10 Recipes Celebrating the Cuisines of AANHPI Chefs in the Bay Area
Sheree Bishop, Communications Coordinator
May 23, 2025
Celebrate AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) heritage with fresh and delicious recipes from local food makers, chefs, and cookbook authors at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and beyond. Find recipes for sides, entrees, and snacks with classic flavors from several countries across the globe, from a straightforward Gujarati potato curry to homemade South Korean kimchi. Though AANHPI Heritage Month only runs through May, you can support Asian-owned food businesses year-round at Foodwise farmers markets.
Easy-Peasy Potato Curry (Sukhi Bhaji) from From Gujarat With Love by Vina Thakkar Patel. Vina grew up in Gujarat and developed her knowledge of cooking through traditions passed down from her grandmother. This flavorful recipe, demonstrated in the Foodwise Classroom, asks the home cook to heat up spices and mustard seeds in oil, then add curry, turmeric, and even more spices along with cooked potatoes, peas, and herbs. Stir in lime juice and sugar for a bright punch of flavor.
Gado Gado Salad from Jennifer Huang of Nusa. After noticing a lack of Indonesian food in the Bay Area, Jennifer Huang took matters into her own hands. With help from La Cocina’s food business incubator program, she founded 1000 Layer Bakery, a food stand specializing in classic Indonesian desserts. She later renamed the business Nusa (“island”) and expanded her offerings to include savory dishes. Her take on gado-gado salad, one of the national dishes of Indonesia, is made with shrimp, tofu, and seasonal vegetables, all topped with a fresh peanut sauce.
Herbed Tofu Dumplings with Scallion Nettle Ginger Oil from Henry Hsu of Oramasama Dumplings. Henry Hsu learned to prepare traditional Taiwanese dishes from his parents, who had immigrated from Taiwan to the United States. At the Foodwise Classroom, Henry demonstrated how to make these delicious dumplings with extra-firm Hodo tofu and a handful of seasonal vegetables, like scallions and nettles.
Lu Rou Fan from Chris Yang of Piglet & Co. Though Chris Yang’s dishes are often nontraditional, he still pulls inspiration from his Taiwanese ancestry. At Piglet & Co, Chris has crafted a menu that focuses on what he calls modern Asian comfort food. This Lo Rou Fan, demonstrated in the Foodwise Classroom, features five-spice braised pork belly on a bed of rice with fresh ginger-scallion relish and pea shots, for a dish that’s both filling and comforting.
Napa Cabbage Kimchi and Smoky Kimchi Gazpacho from Aruna Lee of Volcano Kimchi. Korean native Aruna Lee founded Volcano Kimchi to provide vegan and organic kimchi to the wider Bay Area community, using ingredients sourced from local farms. About her kimchi recipes, Aruna writes, “The beauty of this recipe is that once you have it down you can swap out the base ingredient (in this case Napa cabbage) with pretty much any vegetable you want. I also make jicama, beet, and bok choy kimchi, all of which work terrifically using this same recipe.” Visit Volcano Kimchi on Saturdays at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Pork Kikiam with Yuba Skin from Edmund Baylon of Abacá. This popular San Francisco restaurant is known for its Filipino-Californian cuisine, using local ingredients in traditional Filipino recipes. Edmund shared his version of kikiam, a popular street food in the Philippines, with Chinese roots. He writes, “Growing up, my experience with kikiam was as an after school snack that you could get from vendors selling all kinds of fish balls, squid balls, kikiam, and more.”
Shio Koji Avocado, Mushroom, and Tuna Poke from Mariko Grady of Aedan Fermented Foods. Mariko first started selling her homemade miso in 2011 to raise funds for victims of a historic earthquake in her home country of Japan. Like many of Mariko’s foods, each element of this dish, from the mushrooms to the tuna, can be mixed and matched with your favorite flavors. Find Aedan Fermented Foods on Saturdays at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and at their kitchen on York Street in San Francisco.
Shira-ae with Local Green Beans from David Yoshimura of Nisei (shown, right, with Hodo founder Minh Tsai). After an extensive career at top restaurants in New York City and San Francisco, David Yoshimura opened Nisei, an homage to his mixed heritage as a Japanese-American that earned him both a Michelin star and Michelin’s Young Chef Award. His shira-ae (salad with a creamy tofu sauce) features locally grown green beans and a light fish sauce tossed with small pieces of Hodo tofu.
Turkey Momos with Spicy Tomato Cilantro Sauce from Binita Pradhan of Bini’s Kitchen. Binita was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. After an extensive career in Bombay’s catering industry, Binitia brought her experience to San Francisco and opened up Bini’s Kitchen through La Cocina’s food business incubator program. She shared her recipe for her signature momos (Nepalese dumplings) and tomato sauce known as Golveda Ko Achar, which you can also try at Bini’s Kitchen on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
Yuba “Inari” from Gaby Maeda of Friends and Family. Gaby Maeda’s cooking is inspired by both her Hawaiian heritage and by California’s thriving food scene. After leaving the Michelin-starred restaurant State Bird Provisions, Gaby is currently serving as the head chef at Friends and Family, a popular bar in Oakland. Her take on Inari sushi uses Hodo yuba (tofu skin), with an accompanying white miso dressing and yuzu kosho vinaigrette.
Find more seasonal recipes by AANHPI chefs in our archives and see 11 Asian Pacific American Food Businesses at the Farmers Market.