Unfortunately not much cherry blossoms at this park. The festival was okay. Food wasn't great and…read morethe vendors seemed pretty basic. We hoped to spend more time there

Visit the official site for parking recommendations. Expect A LOT of traffic around the park during…read morethe festival. The festival isn't as big as those held at Piedmont Park. Dogs are welcomed and they even have dog costume contests and stunt shows. There's live music and the usual festival food along with arts and crafts booths. This is a good excuse to hang out at park with a festival as a good excuse to gather different people (and animals).

Events held here can only accomodate so many people so the crowd wasn't pleasant…read more The event which includes entertainment is free, but food is sold separately (I think). The bf and I were full when we arrived so we didn't care for the food. We were here more for the hangout with his crew. For the few acts we saw, there were traditional dancing, a game contest for the kids on stage, and singing. I'm assuming there were more modern acts like hip hop dancing or something for fun. Well, usually there's something like that to spin things up. The location of this event was in China Town, but it was towards the back of China Town at this separate building. Parking was super packed so be patient.

Small cultural experience with various food vendors serving authentic ethnic food. It's not too…read morecrowded where you cannot find seats. Several presentations and shows take place on stage. Overall, it's a nice experience to try once. I like that different foods are available in one place and there is entertainment. Come support the Taiwanese community!

I attended the Dumpling Cook-Off presented by TAP-ATL, held May 18, 2019. TAP-ATL is the Atlanta…read moreChapter of the Taiwanese American Professionals. They're a volunteer organization that hosts many events ranging from professional and social networking to professional development and community service. I was told that for the past two years, they've held cook-offs. This year's cook-off was a dumpling cook-off. Last year's cook-off was a lu rou fan (or Taiwanese braised pork belly rice) cook-off. Fellow Atlanta Yelper Hannah W (https://hannahwang.yelp.com/) is on the Board of TAP-ATL. She asked me, on behalf of the Board, if I'd be interested in being a judge for the dumpling cook-off. What an honor. I had a lot of fun doing it. Other judges included Vincent Liu, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta and a couple Atlanta restaurateurs: John Chen, owner of Brush Sushi Izakaya and Momonoki, and Howard Hsu, owner of Sweet Auburn BBQ and Lazy Betty. The event ran from 12pm to 3pm and was held inside the "Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Atlanta" in Chamblee. Some old-school Atlantans may refer to this place as the Chinese Community Center or Chinese Culture Center (https://www.yelp.com/biz/chinese-culture-center-atlanta), but that's the old name (https://www.yelp.com/biz/culture-center-of-taipei-economic-and-cultural-office-in-atlanta-chamblee). Tickets were $12 in advance and $20 at the door (https://www.facebook.com/events/581576332345596/). For the amount of dumplings one could eat, I thought these prices were fair, especially the advance price. I left the event completely stuffed. Up to 12 teams of up to three people per team could enter. Seven teams ended up entering the competition with an eighth table (I believe a sponsor) also serving dumplings. The seven teams were Cloud & Love, Delicious Dumplings, Grandma Linda ("Ah-Ma"), Dumpling Lab, Golden Arches Dumplings, Dumpling Bucket, and Yummy Dumplings. Dumpling styles ran the gamut from Filipino to Northern Chinese. There were a lot of pork and shrimp dumplings as well as non-meat dumplings made with purple yam (Cloud & Love), mushrooms, spinach, and even eggplant and edamame (Delicious Dumplings). Contestants competed for three dumpling trophies: Most Popular, Most Creative, and Most Delicious. Most Popular was determined simply by the team that earned the most tickets (each cook-off attendee got one ticket to vote for their favorite dumpling). The judges rated each team in the Most Creative and Most Delicious categories on a 5-point scale (just like Yelp!). The judges' ratings were then averaged to determine the winners in those two categories. The winners were... * Most Popular Dumplings - Grandma Linda * Most Creative Dumplings - Dumpling Bucket * Most Delicious Dumplings - Dumpling Lab As a judge, I found it difficult to rate the dumplings from each team because they all tasted good. Some were better than others for various reasons, but none were bad (though someone did tell me she got a raw dumpling from one table - yikes). I thought all of the winners were deserving. Grandma Linda's team really killed it with the traditional-style dumplings. She offered both steamed and pan-fried varieties made with pork and chives or cabbage with three sauces on the side. Dumping Bucket won Most Creative because their dumplings were formed in the shape of a rose. Impressive. It also made their skins tougher and the dumplings overall doughier, but the presentation was on point. As for Most Delicious winner Dumpling Lab, they had it going on with their rich, savory filling made out of beef short rib, oxtail, and pig's feet. Yum. I will say I gave them five stars for Most Delicious. I have to give a shout-out to another fellow Atlanta Yelper, Randy T (https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=ITSnuLOu81doC5GGT5NMSQ), who competed in the cook-off. He was part of the Golden Arches Dumplings team that created arguably the most creative dumpling at the event (I had them tied for most creative on my judging form). Their dumplings were designed to taste like McDonald's Big Macs and they did. The similarity in taste was uncanny. Nice work. I invited a friend to the event. Two days after, she texted me and said she could totally go for some more dumplings from the event. That should give you some indication of how tasty they were. For drinks, they had ice cold bubble tea from Tea Top for sale at a discounted price of $3 per drink. They carried two flavors: Sun Moon Lake Milk Tea and Alpine Green Milk Tea. Awesome. Everyone at the event was nice/friendly and I met a lot of cool people. Thank you to Hannah and the TAP-ATL Board for inviting me! To see more photos from the event, visit: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TAP.atl/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2343351362549614. For more information on TAP-ATL, check out their website at https://www.tap-atl.org/.

This is another great event run by the Taiwanese American Professionals of Atlanta (TAP-ATL). As a…read morebrief plug for TAP, that builds an understanding of Taiwanese American heritage, encouraging pride in Taiwanese American identity, developing a strong Taiwanese American community, advocating around issues pertinent to Taiwanese Americans, and helping to contribute to our culture, ever richer in its diversity (quoted from their website). In addition to cook-offs, TAP hosts many great social, professional, and community events. These include TAPPY hours at local restaurants, volunteer events at animal rescue shelters, Valentine's Day date auctions, and even hiking trips to places like Providence Canyon. TAP events are always a lot of fun, well organized, and a great way to meet up with both new and old friends. The Dumpling Cook-Off was no exception. It was TAP's second annual cook-off, in which the first cook-off featured a showdown between chefs cooking lu rou fan (minced pork over rice). I participated as a competitor and thought the experience was great whether you were cooking or eating. The event was hosted in Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta behind Old Chinatown. Upon paying the entrance fee, visitors were able to visit several booths each manned by different teams competing for the most delicious, most creative, and most popular dumplings. The event was AYCE, so if you had a favorite stand you could eat as many as you want. There was a good variety among the different teams. One team wrapped dumplings that looked like roses, while another team wrapped dumplings of different colors. Some teams made traditional pork and vegetable dumplings, while one team made a dumpling with pig's feet and short rib. Bubble tea drinks were provided by Tea Top, as was done in the first cook-off. Every attendee had the opportunity to vote for their favorite dumpling - of which the winning team won a trophy. Taste and creativity were judged by several highly esteemed judges from the area. The TAP Dumpling Cook-Off was awesome. I hope that the organization runs more cook-offs in coming years. I also highly recommend that you check out their other activities and events as well.

The Chinese Culture Center of Atlanta is located behind Atlanta's, technically Chamblee's,…read moreChinatown mall. I'm not sure what the official name of the building is, but it's owned by the Taipei Economic and Culture Office (TECO) of Atlanta and the organization's name is what's sprawled atop the building's entrance. Therefore, this center and its activities are geared more towards Taiwanese-Chinese people as opposed to mainland Chinese people. Making this evident is the flag of Taiwan, which is prominently displayed inside the center. However, the flag of China is nowhere to be seen. So perhaps this place should be called the Taiwanese Culture Center instead. My personal experience with the Chinese Culture Center is somewhat limited, but having several friends of Chinese/Taiwanese descent who grew up in Atlanta, I've heard a lot about it. For example, one of my friend's moms has been the traditional Chinese dance instructor at the center for many years. Some other friends of mine grew up taking Mandarin lessons at the school here, at the behest of their parents. I believe Chinese calligraphy lessons are also taught here. The inside of the building looks like a school gymnasium/auditorium. It's a big open space that can be utilized for a variety of purposes. The building has been around for decades and looks a bit dated now. Still completely functional. The building has multiple stories with restrooms located on the second floor. There's also a stage. I have been to a couple different events here. They include the Chinese New Year celebration and the "Tasting the Flavors of Taiwan" festival. The center is probably best known for its Chinese New Year festivities, which comes complete with food tastings, arts and crafts, traditional stage performances (dance, singing), and New Year lion dance and dragon dance. The Chinese New Year celebration takes place each year over two days. Thousands of people flock to the center over New Years weekend. Parking used to be a nightmare, but beginning in 2014, people can park for free in the nearby Interactive College of Technology parking lot. The parking lot is close enough to the event so you can walk over. There is also a free shuttle service which runs between the parking lot and the Culture Center. This was a great improvement. In 2014, the price to attend the Chinese New Year celebration was $5 per adult. I believe children under 3 feet tall got in free. A large portion of the center's parking lot is reserved for a makeshift tent which is used for extra space for vendors and other exhibitors. The vendors are mostly independent artists selling arts and crafts such as paper lanterns, intricate origami, traditional Chinese/Taiwanese paintings, apparel, and accessories (e.g. bags). Another part of the parking lot is roped off for the popular lion and dragon dances. In years past, the lion and dragon dances began at noon. To get a good "seat," it's best to start surrounding the dance area around 11:30am. Another good spot to view the dance, though further away, is from a ramp on the backside of a building which faces the parking lot. You'll know what I'm talking about when you're in the parking lot. The lion dance and dragon dance are fun to watch. In the lion dance, it's two lions who are dancing/playing with each other. In the dragon dance, it is a long dragon which chases the sun. At the end of each dance, cash donations in traditional Chinese red envelopes are handed to the performers. I've recorded a few short clips of these dances and you can view them at the following links: Lion dance (Instagram): http://instagram.com/p/j4Z6riQBgJ/ Lion eating money donations (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnipLKWY7Dw Dragon dance (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dbu8j5U0VU Warning: The center gets absolutely packed during New Years. I suggest going in the mornings (~10am) to avoid the rush. You will be packed in like sardines and inching by hundreds of people at times. The spread of foods is fantastic (see my photos) and well worth it. Bring cash! I went to the "Tasting the Flavors of Taiwan" event in 2013. Admission was $5 per person and free for students with valid ID. This event was like Chinese New Years "light." Like Chinese New Year, live musical and dance performances took place throughout the duration of the event. Most foods were only $3 each and included authentic Taiwanese cuisine such as ba-wan (literal translation: "meat sphere") meat dumplings. Various hearty rice and noodle dishes were offered and beverages such as bubble tea (from Boba Mocha) were for sale. Two guest chefs from Taiwan attended and performing a cooking demonstration. They also made an impressive fruit and taro carving (see my photos). All in all, it was a fun and well-attended event for the Taiwanese community of Atlanta.

Their annual Chinese New Year celebration was good. Lots of food, lion dance and other performing…read morearts, etc. Parking was extremely difficult. Probably one has to park in the Marta parking lot which is about 2-3 minutes walking distance.

I seem to forget to check out Buford Farmers Market on a regular basis when I'm looking for Asian…read morefoods. I went this past week because I was looking for 2 specific items that I wasn't able to find at 2 other large Asian markets. Someone had suggested this Market because of the extensive ethnic choices. It has Asian (Korean, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Filipino), European, South American, Hispanic and American items. There are sections that have premade Asian meals, fresh seafood, extensive fruits and vegetables, frozen foods, pantry staples, bakery items, almost anything you might want. It's a large market and you could spend hours going up and down the aisles exploring. I was surprised to find they even had a favorite pop that I only thought I could get in Michigan. Now I know that I can go here and get it, without having to have it ordered online. It can get busy on the weekends when everyone is doing their weekly shopping, but I went later in the day and was able to find parking and not bump into people or long lines.

I came here for some already prepared food and it was a great find…read more Shopping carts look old but all the wheels work. They have hand carts and smaller buggies in the store. You have to get one of the big shopping carts out the parking lot yourself. The produce section is huge and loaded with the freshest produce. The prices look bigger than Kroger put on the same level as Publix. This place is essentially an international market mixed with a farmer's market .The seafood section is humongous. I got some sushi, grilled Markel, and chicken fried rice from the korean section. In the butcher section, I got pork belly, goat, lamb, chicken wings, and pork shoulder. All the food was amazing.

It was a beautiful, perfectly sunny warm October day for the festival, so that scores high just…read morefrom an experience standpoint, but there are a few positives and negatives to this festival worth noting for future attendees. Parking in the daily area at the Brookhaven Marta Station is permissible and free and easy, but expect a 15 min walk to the festival entrance. Seriously, it is a HIKE up Apple Valley just to get there. Tickets are reasonably priced: $5 if you paid in advance, $10 at the door and this entitles you to a wristband to prove that you are a paying attendee and you get a spoon for all of the little sample cups of chili you would like to try. You can enter the festival without paying and if you are not really a chili person, but are attending with others who will be more likely to get their money's worth, I say, don't pay and just walk in and explore. The festival has very LONG hours - from 11 am to 7 pm, so one would expect that you could go most anytime in the afternoon and be able to try a variety of the chili cookoff entries, but nope, almost everything was completely gone by 1:30 or 2 pm, so go early! Beer lines were very long early in the day, perhaps as many as 40 people in line, so that was a slow process. These did clear up later and the price for a 16 oz beer was fair at $5. There were 3 live bands who performed and the caliber of music was good, so an enjoyable backdrop to the festival. Overall, a fun fall event for a short while if you are in the area, or really like chili!

This is a new endeavor in the budding Brookhaven community and while it needs some work, there was…read moreplenty of chili, lots of great music, fun activities for kids, and a really awesome lemonade stand making fresh lemonade on the spot. For just $5 you got unlimited tastings of restaurant and home-prepared chilis, and after three trips through the various lines I definitely feel I got my money's worth. They plan on having more eating areas set up in the shade for next year and trying to expand to offer more things to do before and after the chili tasting hours, but there was a good turnout for a first time event, especially considering it was competing against Music Midtown. I do plan on coming back next year!