Burmese Food Fair

MYANMAR

This food festival is at least annual, put on by the Moegyo Humanitarian Foundation which was originally created to help victims of the 2008 Cyclone Nargis. It continues to provide humanitarian aid, and this is one of their fundraisers. They take place at various public school cafeterias in Queens, seemingly shifting to a larger one each year.

I arrived shortly after the 12:00 opening time on a Saturday and the school cafeteria was already buzzing with food preparations and patrons, the tables nearly full of customers. From what I could see I was the only non-Burmese that had wandered in [UPDATE: That was in 2009, many people wander in these days], but like the Myanmar Baptist Church Fun Fair in Briarwood (my previous favorite food festival), everyone treated me kindly and with patience for all my questions. I grabbed one dish and then waiting for some friends to join me to attack many of the others.

All the appetizers, mains, and desserts were $3-5, with a couple drinks $2.

Some of what was on offer:

(Yellow noodle served in coconut milk flavored bean soup with chicken cubes)

(Burmese style samosa salad with pea soup)

(Shan noodles)

(Burmese yellow tofu salad - made from chickpeas!)