@i8NYC presents: EUPHORIA 🍽️😋 [MAX 6PPL]

1NIGHT! Thai Rice🇹🇭🍚: 2⭐️⭐️Oriole x LaDong x abcV x Mahaniyom @JBF 🍽️ [PRE$]

Thu, May 7 · 6:30 PM EDT

Platform by JBF, 25 11th Ave, New York, NY, US

Since Meetup fees waived, BUY YOUR OWN TIX HERE and request to sit w/ Jeff

Note: JBF Dinners have recently been sold out before posting menus so that's your heads up!

We are heading to JBF Platform! Loved Oriole & La Dong! Also Noah Sandoval of Oriole (2 MICHELIN ⭐️⭐️). Nuff said. Save on the flight to/from Chicago ✈️

Thailand’s most celebrated rice varieties take center stage as Noah Sandoval, 2025 James Beard Award winner® for Best Chef: Great Lakes, leads an all-star culinary lineup exploring the versatility of these captivating grains. Joining him are Chef Neal Harden, culinary director of ABC Restaurants and executive chef of abcV; Chef Pithayakorn “La” Panapoi of La Dong; pastry chef Oksana Chepoy of Flore Café; and mixologist Chompon “Boong” Boonnak of Mahaniyom. Together, they will reinterpret iconic Thai rice varieties—including jasmine (hom mali), riceberry, brown rice, and sticky rice—through inventive dishes and beverage pairings, including a “liquid rice” cocktail. PLEASE BE ON TIME!!! 😊

ORIOLE (TWO MICHELIN STARS⭐️⭐️)
MAHANIYOM (MICHELIN BIB 😋)
LA DONG (MICHELIN BIB 😋)

4.7/8 on Yelp, 4.8/5 on Google (ORIOLE)
4.5/5 on Yelp & Google (MAHANIYOM)
4.3/5 on Yelp, 4.8/5 on Google (LA DONG)

Cost: $259 (ALL IN)

Menu: (based on avail)
HORS D’OEUVRES

• Black Sticky Rice Cake with Shrimp Flakes, Coconut, Scallion Lard, Shallot, Black Pepper, and Fish Sauce
• Jasmine Rice Dumpling with Strawberry and Spicy Lemongrass–Avocado Sauce
• Puffed Riceberry Rice Crisp with Cured Fjord Trout Belly, Ginger–Lime Leaf Vinaigrette, Yuzu Gel, and Herbs

Pairing: Thai Sato > Fermented Thai Rice Wine

DINNER

• Black Sticky Rice with Vietnamese Beef Tartare, Fermented Anchovy, Shrimp Paste, Vietnamese Herbs, and Toasted Sticky Rice Powder

Pairing: Melon Highball > Tequila Ocho Plata with Honeydew, Galangal, Makrut Lime, and Carbonation

• Steamed and Crispy Fried Brown Rice with Fava Beans, Spring Wild Mushrooms and Herbs; and Fermented Sea Rose

Pairing: Upside-Down Martini > Toasted Rice Vermouth with Makwen Bitters and Bluecoat Gin

• Poached Fjord Trout with Saffron Dashi, Charred Chestnut Mushroom Conserva, and Riceberry Rice Amazake

Pairing: Mango Sticky Rice > Elijah Craig Bourbon with Mango, Coconut, and Pandan

DESSERT

• Pandan-Infused Rice Pudding–Crème Brûlée with Sesame Brittle and Berry Compote

Tickets to events held at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation cover the cost of food, education and a unique dining experience. Meals are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world. Unless otherwise stated, alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price.

~A La Cuisine

@DoForOneNYC Mahjong Fundraiser 🧧🐴🀄️ @ The Hub NYC

Sat, May 9 · 12:00 PM EDT

The Hub, 109 East 31st, New York, ny, US

BUY TIX HERE

We are heading to Murray Hill! @AuntieChins loves Mahjong! Who else? Come celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year with Mahjong festivities. We will once again be throwing a Fundraiser for @DoForOneNYC, a non-profit which is near and dear to my heart. It emphasizes not DEVALUING people based on mental/physical disabilities. Feel free to Get Involved by attending the next DFO Info Session 3/16!

We’re ringing in the Year of the Horse the HOPE way…with tiles, community, and culture. There will be Asian snacks & drinks throughout the day or feel free to bring your own to share. All proceeds will go towards Do For One

Join us at The Hub for a special Mahjong Night celebrating our Lunar New Year collaboration. Whether you’re a seasoned player or brand new to the game, everyone is welcome. We’ll have a dedicated teaching table for anyone who wants to learn, plus open play tables for experienced players ready to run it! There will be no point minimums and style of play will be Hong Kong. Most wins throughout the session will arrive at the Final Table to Crown 1 Mahjong Champion per Session. Champions may even win a Prize :)

Cost: $20

FAQ:
Will Mahjong be taught? I have never played before. Yes
Can I play other games like Uno or Rummikub or Big2 instead? Yes, they will be available for play.

Please note that the $20 suggested donation applies to each individual session. If you are signing up for both, please "purchase" two sessions.
Session 1: 12-3pm
Session 2: 3:30-6:30pm

Note: Those who donate >$99 will be entered into a raffle for a free ticket to Jeff’s next @i8NYC Popup (worth over $100).

This event is for fun and fellowship as gambling is not allowed.

FYI- AYCE 2026 Queens Taste Festival 🍽️ @ SOUND RIVER STUDIOS

Tue, May 12 · 6:00 PM EDT

SOUND RIVER STUDIOS, 4-40 44th Drive, Queens, NY, US

Since Meetup fees are waived, BUY YOUR OWN TIX HERE. Come and go as you please as no attendance will be taken.

We are heading to LIC! We're once again bringing together more than 50 of the borough's best restaurants, foodmakers, breweries, and confectioners under one roof for an evening of unlimited sips and samples. But for the first time, that roof is the stunning Sound River Studios in LIC – perched right on the East River with soaring ceilings and breathtaking skyline views.

Cost: $59 (ALL IN)
53% off! (normally $125)

MORE INFO HERE

Menu: (TBD)
Unlimited Food & Drinks for 3hrs
More than 50 restaurants, beverage purveyors, and dessert makers are expected to offer samples of their products. Plus, clients of the Entrepreneur Space, a food-and-business incubator that QEDC operates in Long Island City, will provide their artisanal specialties. And to wash it all down, brewers, wine makers, and mixologists will be on tap – as well as a host of non-alcoholic fruit juices and teas.
Restaurant recruitment is underway, but here are some entities that participated in last year’s Queens Taste and are certainly invited to return: Alewife; Arepa’s Café; Austin Ale House; Ben’s Deli; Il Nonno Ristorante; Jora; London Lennie’s; Moon Man; Neir's Tavern; O Lavrador; Ottomanelli’s Burgers & Belgian Fries; Punjab Dhaba Catering & Sweets; QNSY Sparkling Cocktails; Queens Curry Kitchen; Rincon Salvadoreño; Saar Indian Cuisine; Schmidt's Candy; The Wine Room of Forest Hills; Tipsy Scoop; and Toodles & French.

~A La Cuisine

1 NIGHT! JBF Semif & One Michelin⭐️ Huso's Buddha Lo @ JBF 🍽️ [PREPAID]

Tue, May 12 · 6:30 PM EDT

Platform by JBF, 25 11th Ave, New York, NY, US

***CLOSING RSVPS***

We are heading to JBF Platform! Considering his Tasting Menu is $285 and Huso just gained One Michelin Star ⭐️, this meal is a No-Brainer! His MO is Caviar should never be a supplement, but standard in dishes.

Featuring the Two-Time Top Chef Winner and Celebrated Chef/Co-Owner of Huso
Join Buddha Lo—the only chef to win back-to-back seasons of Top Chef—for a dinner inspired by the inventive dishes he showcased on the new competition series America's Culinary Cup, hosted by Padma Lakshmi.
Lo’s culinary career began in Port Douglas, Australia, where he grew up working in his family’s Chinese restaurant before training in some of the world’s most respected kitchens and relocating to New York City to join the team at Eleven Madison Park. Today, he is the executive chef/co-owner of Huso in Tribeca, where he presents meticulously crafted tasting menus that highlight his culinary adeptness, luxury ingredients, and global influences.

4.7/5 on Yelp & Google

ONE MICHELIN STAR ⭐️

Cost: $223 (ALL IN)

Menu: (based on avail)
HORS D’OEUVRES

• Crispy Eggplant with Motherf***ing Sauce
• Hamachi with Caviar and Pinenuts

DINNER

• Greek Salad with Marinated Tomato, Goat’s Milk Feta, and Cucumber
• Black Cod with Scallop and Sauce Vin Jaune
• Steak and Eggs > New York Strip Steak with Confit Egg Yolk and Brown Butter Hollandaise
• Tropical Fruit with White Chocolate and Coconut

This one-night-only dinner will feature a cocktail reception with passed hors d'oeuvre upon arrival, an expertly crafted multi-course menu with thoughtfully curated wine or beverage pairings, and a Q&A with the featured chefs.

James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served.

~A La Cuisine