Love barbecue or, even better, love eating barbecue while supporting a good cause? Then grab your tickets now for May’s “BBQ Without Borders,” where Bay Area chefs will cook internationally inspired barbecue with proceeds supporting local immigrant communities.
Rounak Dumra of Wah Jee Wah, a Hayward restaurant specializing in Indian open-flame cooking, Lilian Duran of Cuban soul-food popup Clandestina Cocina and Tadayuki Furui of San Francisco’s dear, departed Family Cafe will prepare their versions of barbecue – tandoori, lechon and yakitori, with vegan options all around – from 5 to 9 p.m. May 13 at the Oakland Museum of California. Adult-admission tickets are $60 for dinner, dessert and a (boozy or virgin) drink and are available until May 12 at Eventbrite.
This iteration of “BBQ Without Borders,” the second in Oakland since one in 2019, is raising $30,000 for microgrants to distribute to Bay Area folks whose immigration status has cut them off from government support. Attendees are welcome to pay more or less for tickets on a sliding scale, and aside from delicious barbecue will get to enjoy (as per the event organizers):
“… a full stage show which will include taiko drummers, bhangra, flamenco, a Cuban salsa band and even an opera performance. Additionally, attendees will be invited to explore the theme of ‘cultivating home’ through physical mini-marts constructed in the gardens of the OMCA. There will also be a kids activities area with a continuous game of ‘found object soccer,’ a basmati rice-bag race, an immersive collaborative art piece and a silent auction of premier prizes.”
A few random details about the chefs participating: Dumra’s barbecue pays tribute to the open-flame food carts you’ll find on the streets of India. Duran was a photographer in Cuba before leaving due to government censorship; she now uses her home-cooking background to delight the Bay Area’s Cuban population with ropa vieja and guava pastelitos. And Family Cafe, which Tadayuki ran with Jessica Furui, was known for its excellent vegan sushi and decadent chiffon cakes – no word yet if they’ll be making an appearance.
Here are the preliminary menus on offer at 2023’s “BBQ Without Borders”:
Chef Dumra:
Option 1: Punjabi Chicken tikka kabob, grilled over mesquite. Naan, pickled salad, chutney
Option 2 (Vegetarian/Vegan Optional): Samosa chaat, Veg Potato fried dumpling, topped garbanzo, yogurt sauce and sweet/spicy chutney
Option 3: Local California lamb chop, marinated in tandoori herbs and spices, grilled over mesquite. Scoop of rice, pickled salad, chutney
Chef Tadayuki:
Option 1: Grilled Chicken Thigh and Green Onions with tare sauce (soy sauce-based sauce) marinated in Japanese shichimi spice served with a side of Japanese Pickle (napa cabbage, carrots, turnips, Meyer lemon) on a bed of greens
Option 2 (Vegan): Grilled Rice ball with Tare and Seaweed, served with a side of Japanese pickle (napa cabbage, carrots, turnips, Meyer lemon) on a bed of greens
Option 3: Tukune – chicken meatball on skewers, served with a side of Japanese pickle (napa cabbage, carrots, turnips, Meyer lemon) on a bed of greens
Chef Duran:
Option 1: Lechon (that is the whole roasted pork) served with a side of Congris and Tostones and Tropical Slaw
Option 2: Grilled fish in coconut sauce and plantain leaves taino style served with a side of Congris and Tostones and Tropical Slaw
Option 3 (Vegan): Grilled Sweet Potato with herbs and mojo criollo served with a side of Congris and Tostones and Tropical Slaw
Sides (Vegan and gluten free): Congris (rice and black beans cooked together, sofrito, cumin, oregano); Tostones and tropical slaw (smashed and deep fried green plantains topped with a mix of cabbage, white onion, mango, coconut shredded with a mint cilantro sauce)
𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀, 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘆: www.mercurynews.com
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