It's Getting Hot In Here: Hot & Spicy Fest Vendors Pt.1
Hot & Spicy Fest is all set to kick off this weekend and we’ve already taken a look at all the banging entertainment we’ve got in store and now it’s time to turn our attention to the food! We’ve got 40+ vendors serving up spicy dishes, snacks, drinks, desserts and more from a range of countries across the globe.
In this first vendor post, we’ll be focusing on food from the Asia Pacific region covering everywhere from Chongqing to Thailand, to Yunnan, Pakistan, New Zealand and more! Be sure to keep an eye out for our second vendor post coming out on Thursday which will cover food from Europe, Africa and the Americas.
Shadow of the cloud 云下
Shadow of the cloud brings the foods of the mountains and forests of the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan to the table, with authentic flavors of the region through and through. They’ll be serving Spicy Mushrooms with Potatoes and Spicy Grilled Chicken with Mushrooms which takes chicken thighs marinated in lemongrass, grills them then serves them with mushrooms and qiubei chili peppers.
Wild Kite Brewing 野风筝
Also bringing Yunnan to the fest with a bit of Australia thrown in is Wild Kite Brewing. They’ll have an Applewood Smoked Barbecue Set Meal which sees Australian Angus beef, pork ribs and handmade sausages all smoked for eight hours over fruit wood then paired with their homemade spicy barbecue sauce. They also have an exclusive brew, Wild Kite Chili Stout Beer, which infuses a traditional sweet stout with Yunnan shabu chilies for a special kind of spice. Along with the Chili Stout Beer, they’ll have some of their other signature beers too.
Xiao Xiao Noodle 晓小面
Bringing the spicy flavors of Chongqing to the fest is Xiao Xiao Noodle with their Wonton Soup in Hot and Spicy Sauce made with their signature burnt pepper chili paste. They’ll also have Crispy Potato with Chili Sauce, Cold Noodles with Shredded Chicken and other classic Sichuan and Chongqing dishes.
Puff & Chill
Injecting some Pakistani spice into the fest will be Puff & Chill. They’ll have two main dishes at the fest, the first is the Chatkhara Tawa Chicken. To make this popular Lahori dish, chicken is marinated in a blend of aromatic spices, herbs and chilies then cooked on a tawa (traditional iron griddle) then garnished with fresh cilantro, ginger and lemon wedges. The second is the Lahori Iava Boti, a variant of chicken tikka, which sees small pieces of chicken (boti in Urdu) marinated in a mixture of yogurt, lemon juice and herbs such as cilantro and mint then grilled in a tandoor (clay oven) or on a skewer.
Along with the main dishes they’ll have a range of Pakistani street food and snacks: Pani Puri, crispy hollow puris filled with a mixture of flavored water, tamarind chutney, chili, potatoes, onions, and chickpeas; Pakora, fried fritters made with a batter of chickpea flour, spices, and vegetables or meat; Samosas filled with spiced potatoes, peas, and onions; and Seekh Kebab, Pakistani skewers served with a side of chutney.
Kang Kang 康康
Kang Kang will be showcasing Gansu spice at the fest with their Spicy Barbecue, which takes high-quality beef and lamb skewers and covers them with a spice blend made from Gangu chili pepper from Tianshui, Gansu Province and over ten other ingredients.
They’ve also got Spicy Chicken Cold Noodles with Cheese, a Korean-Chinese fusion dish that uses Korean noodle brand Samyang’s chicken noodles as a base with Anchor mozzarella cheese melted over the top. Lastly, is a Spicy Fest exclusive: Spicy Crayfish cooked with dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns to pack one nice mala punch!
Pak Pak 喜悦泰餐
Thai restaurant Pak Pak will be injecting some Thai spice into the fest with their offerings. First up is Larb Neua, a traditional Thai snack that sees spicy minced beef mixed with mint and Thai basil nestled inside a lettuce leaf. The other is Som Tam, a Bangkok street-style green papaya salad that’s the perfect balance of sour and spicy topped with crushed peanuts for some added crunch. To wash it all down with they’ll have their famous refreshing Passion Fruit Lemonade.
PandaBrew•River Melody Mountain Scenery 熊猫精酿•湘声岳色
Serving up Hunan cuisine is PandaBrew, which will have some Changsha specialties at the fest. There will be Changsha Traditional Stinky Tofu, featuring black stinky tofu that’s crispy on the outside but tender in the middle; Hunan Rice Noodles and Beef Skewers. To pair with the food they’ll also have a number of their signature brews like All Day Pilsner, Lucky Day, Xiaomei Strawberry Seasalt Gose and Outlaw Dried Tangerine Peel Witbier.
UNICORN SHARK Restaurant&Bar 独角鲨深海餐吧
UNICORN SHARK is partnering up with chili enthusiast Ben from New Zealand for the fest. Ben has lived in Shanghai for over two decades and has created his own line of artisan hot sauces, which UNICORN SHARK have used to create some exclusive dishes for the occasion. First is the “Mango Embers” Spicy Balck Pepper Beef Panini which takes high-quality black pepper beef and sandwiches it in a ciabatta bun with Mango Embers hot sauce. The other is “Rays of Hab” Spicy Hot Dog which smothers a hot dog in Rays of Hab chili sauce for a spicy kick.
TWM Wine Bistro TWM白蛾 Wine Bistro
TMW Wine Bistro specializes in Chinese fusion food and will have three different noodle offerings at the fest: Chicken and Sesame Cold Noodles, Spicy Bone Broth Noodles and Changsha Dry Noodles. Aside from noodles, they’ll have three spicy snacks as well: Sesame Fried Lamb with their secret seven spice powder, Sichuan Fried Fish and Chips and Chips with Kimchi Mayonnaise.
ZWW•Japanese Food 知伍味•日料
Showcasing the spiciness of wasabi at the fest will be ZWW•Japanese Food. They’ll have Wasabi Pork Chops featuring breadcrumb-coated pork tenderloin deep fried until golden brown then drizzled in wasabi sauce. Plus Grilled Chicken with Wasabi which sees boneless chicken thighs covered in a wasabi glaze, then skewered with green and red peppers and grilled.
Turkish Feast 西庭•秀色
Turkish Feast describes Turkish spice as “mild yet flavorful” and they will be showcasing it at the fest with their Turkish Spicy Chicken Wrap and Spicy Turkish Meatballs with Basmati Rice. The former is a type of doner kebab and features chicken cooked on a vertical rotisserie, shaved off and served in a flatbread. The latter sees Turkish meatballs, or Köfte made from beef mince cooked in a sauce full of Turkish spices then served with basmati rice.
To pair with the food they’ll have Efes Beer, a Turkish pilsner known for its delicate, light flavor; and Aperol Spritz, everyone’s favorite summer cocktail.
TSINGTAO1903 Taproom 青岛1903酒馆
Always aiming to make the perfect food to pair with their beers, TSINGTAO1903 Taproom will be serving up their Peppery Spicy Chicken at the fest. It’s the perfect beer snack that sees chicken wings and thighs deep fried until golden and crispy then stir-fried with a blend of chili peppers from Fujian and Sichuan and peppercorns from Sichuan and Yunnan for a super spicy, numbing dish. They’ll also have the exclusive 2024 Beijing Spicy Festival Butterbeer Latte. Inspired by Harry Potter, it combines the flavors of butter and caramel with Tsingtao beer.
Hi-Town Bistro 海塘无国界餐吧
Specializing in fusion cuisine, Hi-Town Bistro is bringing spicy food from a number of countries to the fest. First up is the Spicy Iberico Black Pork Ribs, which sees high-quality Iberico black pork rib marinated in a special spicy sauce. Next is one of their signature dishes: Smoked Lamb Kidney, a traditional Chinese barbecue dish in which lamb is smoked with rosemary and other spices to give it a piney, savory aroma. Lastly, is the Spicy Fried Chicken Wings, an exclusive dish for the fest that sees chicken wings roasted with chilies and spices from numerous countries for one super spicy dish.
Wawabeer Taproom 哇哇兔精酿餐吧
Wawabeer is all about the skewers with their Spicy Fest offerings, they’ve got “Go Borrow the Fan Quickly” Beef Skewers that take Australian Wagyu beef rib skewers, grill them at a high temperature then covers them in a spice blend made from four different kinds of chili peppers and six different kinds of spices. They’ve also got the exclusive Spicy Curry Lamb Skewer, inspired by Indian style curry and Xinjiang lamb skewers, it takes lamb belly then marinates it with onion, apple, honey and curry paste, then roasts it then finally finishes it off on the grill. For vegetarians, they’ve got Grilled Corn which features Hainan Sweetcorn paired with parmesan cheese and secret sweet and spicy powder.
Chunzhi Bistro 春至Bistro
Another spot bringing Yunnan spice to the fest is Chunzhi Bistro, which will be serving Yunnan Wa Nationality Spicy Shrimp and Yunnan Tofu Paired with Two Types of Spicy Sauce. The former of which is a fest exclusive and uses a special chili used in Wa cuisine. They’ll also have their Mango and Chili Cider which takes a traditional apple cider and then infuses it with mangoes and chili for a drink that’s the perfect blend of spicy and sweet.
TOUGH TONGUE 硬舌酒肉
Putting the “tongue” in their name, Tough Tongue will have Hot and Spicy Garlic Ox Tongue at the fest. For the dish, ox tongue is first stewed and then roasted until finally it’s brushed with a secret sweet and sour garlic sauce and a special hot sauce. They’ll also have Hot and Spicy Lamb Kebabs featuring Mongolian lamb leg paired with a handmade chili blend.
Brain Factory 脑子加工厂•深夜烧烤
If you didn’t get the chance to try the brain burger at Juicy Burger Fest then now’s your chance to try brain again! Brain Factory will be serving their signature Mala Brain and Mala Grilled Quail and also the exclusive Hot Brain Bing.
Vola Gelato
There aren’t only savory spicy options at Hot & Spicy Fest but sweet options too! Vola Gelato will be offering two spicy gelatos at the fest, the first is Devil’s Chili and Chocolate and the second is TABASCO ® Gelato, which pairs TABASCO ® sauce with dark chocolate from Santo Domingo and is exclusive for the fest. If you’re looking for more traditional flavors, they’ll also have Dark Chocolate Gelato, Pomelo Gelato and Berry Sorbet.
CHEERS Wines 齐饮进口葡萄酒
CHEERS will be bringing the spice in the form of two delectable spicy cocktails. First up is the Spicy Sparkling Margarita, a fiery twist on a classic favorite, it combines zesty lime juice, smooth tequila, a touch of sweetness from a secret ingredient and finally a kick of heat courtesy of fresh jalapeño peppers, culminating in an effervescent climax with a splash of fizzy club soda. The second is the Spicy Vodka Lemonade, which combines a classic lemonade with vodka and just a hint of spiciness for a cocktail that is refreshing, spicy and strong all at the same time! As well as the spicy cocktails they’ll also be serving Paloma, Gin and Tonic and a range of their excellent wines.
Lipton 立顿
Globally renowned tea brand Lipton will be serving their carefully crafted summer supermodel water at the fest. They’ll have their popular Lemon Black Tea, Peach Americano, Peach Oolong Tea and Grape Sparkling Tea.
Now that is one pretty diverse array of spicy food and it’s only the first half! Check back in on Thursday for our second vendor post covering Europe, Africa and the Americas.
Our Sponsor
This year’s Hot & Spicy Fest is brought to you by TABASCO®, and here’s a few words from them:
"From our home on Avery Island, Louisiana, McIlhenny Company produces TABASCO® Brand products, including the legendary TABASCO® Original Red Sauce. A household and restaurant staple around the world, TABASCO® Sauce is sold in more than 195 countries and territories and labeled in more than 36 languages and dialects.
With more than 150 years of pepper expertise, our family-owned and operated company is constantly experimenting with new flavors and products to carry on our legacy of exciting the world’s most popular food and drinks. Our core range of pepper sauces includes TABASCO® Original Red Sauce, TABASCO® Jalapeño Sauce, TABASCO® Chipotle Sauce, TABASCO® Sweet & Spicy Sauce, TABASCO® Cayenne Garlic Sauce, TABASCO® Sriracha, TABASCO® Habanero Sauce, and TABASCO® Scorpion Sauce.
To learn more about how we #LightThingsUp please visit us at www.tabasco.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn."
Hot & Spicy Fest will be taking place at 30 at C7 Light Theater Outdoor Square, in Universal Creative Park (UCP) from 11am-9pm, Jun 29-30. Early bird tickets are RMB 25, VIP tickets are RMB 130 and standard tickets (available at the door) are RMB 35 . You can purchase tickets by scanning the QR code in the poster above.
C7 Light Theater Outdoor Square C7光合聚场室外广场
UCP (Universal Creative Park) 9 Jiuxianqiao Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥北路9号UCP恒通国际创新园
If you're a lover of spicy food and would like to stay up to date with everything spice-related in the capital, join our dedicated Spicy Food Lovers group chats! Simply add TBJButler on WeChat by scanning the QR code below and request to become a member.
READ: Spice Spice Baby: Behold the Hot & Spicy Fest Entertainment
Images: the Beijingers, courtesy of the vendors
