Another successful year at the Asian Food Fest Lots of vendors food and authenticity Only down fall very long lines read more

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I attended the Asian Food Fest for the first time, and OMG -- what a feast for eyes, and the taste buds! The weather was beautiful, the variety of food trucks and tables was overwhelming but in a good way, the crowd was interesting and diverse, and the offerings were both traditional and creatively fusion-oriented. I started my event grazing with the Taro Cream Baby Puff from Tous Les Jours -- it was unusual, crisp on the outside, cold and creamy on the inside, with a delicious taro pudding inside! For my refreshment I was surprised and gratified to find a mango lassi at Tikka X-press that was perfect -- cooling and tart at the same time. I then got a tender spicy lamb pita from an Indian food truck, but I don't remember the name, which is unfortunate, because it was tender and perfectly spiced. But my favorite was an amazing Vietnamese dish called Curry Laska Loklok Skewers from Tea N Bowl. I thought I was getting a skewer of different fish cakes -- instead I got a flavorful spicy soup the likes of which I've never tasted before, over vermicelli, then topped with that skewer of fish cakes. It was absolutely amazing!! I took a picture of the menu, as I want to try more of their selections next year. And then I finished with a Filipino Halo Halo from Christine's, which was a perfect refreshing way to end this gastronomic feast!! And on top of the food was the celebration of the culture. I loved the diversity of the crowd, as it seemed to have a large percentage of Asian customers. So it was a way for them to celebrate and enjoy the diversity of their own Asian culture, and they allowed those of us who're non-Asian to come along for the fulfilling ride!! read more

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Beautiful day for the food fest this year! Tons of vendors covering a variety of cuisines (Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian, Indian, Nepali, Thai - just to name the ones I can remember). Why give this event five stars? - variety of foods - decent amount of tables for eating - quick service - ease of exploring (I think I heard there were maps that you could get??) With a variety of vendors you'll find cheaper and more expensive options. There were a bunch of people, but lines moved quickly. Fun to see the people of Cincinnati out and about! I had some Chicken Biryani and it was delicious! read more

Asian Food Fest - Chicken Biryani - Festivals Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I wanted to love this. I found most of the vendors charged too much for small portions. Nothing that we ate was exceptional. Everything that we tried was simply mediocre. Finding a place to sit and eat was difficult. There are a few parking lots converted to outdoor dining with tables but good luck finding an empty table. read more

Great fest !! Couldn't find yelp booth .. but okay otherwise!! Had Bahn mi, Nepal dumplings , Rheingeist waimi coco beer very tasty , spam roll, coco roll ... all good tastes!! ... bigger than what i thought it would be !! read more

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Although rained out and windy when we visited we loved seeing this pop up in our area. We hope this becomes an annual tradition. Despite the weather we were able to try a handful of dishes in which none of them disappointed. read more

I really didn't know what to expect. It's been years since I lived in the area and even more years since I'd been downtown. Parking wasn't a pain, but finding the parking lots was a pain. The last time I was downtown, I was there for a work seminar and stayed in some hotel, so I parked at the hotel. It's good that the sports arenas have so much parking. It's bad that it's not easily navigated. Once I figured out what they were doing, I got into a lot. Trying to get out was another matter. Once parked, I headed up the stairs into the wetness. It could have been called "Asian Flood Fest" for a while. Forget the food--it was raining. There seemed to be something for everyone. I saw just about everything except Japanese and Pilipino food. What really struck me was the Red Sesame Korean BBQ Truck and it wasn't even moving! It reminded me of the Kogi BBQ trucks in Orange County, California (next to Los Angeles County), and how much of an effect they've had on mixing Korean food with other cultures. Natrually, I had to try the Beef BBQ Tacos. It's been years since I had Korean BBQ in a restaurant in Japan, although I've got the grill to do it by myself at home. If I have a complaint, it's that they used a sweet sauce, as if they were targeting westerners--which they were. :-D I usually eat Korean food at home as undiluted as any Korean family eats it. I've got to say that, wet or not, the places to sit were greatly appreciated. It's obvious that the coverings didn't spare anything much because everything was at least a bit wet and some things were quite wet, but sitting on the curb was not really an option, so thanks for having places to sit. There were some people across the table and they said that there really was no place the previous year to sit. I had gone for a walk around the downtown area after eating and I returned just in time to see the entertainment finish. Oops! I hope that there will have been enough attendance that the event can be expanded next year to give a wider variety of food. Maybe, they could coordinate menus to not overlap. read more

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Looked forward to coming to this event to support local businesses and taste authentic asian foods. The fall weather was perfect for the occassion (held at Washington Park downtown Cincinnati). I really liked the list of vendors. Bobo Cha (specializes in bubble tea). Budina I got the Som Tum which is a papaya salad (very delicious and spicy) and the Pork Potstickers (garnished with cabbage and tempura sauce drizzled on top) both for $8.00. All lines were extremely long (some went quickly and was a 10-15 minute wait The popular ones were more than 25 minutes long. What I really wanted to try was Red Sesame Korean BBQ (BBQ Taco with tofu and their mini Quesadilla). It was at least a 30 minute wait. Other than food vendors, they also had performances from live music to martial arts. I'm so glad I got to experience this event and loved the location. Washington Park is huge and open (plenty of room to sit). read more

Asian Food Fest - Green papaya salad and pork potstickers. - Festivals Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Asian food fest. Holy cow it is great to see the yearly progression every year of this fest take off. I LOVED that it was hosted at Washington park this year. The set up with the food vendors along the perimeter was great because you could see all the vendors, stage and the center had a couple tables for eating. The open set up made it really easy to meet up with people. Pho Lang Tang and Red Sesame were superstars with steady long lines, and it was great to see other food vendors make their debut, I particularly thought it was AWESOME to see Our Lady of La Vang (the Vietnamese Catholic Church) present. A little surprised to see no vendor chose to sell bánh mì, but there were other really authentic foods like pho and bánh xèo which were super yum. I did get a taste of these curry wontons which I don't even remember where they were from but they were dee-lish! Aside from food, they had live performances of traditional dance and martial arts but in my opinion the BEST feature of all was the Human foosball!! The best ten minutes of my day and I cannot wait to figure a way to play again. Asian food fest did not disappoint. I'm very proud of the sponsors, people who orchestrated the event and especially the community that took the time to come out, support and make it such a successful hit. ...but seriously though HUMAN FOOSBALL where can I play this again?!! read more

Asian Food Fest - Human foosball - Festivals Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I've been waiting for this for a month! Ever since I've heard about Asian Food Fest I've just became a stalker on their website counting down the days until I can finally feast like a king with Asian food goodness! Plenty of different booths to choose from, Asian to Indian, shaved ice to bubble tea. It's a good way to try out new restaurants that have been under the radar due to the big corporations. You can also enjoy live entertainment with a brief introduction to different Asian culture while picnicking your abundance of food. If you have time this weekend, differently go check it out!! read more

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After arriving to last year's Asian Food Fest too late to enjoy any of the food, I made it a priority to get to this year's Fest- and I wasn't disappointed! I loved the variety of vendors this year- it was great to see multiple Thai and Filipino vendors filling out the space among the standard Chinese, Vietnamese, and Indian vendors. Since I've never seen Filipino food in Cincinnati, I took advantage of the Filipino food truck and their chicken adobo. It was amazing, and I can't wait to see them around town! Bottom line: Great food, great variety, and great entertainment. I'm already looking forward to next year! read more

Asian Food Fest - Great turnout for Sunday at the Asian Food Fest! - Festivals Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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My favorite festival in Cincinnati. It keeps getting better every year! Loved the diversity of the performances this year including the local Sikh Gurdwara, traditional dances from China and the Philippines, and even representation from the smaller pacific islands. There was also a Japanese/American rock band and of course the headliner, Korean American rapper Dumbfoundead, was awesome! Great way to spend Mother's Day weekend with the family. read more

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Warm would be the smallest word to describe this year! Tons of vendors, people, and dogs. Lots of food options for really good prices to give a little plate and taste of their restaurant or business. Not as many drinks as I would have liked but everyone was super kind. Entertainment was both loud and fun. Everything from a karaoke contest to little girls performing adorable dances. And dear goodness gracious going out from under the shade and standing in long lines for possibly 20 mins. was like running in a desert. Sunburns all around. Be sure to bring sunscreen and CASH!! read more

Asian Food Fest - Lots of sunshine and people for Saturday at the Asian Food Fest - Festivals Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The Asian Food Fest was A-OK. I like that they have it at Washington Park but I do feel like there should be more vendors. I liked how they had all different types of food, nationality wise. But I feel like had a lot of repeat foods and not enough unique choices to pick from. I'm pretty sure I saw spring rolls and Crab Rangoon a handful of times at different booths. I also felt like it was overly crowded and that every booth had a really long line. Which is good for the festival and the businesses but not great for the people who are hungry and want to try everything. Standing in line for twenty minutes for a spring roll isn't my idea of fun, especially when I'm hangry. The few things we did get while we were there were great, though. I'll go back next year but maybe at a different time and hope for different lines and even more food. read more

Asian Food Fest - Pancakes From Quan Hapa. - Festivals Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

After much hype, we went to check out this event on a Saturday evening around 7 (which was almost closing time) since I had a working day. Parking is a problem if you are driving down. Washington Park has its own underground parking which is $6 (at least on that day). There is street parking available as well as a few parking lots which will let you park in with a jacked up price. We searched for space for about 20 minutes before driving into the Washington Park's underground parking which was almost full and we spent another 5 minutes looking for space inside. Our overall experience of the food festival wasn't great. There were a few good dishes but nothing special otherwise. Being Indians, we avoided Indian counters since we eat Indian food all the time at home, so no point in trying that. And we wanted to see what the rest of the Asia had in store for us - food lovers and vegetarians. We started off with the Vietnamese Iced Coffee at Lang Thang Coffee Co., which was basically nitro coffee sweetened with condensed milk. It was great in taste and very refreshing. Apart from that, we had Sesame balls and a Plum drink from a Chinese counter. Sesame balls were disastrous - no taste and quite sticky. Plum drink was quite good. From Angie's Satay and Malaysian Cuisine, we had a Fried Tofu salad with a sweet tangy sauce and ground peanuts. It was good but nothing amazing. Our next stop was Yat Ka Mein Noodle House where we tried their Sesame Dumplings and Cheese Rangoon. Sesame dumplings were basically sweet fried dough ball with red bean paste. It was fine - good taste. The red bean paste was good and gave a unique flavor to the dumplings. But you wouldn't want to have more after 1-2. Cheese Rangoon was good. The cheese filling was, I guess, Parmesan and the outer crust was quite crispy and less oily. Definitely to be tried. Besides food, there were other counters selling packed ingredients like this one counter of Grass Fed Gourmet selling cocoghee - a mix of coconut milk and ghee with various flavors added like Garlic Salt, Cinnamon Honey, etc. In addition, on the main ground, there are artists performing on one side. Overall, I didn't find it so great - you won't lose out on anything if you skip it. read more

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Kudos to the organizers, vendors, and everyone else who participated in this year's Asian Food Fest! It was the perfect first festival to be held at The Banks/Smale Park development. The novelty of the new venue, the delicious smells coming from the food booth, great weather, and fun entertainment all combined together for a wonderful weekend. I got some Filipino BBQ from Mapi's Barbequehan booth (yum... just like my dad always makes) and also the Chicken Bún Vietnamese noodle dish from Saigon Cafe, also delicious. I sampled lots of bites from my friends' dishes too, and everyone enjoyed their foodstuffs. I'm excited to see this festival grow each year. I can see them adding even more food booths, multiple entertainment areas, a nonprofit booth section, maybe some art and other retail vendors. The fireworks on Saturday night were a nice touch. This is now on my must-see list of annual Cincy festivals, including Taste, Goettafest, and Oktoberfest. Looking forward to coming again. read more

I didn't even know that Cincinnati had an Asian Food Fest until this year, and I'm so glad that I went to check it out! It was definitely one of the busiest fests I've been to in Washington Park, and for good reason! All of your favorite restaurants that could even remotely be considered "Asian" were there and for a pretty cheap price ($4-8ish) you get to try a lot of stuff! The festival is spread out all over the park, with several places to get drinks, and even a "secret menu" booth. The concept of a "secret menu" is pretty common amongst Asian restaurants, as a menu that is more traditional to the type of food that is being served as opposed to a more Americanized version, so I think it's really great that there is a spot for those specialties! I had a great time at Asian Food Fest, and would definitely count it among one of my favorite fests in fest-saturated Cincy! read more

It's only in its second year, but Asian Food Fest is growing! The food is delish and the beer is good. And the weather was perfect yesterday. It was wonderful getting a chance to peek a bit deeper into their culture. One of my favorite parts was watching the young girls dancing. The music and the dance is absolutely beautiful. My three favorites were the Mt. Carmel summer beer- yum!, the 8-spice ribs from Huit and the chicken tacos from the Red Sesame Korean BBQ food truck. Huit is a new start up and I can only hope that they open a restaurant sometime soon. GO, GO, GO! read more

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Easily one of my favorite festivals in Cincinnati, Asian Food Fest has improved by leaps and bounds since its first year. First, it moved from the suburbs to Downtown at The Banks. It occupies an entire street, making the festival much larger and easier to get around in than previously. The organization was phenomenal: each booth was clearly labeled, the menus detailed and easy to read, at least three selections from each restaurant, and informational pillars telling you which booth was what and where to find it on a numbering system. Each restaurant offered at least three selections, all of which cost $2.00 - $6.00. The foods were individual tasting portions, which was just enough to tantalize your tastebuds and still save room to try more booths. I was excited to see more Indian restaurants this year, serving up curries, mango lassies, samosas, and tastes I had yet to try. I also liked trying the different Vietnamese dishes and Bahn Mi. The highlight of the restaurants was Quán Hapa, the new Asian gastropub set to open in OTR later this year. Their spicy Korean tacos blew me away, plus they had a lobster roll with water chestnuts, and sweet tea with mint and pineapple juice. Yum! As always, Bubble Teas were aplenty. Taro is my favorite, but I also tried pineapple, Milk Thai, and Milk Spiced Chai. Sweet and refreshing. There was plenty of entertainment throughout the day, with Asian dances, musicians, and martial arts. The stage was in the center of the street, a perfect spot for spectating after grabbing a few bites to eat. I really enjoyed the DJ's music throughout the day, which consisted of electronica, Indie Rock, and techno remixes. Parking was ample as well, with the new lot and Banks garage providing more than enough spaces for visitors. Plenty of volunteers were checking in on the vendors throughout the day too, making sure they had what they needed and bringing drinks to them in the roasting 87º. With ample portions of food, entertainment and staff, the second annual Asian Food Fest went off without a hitch! Glad to have such a fun, delicious, and diverse festival in our Queen City. Average food price: $3.00 read more

Asian Food Fest - Festivals Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great event put on by a passionate by small local crew who all have full-time jobs. The event gets better and better every year. My favorite is the Bubble Tea place and various local Asian communities highlighting really unique cuisines. Nicely done festival for Cincinnati. read more

Very fun event. There were a great number of local Asian eateries that set up booths here, and it has allowed them to get on my radar so I can visit their restaurants and see what else they had to offer. I was pleased to see that many stalls had long lines (15 min+) - that just showed that people were interested in trying them out! It appeared that many stalls ran out of food by the afternoon - I was told that last year's event had a lower turnout rate because it was rainy and gloomy, so it was difficult for vendors to adequately prepare. But this year the event took place during a beautiful, sunny weekend, so the turnout was great! Most items were less than $6, so it was great to get a sampler of what each ethnic food had to offer. I recommend! read more

Definitely is way more warmer and better than last year since there were more vendors this time!! Love that I get to taste plenty of food there! Those who likes to try Asian food, this is the place. This is our second year and hoping to go for more in the future. It definitely is a thing to do! Great food, great weather and great friends. The only reason they get a four is, their vegetarian selection is very minimal and only few vendors sold summer rolls. Hope to see more options for healthier side of food in the warm weather. Definitely a good even to go still! read more

After missing last year's event, I'm happy to report that I got to check out 2016's version. There were a number of vendors throughout Washington Park, including a few tents near the gazebo that had "secret menu" items, from where I got to try the Sichuan-style Hong You Chao Shou (spicy wontons with chili oil), which were good and just the right amount of spice. I also had "cheese rangoon" (Cream Cheese Puffs) and Sesame Chicken from Yat Ka Mein; Hapa Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake made with Japanese mayo, tonkatsu, bacon, green onion, and fried egg) from Quan Hapa; Kimchi Poutine from Revolution Rotisserie; and my favorite two dishes of the festival, Loco Moco (white rice, topped with a hamburger patty, brown gravy, and a fried egg) and Spam Musubi (slice of cooked Spam marinated in Hawaiian BBQ sauce, on top of a block of rice, wrapped together with nori dried seaweed), popular Hawaiian dishes from Ono Grindz. I am still thinking about the Loco Moco an Spam Musubi, and I am so glad I got to try them. The unfortunate part is that Ono Grindz does not have any specific location and is more of a pop-up restaurant. I need this food in my life regularly. I'm glad I got to try some unique Asian dishes and there were pretty many restaurants in attendance. The beer selection was okay, too. If you like Asian food and food festivals, save the date for next year. read more

Asian Fest was a really good time. I went there for a second time this year. It is pretty small - both times I went, I ate food from maybe three vendors and left within half an hour or 45 minutes. So, just know that it's not a full days worth of adventures, and plan to do something afterwards - like going to the park. I was really only interested in the food which was a majority of their booths. They did have a few with some trinkets, but none that were particularly appealing. I would suggest that they consider a different venue - it has typically been on a hot weekend, and it's not near any buildings that give shade, and all the pavement around the space attracts all the heat...not the pleasantest of places. read more

I hear this food fest gets better every year--yet another promising sign that Cincinnati's ethnic food scene is expanding. Food options are plenty. Some of the most well-known Asian food vendors around town participate, including Pho Lang Thang, Green Papaya, and the new and hopping gastropub Quan Hapa. While many vendors come to sell their grub, their offerings are rather limited. I was a little disappointed that Quan Hapa didn't offer their (amazing) okonomiyaki. But I guess this is an opportunity to showcase some of their lesser known treats. Red Sesame, the Korean bbq truck, wasn't selling their popular kimchi burrito. They only offered tacos and quesadillas. Nonetheless, they were one of the star vendors, announcing a 45 (!!!!) minute wait for food to be prepared... not really worth it unless you walk around the whole market to sample everything else and come back to wait 35 minutes. Other highlights include the honeydew bubble tea. Street Pops was also there, but a little pricey at $3 a popsicle. These are worth a try--they come in crazy good flavors like thai basil lime, vanilla red bean, and vietnamese coffee. Some of the food is bleh at best. My friend didn't enjoy his pad thai but ate it all anyway (it was a heart-wrenching 6 bucks per small plate), so definitely ask around for what's good especially for the lesser-known vendors. If you're planning to try at least 5 different vendors, definitely buy the $3 discount card when you first enter. You get $1 off your purchase at every vendor, but it does limit you to certain food options. For example, I could only get $1 off at Street Pops if I got the coconut instead of the lychee (which I really wanted). But my Asian savings instinct kicked into high gear, and I went with the coconut--yum, no regrets there :) Atmosphere of this event is great. At night it feels like a "night market," which are popular in Taiwan. Fireworks display after 9pm on Saturday is gorgeous and a great way to end the night. read more

Great time here in 2012. Held at the Banks this year as a street festival, and it was really enjoyable. Take note all street fairs in Cinci - this is the place to hold it. Plenty of low cost parking, lots of space for booths, just an excellent spot. As for the food, it also was great. There was Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Indonesian, Filipino, Korean, Chinese, and fusion styles there. My favorites were the chicken sate (Indonesian), pork BBQ (Filipino), and the chicken and lettuce wraps (Chinese). All the dishes that I tried were flavorful and interesting, and just what I wanted to find here. There was music, bubble tea, beer, and gourmet popsicles for desert. A great afternoon, and I'll be back next year for sure. read more

I've visited Asian Food Fest twice now. It is great. The food is authentic and there is a huge variety. Overall, the prices are affordable so you can try a few different options. My only complaint is the length of the lines. Last year I got there early and the lines were much better. I'd suggest showing up right when they open. read more

Great event for all ages. Who doesn't love food, entertainment, and games? Make sure to come hungry and try all the delicious types of Asian food from local restaurants and cultural organizations. My favorites were noodles with peanut sauce from Suzie Wong's, chicken lettuce wraps, and BBQ from the Korean Cultural tent. I also liked the wings from Quan Hapa. I volunteered at the event and was so impressed at how well organized it was. Even the rain didn't disrupt operations. It was like a well oiled machine complete with port-a-potties & handwashing stations. Besides being fun, it was the perfect opportunity to try foods from restaurants all over the city in one convenient festival. I'll definitely be back next year! read more

This is my second year attending the Asian Food Fest. I enjoyed last year's at Kolping Center, though it was out of the way and the set-up was a little confusing. I was so very excited that AFF moved downtown, so I have mixed feelings about my experience this year. The food was good. Lots of bubble tea options, food options (though it'd be nice to see a few more variations of Canto/Taiwanese/Chinese cuisine). I loved the lobster roll from Quan Hapa, which I CANNOT WAIT for. Lots of good eats. There was a nice line up of performers, including the Philipino Student Association from my own alma mater, THE Ohio State University, which has a legacy of good traditional dance. The less good: It was unrelentingly hot by late afternoon on Saturday, and unfortunately, there was really no building shade or tree shade available on the little strip where all the booths were set up. I'm sure it felt nice earlier and later in the day. There also was limited seating/table areas. The setting itself was lovely-there was a great view of the River and Roebling Bridge, the stadiums, etc. I'm not sure how well the donation collection went, and this may be a matter of my personal preference, but it felt awkward for the folks walking around seeking donations for Care2Share, which sounds like a great organization. I honestly would rather that everyone give a 1 dollar entrance fee with the opportunity to donate more (that clearly says the entrance fee is going to charity), or have a table at the front and center of the festival with an info booth about the organization. When we were approached right when we walked in, I didn't know how much cash I would have left over and it just wasn't totally clear that this was the featured organization that AFF was raising funds for. That was longer than I meant it to be, but maybe it will be helpful for future years. Last comment- mixed feelings on this, but there were a lot less Asian families around from what I saw last year, which I could go either way on. On one hand, the downtown location attracted a more diverse crowd, but on the other hand, it felt a little less engaged with the Asian community in Cincinnati, especially during Asian Pacific American Heritage month. I'm looking forward to future AFFs and expecting this will grow! read more

I had a really good time at the Asian Food Festival, and I'm really glad I went. The location couldn't have been better. The weather was great. And the food and booths were awesome. I tried some great new places and a couple of familiar tastes. The Green Papaya, as usual, delivered great food and their summer roll stands out to me. A place I was not familiar with Quan Hapa had something on their menu I just had to try: Korean-style taco. It was a barbecue-style pulled pork topped with kimchee and creme fraiche. As much as the description made my mouth water, it was not as delicious as I'd hoped it would be. Much too greasy, and that kind of ruined the whole experience. Nevertheless, I can't wait to see what next year's AFF brings! read more

This is one of my favorite food festivals. I might be a little biased because my sister helped set it up a couple times in the past but I think it's really great to show some Asian culture/diversity in Cincinnati! People here make some harsh reviews about things like weather and location, but keep in mind that Asian Food Fest is relatively new and they make it better every year! I've been to about the 3-4 most recent ones. This year (2018) was probably the busiest and hottest one so far! I'm really proud of what they've accomplished. They have many Asian performers and performances happening throughout the day which are entertaining to watch but best of all is the FOOD! Some may say it's a little pricey for the portion you get but if you go to any food festival, it's like that. Renting out booths and transportable fridges are very expensive, not to mention the laboring workers in the sweltering heat! Some of my favorites to get every year include the elotes (made with spicy crema and cheese) from Lalo (a Mexican/Asian fusion place I believe) and the lychee coconut popsicle from Street Pop! Other than that, I feel like there's always something new to try and everything is good. A nice way to tell what's best is to look at longer lines or what everyone else has and to ask where they got it. There are so many options and new ones every year! I definitely recommend coming at least once. read more

Had a good time. Had Sisig from Mapi Barbequehan and a Kona Ice for dessert/drink. Nice crowd. Washington Park was a great place for it. My kids even had a place to play between acts.Enjoyed watching FSAO dancers. Pic of girls in blue dress was from Asian fest 2013. read more

Asian Food Fest - FSAO Kids Cultural Dance - Festivals Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Absolutely loved trying all the new dishes but surprised and bummed that so many of the restaurants are not in Cincinnati. Lines were long for some of those but not unbearable and we had some fabulous food to show for it. read more

Not enough vendors to make a 'day' of it. The vendors who were there ran out of food. Lines were too long for the average meals. No thanks.

Asian food fest was great this year! The weather was beautiful. Every food booth I stopped at was so yum! Can't wait till next year. I hope the weather is nice for next year too! read more

Getting a chance to Interact with the Asian community on a small level was nice, getting to experience a wider variety of Asian restaurants from all around the city was great, although a few notables were missing (song long? amerasia? shanghai mama? are you even still alive?) We went early in the day, we parked way out on the streets, although street parking was plentiful closer, and in reality, the lots were charging 5 buck right underneath the venue. Now we know. Good sharing portions, we ended up spending about 30 dollars for 2 of us to eat our hearts content ( no alcohol) My highlights were easily the Indian spot called Curries which dusts their chicken with curry before frying, which was delicious, and Quan Hapa, which seem poised to do some things that are going to blow some minds here in Cincinnati. Get ready, Ethnic food is on cincy's door, and it's DELICIOUS. read more

I had no idea this was a recurring event. (Yay!) I first learned of the Asian Food Fest a couple months ago when getting bubble tea from Tea N Bowl, so I have only been to the 2012 festival at the Banks, and I had a great time. The festival itself was a good size -- lots of variety, but not overwhelmingly large. There were about twenty booths offering all sorts of food, some of which I didn't even know we could get in Cincinnati. (Like Indonesian or Filipino? Cool!) I really enjoyed sampling some of the dishes I had never tried before, as well as getting a few favorites. I just have 2 wishes/requests for future Asian Food Fests: - Tables and umbrellas. The weather was great, but the sun got to be a bit much. Would have been really nice to have some shade. - Parking. We managed to get street spot down by Johnny Rockets, but some signs directing us to a street lot or garage would have been helpful. read more

I love Asian food. I love the Asian community here in Cincinnati. So, of course I love it when the two combine into a celebration of the local Asian organizations and restaurants. I've been to the first three Asian Food Festivals and I look forward to attending again next year for the fourth. The first two were held over in the Kolping Center - a park out in the middle of nowhere. I'll admit the first two were small, disorganized and kind of disappointing. However. The third Asian Food Fest was held in downtown Cincinnati - where it should be - right between the Bengals stadium and the Freedom Center. It creates a bit of an odd parking/walking situation but it's a perfect location - it's near the downtown businesses and the river, has great views of the city and it feels very open and big. The only real downside was that it got pretty hot and there was no shaded area to eat - thus we retreated over to the covered area of Smale Park to eat. The third AFF was the best so far and truly a thrill to be at. I discovered Pho Lang Thang before they opened at the first one and at the third I discovered Quan Hapa - by the same owners and to open sometime this fall. This year there were more booths than ever, so much to do, so much to eat and great entertainment lined up. It was more than enough to fill a couple hours worth of your time, fill your belly and empty your wallet. I look forward to future AFFests and hopefully they will be as good, if not better, than this year's. Good luck! read more

I had a great first time at the AFF this year. Several food options to choose from, some fun live entertainment - everything you'd expect from a festival. But the highlight for me would have to be the inflatable human fooseball game in the center of the park, which surprisingly went overlooked by the large majority of attendees there. The volunteers were on megaphones trying to attract people for a game. Sure, some may laugh if off as "It's only for kids," or "No thanks, I'm too old for those kinds of games," or even, "Are you a grown adult, Anthony?" To that I say, HA! Little do they know, little children make weaker opponents to which ultimate fooseball glory can be won. read more

So many food choices we didn't even get to sample all of them in one day. Excellent variety of vendors and super fun atmosphere. Pet-friendly venue. Apparently, the past years have been rainy. This is my first time attending and it was sunny and gorgeous. I'm not saying there's a connection... But who can argue facts? read more