Citymeals Benefit Has Brightly Colored Asian Theme

Brightly colored saris replaced cocktail dresses, and business attire was worn in favor of tuxes at this year's Citymeals-on-Wheels' annual Tribute to James Beard tasting benefit at Rockefeller Center. Usually a black-tie event, this year's benefit had 42 chefs from around the world cooking for more than 1,000 guests. Citymeals director of special events Lynn McGuire oversaw the massive affair, and for the first time ever, a sponsor, Bombay-based Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, footed the event bill, making it the biggest success in the event's history, raising a record $1.2 million for the nonprofit.
Titled "Feast of Many Moons," the event's pan-Asian theme featured chefs from as far as Asia and Australia joining U.S.- and New York-based chefs. The international roster of chefs made coordinating the tasting especially challenging this year. "When you're dealing with Asia and the time difference and different work schedules and priorities, it's a challenge," McGuire said. "Chefs from Singapore and Malaysia had us waking up at 2 AM and 3 AM taking phone calls [at home] to discuss what equipment and ingredients they needed for their dishes." Last-minute requests had staff members taking trips to Chinatown for ingredients hours before the benefit began.

A sultry, humid atmosphere filled the area beneath the clear-topped tent, and while the heat had some guests blotting their foreheads and fanning themselves with their programs, it certainly made the Asian theme more authentic. "We'd followed the weather all weekend long, and there's that choice whether the tent's going on the truck [for delivery] and we're paying for it, and then whether it's going up," said McGuire. Because it rained the morning of the event, she opted to not take chances. "We'd flown in chefs from around the world," she said. "I didn't want it to get messy."

Strings of small lanterns lined the tent's ceiling, and the Rockwell Group's bright sign posts marked each station. Flora Tech suspended a blanket of grass and spring rye with hydrangea, roses, gerbera daisies and dendrobium orchid leis near the entrance. Volunteers dressed in traditional Indian clothing handed out vibrant red, white and green necklaces for guests to wear.

The evening's eclectic mix of performances included dancing by the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Chinese lion group (booked through the New York Chinese Cultural Center), traditional Japanese music by the Sawai Koto Academy, tabla and sitar music by Naren Budhaker and Prasanna Kumar Thokchom, and music from Indian pop star Jassi. Sarina Jain of Masala Dance and Fitness gave the crowd a short dance lesson adapted after her Masala Bhangra exercise program, followed by Bollywood disco and bhangra music spun by DJ Rekha. But the undisputed stars of the evening—aside from the chefs, of course—were cast members of Bombay Dreams, who sang a few love songs for a sated crowd of well-fed guests.

—Suzanne Ito

Read our coverage of last year's Citymeals-on-Wheels Tribute to James Beard benefit...