Masters of Taste Sells Out the House

About 3,000 guests and nearly 100 restaurants and food vendors celebrated the return of the Masters of Taste event at the Rose Bowl Sunday. The sold-out event, which supports the work of Pasadena’s Union Station Homeless Services, has raised nearly $2 million in its first four years.

“People are thrilled to be back out here,” said co-organizer Rob Levy. “It’s the first time we’ve sold out, and it’s really gratifying to see the response that we have had.”

Like many participants and sponsors, Levy was concerned that, with pandemic precautions, the event would not take place. 

“We didn’t know if this was going to happen,” he said. “With COVID and everything else, we’re just thrilled to be back out on the field.”

Anne Minsky, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services, was naturally ecstatic that the event had returned. 

‘We’re not just celebrating the amazing food in Los Angeles,” she said,  “but more importantly, coming together for the lifesaving work of Union Station.”

The return of the food event also served as a celebratory event for Pasadena restaurants and businesses,  said Pasadena Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Paul Little. 

“This is such a terrific event,” said Little, “which benefits the work of Union Station, but it also showcases the work of local restaurants and Pasadena Chamber members. It’s a really nice chance to go and see people again in person.” 

The event introduced  Chef Vanda Asapahu as its first-ever female Host Chef of Masters of Taste 2022—Culinary Master and 2022 Host Chef Vanda Asapahu, chef and owner of Ayara Thai , who has participated in Masters of Taste since the event’s inception in April 2016.

100% of the proceeds from Masters of Taste 2022 will go directly to  Union Station Homeless Services, which has served the community for nearly 50 years and is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency assisting homeless and very low-income adults and families, as the lead County agency for Service Planning Area 3,  coordinating homeless services in 36 communities across the San Gabriel Valley.

This year Masters of Taste 2022 also partnered with  Careers Through Culinary Arts Program, Los Angeles (C-CAP LA), a national non-profit founded by culinary educator Richard Grausman in 1990 and Co-Chaired by Chef Marcus Samuelsson. 

The program provides culinary, job, and life skills to over 20,000 middle-and-high school students in seven regions across the United States, including Los Angeles, and was named a National Apprenticeship Program by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2021. 

The Los Angeles Region,  also brought 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 chefs and restaurants that are participating in this year’s event.

Among the participating restaurants and chefs this year were 

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