Homyu and Almond Duck Return to ‘Far East Feast’

At last fall’s “Far East Feast,” Chef John Nishio and Grateful Crane Ensemble honored members of the Far East family by presenting them with a framed photo of their father and original Far East owner, Shang Ging Jeong. In his presentation, Nishio thanked the family for their food and for so many fond memories he and other members of the community have of dining at the Far East Café. Deeply touched by this gesture, Shang Jeong’s son, Bennett Jeong, daughter Judy Foon, granddaughter Adrienne Hatae and daughter- in-law Nancy Jeong accepted his gift, gave Nishio some “insider tips” on the food, told him that they were honored that he was paying tribute to their family in this way, and said, “Please keep doing what you’re doing.” From left: Adrienne Hatae, Judy Foon, Bennett Jeong, John Nishio and Nancy Jeong.

PASADENA — The “Far East Feast,” a fun and nostalgic journey back to the flavors of the old Far East Café in Little Tokyo, is returning to Pasadena on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the residence of Chef John Nishio.

Presented by Nishio as a mini-fundraising dinner for the Grateful Crane Ensemble, the “Far East Feast” includes Nishio’s re-creations of the “greatest hits” from the Far East Café: homyu, chashu, pressed almond duck, chow mein, pakkai, seaweed soup, shrimp with lobster sauce, ginger beef and mabodofu.

During the meal, attendees share family memories of their days eating at the Far East Café, and enjoy comparing the tastes of Nishio’s re-creations to what they remember from the Far East.

“Flavors from the past can take people back to a very special place, and for many in our community that place was the Far East Café,” said Kashiwagi. “Our dinner is a fun and delicious way to go back there one more time.”

Along with a nine-course dinner, the evening includes a tour of Nishio’s backyard Japanese garden, a viewing of a Japanese American historical video (produced by Nishio), and entertainment provided by Grateful Crane singers and musical director Scott Nagatani.

Tickets are $125 per person. Seating is limited to 20 people. A limited number of seats are still available. For those who can’t attend on Feb. 24, additional feasts have been scheduled for May 19, July 28, Sept. 29 and Dec. 1. For information and reservations, call the Grateful Crane ticket line at (310) 995-5841.