About 30 small Pacific Islander-owned companies are set to convene in East Palo Alto Saturday, promoting meals, drinks, desserts and artisan wares. It’s the return of the South Pacific Meals Fest, an initiative geared toward giving Pacific Islanders within the area a platform to promote their merchandise whereas celebrating the South Pacific, together with Polynesian, Micronesian and Melanesian cultures, based on occasion organizer Angelina Hurrell.
The Meals Fest is about to run 4 to 10 p.m. at East Palo Alto’s College Circle and can have a bit of over half of the distributors promoting foods and drinks gadgets. Amongst them are the household behind Saia’s Spot, a former Tongan restaurant in East Palo Alto that closed in 2008, and Bula Pies, a meat pie vendor. The crew behind Contemporary Off Da Boat from Sacramento may also be there, and are planning to supply Pacific Island fusion dishes, like poke nachos, based on Hurrell.
Hurrell, a former meals vendor with a background in Pacific Islander neighborhood outreach, based the competition with Fusi Taaga of Tokemoana’s. She and Taaga, who’re each Tongan, have additionally offered help to the collaborating entrepreneurs in advertising and marketing and planning for the occasion.
“With this occasion, we actually needed to spotlight our entrepreneurship, our meals, different abilities and creativity,” she says. “Our cultures are closely commercialized and infrequently misrepresented. We wish to have the ability to serve our meals and share our tradition in an genuine approach.”
They’re excited to supply dishes like lu kapa pulu, otai drinks, meat pies, huli huli hen, ota ika, puligi dessert, she says.
Particulars: 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at 1900 College Ave. in East Palo Alto; spfoodfest.com.