Zaika – A South Asian Food Festival at Harbourfront Centre

From August 7 to 9, Harbourfront Centre presents Zaika – A South Asian Food Festival as part of World Routes 2009. Among the food-related highlights:

Chef Demos

• Chef Sanjeev Sethi of the Host Restaurant at the Marilyn Brewer Community Space (August 7 at 8 p.m.) and the Lakeside Terrace (August 8 at 3:30 and August 9 at 4:30)
• Chef Sandeep Oberoi at the Brigantine Tent (August 8 at 2 & 4 p.m.)
• Chef Umang Dutta of Masala Art Restaurant at the Brigantine Tent (August 8 at 2:30 p.m.)
• Chef Satvinder Singh at the Lakeside Terrace (August 8 at 6:30 p.m. and August 9 at 5:30 p.m.)
• Chef Guru Shreshtha of Guru's Chili Chinese Cuisine at the Lakeside Terrace (August 9 at 1:30 & 2:30 p.m.)

Food Competitions at the Marilyn Brewer Community Space

• A golgappa eating competition (August 8 at 1:30 p.m.), in which teams will compete to see who can eat the most golgappa in two minutes. Golgappa, AKA pani puri (pictured), are crispy little fried shells that are generally filled with a mouthwatering combination of sweet, sour, hot and salty tastes: tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas.
• A dosa eating competition (August 8 at 3:30 p.m.). The same idea as the pani puri competition, but with the crispy South Indian fermented rice and lentil pancakes known as dosai. It takes place at the same time as a roti-making competition for men only.
• A blindfolded tasting competition (August 9 at 1 p.m.). How well do you really know the tastes of South Asia?
• A Chubby Bunny competition (August 9 at 3 p.m.). Contestants stuff their mouths with Indian sweets called ras gulla and try to utter tongue-twisters at the same time.

Also, the World Cafe continues Friday from 6 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from noon to midnight and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. with tastes of South Asia and beyond from White Gold Sweets, Masala Art, Taste of India, Makkah Restaurant, Jaipur Fine Indian Cuisine, Udupi Palace, The Host Fine Indian Cuisine, Tropical Fruit Market, Churros Ricos Churros and One Love Vegetarian Catering.