the kitchen for 8 years before venturing on her own to create Café Gabriela.
The perfect dumpling... should be piping hot and a wonderful surprise in my mouth. Wrapper should not be overcooked, and must contain just the right amount of filling.
Sita Kuratomi Bhaumik
Judge
aka "Ef-fufu Trinkett"
The "Gamemakers"
Penny Baldado
Judge
aka "Siu-Mitch Abernathy"
David Yeung’s career spans over 20 years of having worked at various 5 Star hotels, restaurants and delis throughout San Francisco. Back in 2001, he graduated from the California Culinary Academy. In 2009, David took over his uncle’s place: HRD Coffee Shop. These days the shop serves up dishes that are unique combinations of Asian, Latin and North American cuisines attributed to the rich cultural diversity of San Francisco. HRD’s signature dishes are the "Spicy Pork Kimchee Burrito" and "Mongolian Cheesesteak”.
The perfect dumpling... starts with the dough, the creativity of the fillings and then the sophistication to bring the flavors and textures all into balance…
