A few months ago, our friends from Mama Teav's gave us the exciting news that they were heading to NYC from the Bay Area. Of course, this meant we absolutely had to collaborate and create something amazing! 🤝
The idea that sparked in our team's minds was to host a summer BBQ right outside our Greenpoint studio. But not just any BBQ, a skewer BBQ! Skewer dishes are found in every culture, and we believed they were the perfect way to showcase Mama Teav's Hot Garlic and its rich flavors from their heritage.
In the midst of our discussions, we also brought Pika Pika on board to complement the savory and umami notes of the Hot Garlic with their delightful Calamansi Marmalade – a match made in CPG heaven, if you ask us!
Of course, no summer BBQ is complete without refreshments! We reached out to Narra, a Filipino-owned milk tea brand we had recently collaborated with for their initial launch images. Since we were partnering with other Southeast Asian brands (given that Mama Teav's is Cambodian-owned and Pika Pika is also Filipino-owned!), it felt like a perfect fit to include Narra in our skewer cookout and highlight other AAPI, CPG brands.
And let's not forget our beloved beverage sponsors! Halmi, Moshi, and Sunday Beer, our all-time favorites from each category, graciously joined us to quench everyone's thirst during the event.
Leading up to the big day, the teams from Mama Teav's and Pika Pika rolled up their sleeves and prepared the skewer ingredients and side dishes themselves, using fresh produce provided by Jubilee Marketplace, our neighborhood grocer. With the overwhelming support and excitement from our community, we were all fired up and ready to go!
Being our very first collaborative event, we were admittedly a bit nervous about how things would turn out. Despite our apprehensions and the gloomy weather forecast, the event was an absolute success! We were thrilled to see around 120 attendees taking over our block, eagerly trying Mama Teav's and Pika Pika for the first time.
Long lines snaked down the block as everyone savored Mama Teav's Khmer Skewers with roasted corn salad along with Pika Pika's Calamansi Pork Skewers with papaya salad. These delectable bites were simply perfect for a lazy late summer afternoon hangout. Despite the crowd, both familiar and unfamiliar faces, the atmosphere felt like a lively family gathering, with everyone enjoying each other's company.
We want to express our heartfelt gratitude once again to all who attended our Skewer Cookout! It was a special evening where we bonded over food, collaborated with our favorite brands, and brought people together through our shared love for food and beverage.
Presenting fellow AAPI-owned brands to our community is always an honor, and the Skewer Cookout provided the perfect opportunity to do so. We hope that everyone adds Mama Teav's and Pika Pika to their pantry staples and continues to support these amazing brands who were all part of the evening.
Here's to the start of many more collaborative events in the pipeline... We are so excited for what's to come!
