Just in time for World Refugee Day (June 20), San Francisco is honoring up-and-coming chefs who have had to flee their homes with a special food festival. Started in 2016, the Refugee Food Festival is an initiative between the United Nations and the French NGO Food Sweet Food to use the power of food to debunk the negative images surrounding refugeeism and promote positive discussions. This year, San Francisco and New York are the first festival hosts in the United States.
The format is similar to Restaurant Week: Participating SF restaurants will hold dinners over the duration of the festival, showcasing one refugee chef at a time.
On June 19th, Hog Island Oyster Co will host Pa Wah, a Burmese chef who spent the majority of her life in the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand
On June 20th, Tawla will host the Iraqi chef Muna, a former kindergarten Arabic teacher who pursued cooking on the recommendation of her ESL teacher.
On the 21st, Dosa on Fillmore will host Anu, a chef from Bhutan.
On the 22nd, Son’s Addition will feature chef Muna again.
On the final night, June 23rd, Jardiniere will feature Vito, a Senegalese chef.
Reservations for the festival’s dinners can be made directly through the participating restaurants (except for Hog Island, which will not be taking reservations for the night—Chef Pa's menu will start at 4pm). A portion of profits from each dinner will be donated to a local organization in the Bay Area promoting integrating refugees into communities.