Super Cao Nguyen gears up for Chefs Fest 2023 with full slate of culinary talent

As the Oklahoma culinary scene continues to expand, you can attempt to visit as many restaurants as possible, or you can let Super Cao Nguyen, 2668 N Military Ave., help you experience the skill of some of the state's best chefs as they're all brought together for the supermarket's annual Chefs Fest.

“There's nowhere else you can connect all chefs at once in Oklahoma,” said Anita Nguyen, spokesperson for Super Cao Nguyen. "You can go to all these different restaurants and meet them and stuff, but it's like, really cool to have everyone and local chefs to like meet in one place.”

In 2019, the market — one of the city's longest running purveyors of specialty groceries — began hosting the event that allows chefs from across the city and state to come together giving the community a chance to experience their cooking.

"The store sources food for a lot of the restaurants and chefs that you can't get anywhere else like you can't go to Walmart and order stuff and have it delivered next day from Japan like we can,” Nguyen said. “So it's like the relationship we've had with all these chefs for years has been so beneficial to just everyone in Oklahoma — chefs, us, and diners, people who love to eat — and I think it was just a natural decision.”

After having to forgo the event in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it returned as in 2022 as part of the Asian District's annual Asian Night Market Festival.

More: Ghosts, brunch and JK, we're serious: See the latest restaurant openings in OKC

When is Chefs Fest in OKC, and who will be there in 2023?

This year's event will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 19, bringing together over 40 chefs in an exhibition of Oklahoma's culinary excellence.

"It's really cool because the chef is there cooking for you, you see it, we have tables out there and it's not like they're hidden in a kitchen,” Nguyen said. "It's like one of the most incredible experiences ever because we don't have anything like that in the city. You get to meet them, they hand you your food, they cook it right in front of you and they're all there together.”

Acting as mentor chef for this year's group is Kurt Fleischfresser, of Western Concepts, who will be joined by James Beard Award winner Andrew Black, of Grey Sweater, Black Walnut and The Gilded Acorn.

The state's James Beard recognition will be on display as Victoria Kemp jumps behind a booth to represent her family's Florence's Restaurant, a fellow Beard-winner. Plus, finalists Jeff Chanchaleune, of Ma Der Lao Kitchen, and semifinalists Zach Hutton, of Scratch Paseo, and Ben Alexander, of McNellie’s Group in Tulsa, will also be on hand.

Barbecue will play an important role as pitmasters Tabb Singleton, from Idabel’s Phat Tabb’s BBQ, Levi Bouska, of Wellston’s Butcher BBQ, and Zach Edge, of Edge Craft BBQ, join the fray.

More: 'This is way bigger than I am:' With James Beard win, chef Andrew Black brings OKC to national stage

Among other chefs confirmed to take part are a number of television competition veterans and other award winners. Two-time "MasterChef" contestant Gabriel Lewis will collaborate with Elemental Coffee’s Elena Hughes. "Top Chef" season 10 star Joshua Valentine, who heads up the kitchen at Milo, will work morning and evening shifts. Chef-owner Kevin Lee, of Birdie's Fried Chicken, who has competed on a number of Food Network shows will work a morning shift and Emmy-winner Loretta Barrett Oden, of the First Americans Museum, is partnering with John Madore.

While some of Oklahoma's heaviest hitters are included in Chefs Fest, the event is also a chance to show off the rising chefs with high aspirations from local culinary programs. Student chefs from both Metro Tech and Francis Tuttle will also participate.

"As a family and as a business, we love nurturing new chefs. We love watching the development because we've seen all the heavy hitters, but like, where does that come from? If we don't nurture it and we don't help the new generation, what's going to happen?” Nguyen said. “Then local restaurants disappear, the resources disappear. People who are interested in the culinary arts, that disappears. So our family really we love to support the culinary arts, we love to support the students.”

More: Patio culture is poppin' at Oklahoma City restaurants. Here's a list of outdoor dining spots

A number of other major Oklahoma restaurants and chefs, from Cafe Kacao, Sedalia's and Cafe Antigua to Holey Rollers, Kebabish Bites and the Bradford House, will also bring out their best as up to a dozen chefs at a time rotate in and out of the booths throughout the day in shifts.

Attendees will be able to purchase dishes from various chef's booths with the majority of proceeds for the event going to Pivot, a local nonprofit that provides support and shelter to homeless teens. However individual chefs with a need of their own are also allowed to keep a portion of the proceeds.

How much is Chefs Fest?

Purchases are made using tokens bought at the event or via presale that begins Aug. 7. Tokens are valued at $5 with all dishes priced in $5 increments.

For more information about Chefs Fest, follow Super Cao Nguyen on Instagram and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Talent-packed Chefs Fest 2023 lineup headed to Super Cao Nguyen