Taiwainese Chefs to Prepare Dinner for YSU Fundraiser

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Two Taiwanese chefs, both past winners of “Iron Chef,” will prepare a cultural exchange dinner as part of a fundraiser for Youngstown State University’s Bitonte College of Health and Human Services.

The dinner by chefs Stone Hsu and Stanley Lee, will be served Sept. 5 at Stambaugh Auditorium, Proceeds from the cultural exchange dinner, which begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail hour, will support scholarships for students in the college’s hospitality management program.

Y.T. Chiu, a former member of the YSU Board of Trustees and current member of the YSU Foundation Board of Trustees, says the event is an important opportunity to learn about another culture through its cuisine. 

“The Chinese cooking will far surpass what people in America typically experience, but it’s really more about people exchanging ideas as they share a meal,” he said in the event announcement. 

Among the menu items are crispy prawn with wasabi mayo, egg tofu emerald vegetable fish roll, typhoon shelter sauce fillet with fried garlic, chicken roll with green onion sauce, fresh mango pudding and wildflower parrot swan.

The dinner offers hands-on learning opportunities for YSU students in hospitality management, food, nutrition and dietetics. Students and alumni will assist in planning and setting up for the event, managing food services logistics and helping serve dinner to guests. 

In addition, the event will involve cooking demonstrations, entertainment and exchange of cultural traditions. 

The chefs have been coming to the United States as part of the People to People diplomacy program. Chiu credits Florence Wang and her family for persuading the government of Taiwan to choose Youngstown for one of the stops. 

As a Chinese immigrant himself, Chiu believes it is important to learn about other cultures. 

“We think of other being the enemy,” he said. “It’s so easy to misunderstand people who are different.” 

Hsu has 20 years of experience in the Taipei restaurant industry. Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management and a master’s degree in catering management. 

The two chefs will also hold a cooking demonstration Sept. 3 at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Tickets, available at YSU.edu/traveling-chefs-taiwan, for the event are on sale until Aug. 30. Call 330 941 2139 for more information. 

Pictured: Chefs Stanley Lee and Stone Hsu will prepare a dinner to raise funds for scholarships for students in the YSU hospitality management program.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.