Masters of Taste, an outdoor food and beverage festival, is returning for its fifth anniversary on Sunday, April 3, 2022, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm on the field of the iconic Pasadena Rose Bowl. Tickets to this event are only available for guests 21+ and over and can be purchased here (for $10 off, use promo code “WHATNOW22” but keep in mind all proceeds benefit the non-profit Union Station Homeless Services).
Masters of Taste is introducing Chef Vanda Asapahu as its first-ever female Host Chef of Masters of Taste 2022, the owner of Ayara Thai. Asapahu has participated in Masters of Taste since the event’s inception in April 2016.
“As a proud UCLA alum (Go Bruins!), I’d give anything for the opportunity to cook, eat, and dance on the field of the Rose Bowl. Now I get to!” Asapahu said in a prepared statement. “The most amazing thing about Masters of Taste is that 100% of the proceeds go directly to benefit Union Station Homeless Services and not many food festivals can say that. Union Station Homeless Services is committed to ending homelessness in Los Angeles.”
Masters of Taste 2022 will bring over 3,000 food and beverage enthusiasts together for one afternoon to celebrate this festival, which will include fare from over 100 “Culinary Masters” and restaurants, sweets prepared by L.A.’s top “Sweet Masters,” top “Beverage Masters” who will be featuring signature handcrafted cocktail tastings from over 25 spirit brands and bars, along with select wineries, local craft breweries, cold-pressed juices, cold brew coffee, live entertainment and much, much more.
This year, Masters of Taste falls in April, during which Thai New Year, Songkran, is also celebrated. Chef Vanda has invited three other L.A. Thai restaurants, to participate in the Songkran Thai SELECT Pavilion, a celebration spanning the Rose Bowl’s end zone. The transformation will reflect a traditional Thai sundry general store and Songkran festival. As a culinary challenge, each Thai restaurant will prepare a dish, dessert, and/or cocktail using a common paste, sahm kler (which translates to “3 buddies”), and comprises white peppercorn, garlic, and cilantro root. This aromatic mixture is used in a variety of Thai dishes and is quite possibly the reason why Thai food is so special.
100 percent of the proceeds from Masters of Taste 2022 will directly benefit Union Station Homeless Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is committed to providing permanent solutions to end homelessness and rebuild lives. Headquartered in Pasadena, CA, Union Station has served the community for nearly 50 years and today it is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families.
In addition to its recent expansion into El Sereno and Eagle Rock, Union Station Homeless Services is the lead County agency for Service Planning Area 3 (SPA 3), coordinating homeless services in 36 communities, with a combined population of over 1.5 million across the San Gabriel Valley. Union Station Homeless Services’ mission is guided by the belief that everyone deserves a life of dignity and a place to call home. In the last four years, Masters of Taste has raised over $2 Million in support of Union Station Homeless Services’ life-saving programs.
This year Masters of Taste 2022 will partner with Careers Through Culinary Arts Program, Los Angeles (C-CAP LA), a national 501(c)(3) non-profit founded by culinary educator Richard Grausman in 1990 and Co-Chaired by Chef Marcus Samuelsson. Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) provides culinary, job, and life skills to over 20,000 middle-and-high school students in seven regions across the United States. Due to the restaurant industry labor shortage, the Los Angeles Region, C-CAP LA will be partnering with Masters of Taste by bringing high school student volunteers to assist this year’s Masters of Taste 2022 Culinary and Sweet Masters throughout the event to gain real-time event training while helping support these incredible chefs and restaurants that are participating in this year’s event.
Some of this year’s Masters of Taste 2022 participating Culinary Masters and Restaurants include:
- Ayara Thai 2022 Host Chef Vanda Asapahu – Westchester
- 786 Degrees Chef Ali Haider – Pasadena, Sun Valley
- 1212 Santa Monica Chef Luca Maita – Santa Monica
- Agnes Restaurant and Cheesery Chef Thomas Kalb – Pasadena
- Alexander’s Steakhouse Chef Richard Archuleta – Pasadena
- Arth Bar + Kitchen Chef Sagar Ghosh – Culver City
- Bone Kettle Chef Erwin Tjahyadi – Pasadena
- Celestino Ristorante Chef Calogero Drago – Pasadena
- Champion’s CURRY Chef Yoya Takahashi – Downtown, Los Angeles
- Drago Centro Chef Celestino Drago – Downtown, Los Angeles
- Five 55 Chef Austin Lee – Monterey Park
- Gabi James Sarah Gabriele & Adam Aro – Redondo Beach
- Georgia’s Restaurant Nika Shoemaker-Machado – Anaheim, Long Beach
- Gracias Madre Chef Justin Haefler– West Hollywood, Newport Beach
- Granville Mark Dix – Studio City, Burbank, West Hollywood, Pasadena
- Gus’s World-Famous Fried Chicken – Burbank, Long Beach, Los Angeles
- Hank’s Chef Isaias Peña – Pacific Palisades
- Holy Basil Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat & Tongkamal “Joy” Yuon – Downtown, Los Angeles
- Iron Teapot Dim Sum & Bar Sally Chan – Los Angeles
- Kye’s Feel Good Food Jeanne Cheng – Santa Monica
- La Bohéme Chef Atsushi Kenjo – West Hollywood
- Little Llama Peruvian Tacos Chef Jean Valcarcel – Downtown, Los Angeles
- Lunasia Chef Lee Han Fu – Pasadena, Alhambra, Cerritos
- Luv2Eat Thai Bistro Chef Somruthai “Fern” Kaewtathip & Chef Noree “Pla” Burapapituk – Los Angeles
- Mercado Chef Jose Acevedo – Hollywood, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Pasadena, Santa Monica
- Mi Piace Chef Gille Saulnier – Pasadena
- Open Face Food Shop Chef Lene Houck – West Adams, Los Angeles
- Otus Thai Kitchen & Coffee Chef June Intrachat – West Hollywood
- Pez Cantina Chef Bret Thompson – Downtown, Los Angeles
- Poppy + Rose and Poppy & Seed Chef Michael Reed – Downtown, Los Angeles, Anaheim
- Qué Padre Chef Isaias Peña – Pacific Palisades
- Ramen Tatsunoya Chef Ryuta Kajiwara – Pasadena, Silver Lake
- Ruam Mitr Kwanklao Disbanchong & Benchawan Phoungtai – Los Angeles
- Santuari Chef Seth Greenberg – Toluca Lake
- Stand-Up Burgers Chef Kajsa Alger – Berkeley, Los Angeles
- Taishi Hainan Chicken Chef Theo Shio – Redondo Beach, Long Beach
- The Colony Club and SO.PA Chef Michael Hung – Palm Springs
- The Raymond 1886 Chef Gabriel Cappelli – Pasadena
- True Food Kitchen Chef Stephanie Nguyen– Pasadena
- Vegan Sunday Supper Richard Klein – Los Angeles
- We Olive Ervin Galvan – Pasadena
- World Empanadas Chef Matthew Hirtz – Burbank
- Yardbird Chef Eduardo Osorio – Los Angeles
- Yuca’s Restaurant Socorro “Mama Yuca’s” Herrera– Pasadena
Food Trucks:
- Kabobaholic Ali Pooya – Los Angeles, Orange County
- Okamoto Kitchen Gerald Abraham – Los Angeles
- The Tropic Truck Lauren Saravia – Los Angeles
- VCHOS Wendy Centeno – Los Angeles
- Wings N Waffles Jontae Vinson – Los Angeles, Orange County
Sweet Masters: A select group of Los Angeles Top Sweet Masters will showcase an assortment of delectable desserts such as Bertha Mae’s Brownies, unique Indian treats from Banana Leaf, handcrafted pudding from Better Together Sweets, custom cakes and desserts from Butter Cake Shoppe, French macarons and gourmet cookies from Etoile Filante Patisserie, deliciously scrumptious scratch-baked custom cakes and cupcakes from Fantasy Frostings, Lark Cake Shop, Chocolatier Mignon Chocolate, Nomad Ice Pops, homemade premium sorbets from Pop’s Artisinal Creamery, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and more.
Some of this year’s participating Beverage Masters include:
Bars & Spirits: 2022 Masters of Taste Platinum Sponsor Beam Suntory will be premiering their House of Suntory Tiny House on the 50 Yard Line along with a Maker’s Mark Lounge, and more. Some of L.A.’s top bartenders and cocktail bars will be creating first-rate craft cocktails, including Maxwell Reis of Gracias Madre and Miguel Perez of 1886 Bar at The Raymond. Top brands showcasing their finest spirits at Masters of Taste will include American Born Whiskey, Dulce Vida Tequila, High Road Spirits serving Lucky Dog Sake Juice Boxes, Knox & Dobson, Krafted Spirits, Nosotros Tequila & Mezcal, Pomp & Whimsy, Smoke Lab Vodka, Ventura Spirits, Veso Aperitifs, Wild Roots Organic Vodka, Xoloitzcuintle Tequila, and Woodford Reserve will be exclusively featured in the Rose Bowl Court of Champions.
Brewmasters: Beverage Masters who specialize in barley and hops will be presenting top-notch ales, lagers, pilsners and more for guests to sample, sip and savor all throughout the event, including Southern California favorites 14 Cannons Brewing Co., L.A.’s new All Season Brewing, Arts District Brewing Company, Pasadena’s Cerveceria Del Pueblo, hard kombucha from Flying Embers in Ojai, Downtown’s Homebound Brew Haus, North Hollywood’s Lawless Brewing Co., Arcadia’s first Microbrewery Mt. Lowe Brewing Co., Ola Brew hard seltzer, Over Town Brewing Co., San Fernando Brewing Co., and 2022 Thai Sponsor Singha Beer.
Wineries and Sake: A specially curated collection of Wine Masters will be showcasing their finest varietals including premium boutique winery Ascension Cellars, CRŪ Winery, Ferguson Family Wines, Golden Star Vineyards & Winery, Hitching Post Winery, Kikusi Brewery (Sake), Obvious Wines, Anderson Valley’s Navarro Vineyards, Seisyu Akagisan Sake, Tobias Glen Vineyard, and more.
Non-Alcoholic Beverages: A variety of premium non-alcoholic Beverage Masters will also be on hand for those who wish to hydrate, caffeinate or regenerate, such as Yerba Mate from Erva Brew Co., Humm Kombucha, distilled and elegantly blended non-alcoholic beverages from Optimist Drinks, boba milk tea from Sunright Tea Studio and Bearology, natural ginger beer from TrueRoots Brewing Co., handcrafted beverage starters from The Base Co., and more.
