Studio Bumi & Mama Lam's Presents: Just Dinner Series
This event is part of the New York Asian Arts Festival 2025:
The New York Asian Arts Festival (NYAAF) is dedicated to amplifying AAPI artistic voices, fostering community through creative connection, and creating accessible pathways into the arts.
About the Hosts:
Studio Bumi
Founded by Bagus and led by an amazing collective of chefs, Studio Bumi is a food experience company on a mission to highlight underrepresented cuisines, foster friendships and alleviate loneliness in big cities. They offer Indonesian lunch sets, catering services and host a communal dining series by the name of “Just Dinner”. Food is a vessel for them to create experiences, build connections, and have thoughtful conversations.
Mama Lam’s
Mama Lam’s is a small batch manufacturer of Malaysian flavors based in Queens, NY. All the recipes originated from Cassandra’s Mom, Mama Lam, who was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur but immigrated to New York City in her 20s. Although the recipes have been cooked for family and friends for over three decades, Mama Lam’s launched in 2016 with a mission to produce high quality Malaysian flavors and introduce them to the American household.
About Just Dinner: A Very Asian One
With Studio Bumi’s mission to highlight underrepresented cuisines while bringing people together in a communal dinner setting and Mama Lam’s commitment to creating quality and authentic Malaysian flavors locally, the idea for a collaboration began to form.
Cassandra from Mama Lam’s wanted to highlight her fellow AAPI food and beverage friends in a dinner setting. What stood out to her about Bagus and Studio Bumi was that they created a communal dining experience that encourages engagement with the host and other diners, which is something very special.
In addition to Mama Lam’s, this Just Dinner iteration will feature some amazing AAPI food and beverage brands; Allwell Greens, Afterlife Mushrooms, Anna Ye Tea, Kato Sake Works, Moshi, Red Boat, Sourcery, and Vân Vân.
The American palate for Asian food has evolved in recent years and we’re finally seeing an Asian aisle in your mainstream grocery store. As this category continues to grow, there will be more AAPI brands launching and continuing to bring their culture and flavors to the American palate. This will be a guided dining experience to celebrate the Asian American Pacific Islanders in the food industry.
Date: Monday, May 12, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Address: Kato Sake Works, 379 Troutman St, Brooklyn, NY
Ticket Link: www.studiobumi.space/diningstore/p/justdinnermay12
About the featured AAPI brands
Allwell Greens
An indoor vertical farm based in Long Island City, NY with a focus on growing Asian greens. Founded by Judy and John Cari in 2024, who had a vision to reimagine how food is grown for the future. They focus on growing traditional Asian greens to the standards of their ancestors in an innovative way for the future.
Find them in Sprouts Farmers Markets!
Afterlife Mushrooms
A circular indoor farm, founded by Winson Wong, based in Ridgewood, NY with a mission to prevent food waste from going into landfills to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated. They upcycle food scraps from local NYC food establishments and restaurants and turn them into mycelium blocks to grow fresh specialty mushrooms.
Pre-order for pick-up! Use code: BUMI for 10% off.
Anna Ye Tea
A specialty Vietnamese tea company that is devoted to sourcing and importing premium loose leaf teas from Việt Nam. Anna is determined to shine light on the underrepresented but delicious teas grown in Việt Nam..
Order online!
Kato Sake Works
A sake brewery based in Bushwick, NY founded by Shinobu Kato in 2020. Shinobu is passionate about brewing delicious sake and getting more people to enjoy and fall in love with sake.
Visit their taproom in Bushwick, which is open 6 days a week. It is a welcoming place to learn and enjoy sake.
Mama Lam’s
Mama Lam’s is a small batch manufacturer of Malaysian flavors based in Queens, NY. All the recipes originated from Cassandra’s Mom, Mama Lam, who was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur but immigrated to New York City in her 20s. Although the recipes have been cooked for family and friends for over three decades, Mama Lam’s launched in 2016 with a mission to produce high quality Malaysian flavors and introduce them to the American household.
Order online or find them in stores! Use code: JUSTDINNER for 15% your first order.
Moshi
An Asian sparkling beverage company based in Brooklyn, NY. Founded in 2020 by Alton, who noticed the lack of Asian flavored sodas when Asian restaurants served their meal. He set out on a mission to highlight unique Asian flavors through a refreshing sparkling beverage.
Order online or find them in stores!
Moshi will have an AAPIHM promotion that will be live all month long on their website. 10% off all 12pks & 15% off all 24pks. Free shipping on all orders.
Red Boat
A family run business based in Hayward, CA that makes fish sauce and a variety of simmer sauces. They are committed to quality ingredients, pure flavor and bringing Vietnamese and Vietnamese-inspired meals to American dinner tables.
Find them in a retailer near you - usually in the Asian or International aisle.
Sourcery
Founded by Bhavna, a South Indian immigrant based in Brooklyn, NY. Her goal is to bring bold flavors of her heritage to your kitchen. Her spices and flavors are ethically sourced from farmers in India.
Order for delivery or pick up from IXF Coffee.
Vân Vân
A Vietnamese single-origin spices and herbs company based in Queens, NY. Founded by Thảo and Duy, who yearned to build something that would bring them closer to home through food, cooking and community. Their spices and herbs are sourced from different regions around Việt Nam.
They’re stocked in a variety of specialty shops but also sold online!
Fundraising for Heart of Dinner
Fundraising Page Link: https://heartofdinner.networkforgood.com/projects/250912-mama-lam-s-x-studio-bumi-just-dinner-aapi-fundraiser
We wanted to show love to "Heart of Dinner" and fundraise for their cause. They are an amazing Chinatown 501(c)(3) organization that addresses food insecurity and loneliness among Asian American older adults living in significantly under-resourced and underinvested communities, serving 700 elders per week.
Bagus from Studio Bumi moved to the United States in 2021 from Indonesia and created Studio Bumi in 2023 as a food experience company on a mission to highlight underrepresented cuisines, foster friendships, and alleviate loneliness in big cities through communal dining.
When deciding the charity to fundraise for, it was a no-brainer as the mission of Heart of Dinner and Studio Bumi were aligned. As part of the fundraiser, we are offering one free seat to the dinner. Donate via our Heart of Dinner fundraising page and one donor will be randomly selected to the Just Dinner on May 12th!