Patch Picks: Obon’s Tasty Tradition This Weekend in Mountain View

 will hosts their annual Obon Festival & Bazaar this weekend and locally we are in for a treat as we look at the variety of dishes and activities to be served up.

The Japanese Buddhist mid-summer community event to honor the ancestors, is friendly, mellow, and relaxed with plenty to do and eat.

Walking into the event it's not long before you get the impression that "food is everywhere"–at the outdoor booths and in the dining hall.

Booth after booth you'll find both American as well as Japanese tidbits. Most of us will probably want to check out the Japanese food–especially when you know that it has all been prepared from scratch.

Expect these attractions at this Obon festival: Taiko–an electrifying drum performance, Ikebana–a Japanese flower-arranging style that is meant to “give life” to flowers, Bon Odori–a traditional dance involving over 400 dancers, children and adults, in a graceful march-like dance and game booths including bingo and origami and prizes. 

All the food is prepared by more than a hundred Temple members. According to Margaret Abe, long-time Temple member, many of them start as early as 3 a.m. and many others have made other preparations as far as a week in advance. There is a team who does all the barbecuing outside, while another works inside to put together things like the rice, salad, desserts and drinks.

At this festival, some dishes that you wouldn’t normally find at Japanese restaurants include: manju–a sweet treat that looks like a small bun and is filled with a red bean paste, buttered grilled sweet corn, shaved ice and Spam musubi–rice and grilled Spam wrapped together with seaweed.

Also served up are dishes more commonly found in Japanese restaurants such as grilled chicken, teriyaki, tempura, sushi, gyoza, unagi donburi, and udon. Shaved ice is a refreshing accompaniment to any dish and sodas, water, beer and sake are also served.

It is pleasing to know that food cooked at this event is prepared by hand, by tradition, by their hard-working Temple members.

If you are new to the Obon Festival & Bazaar at Mountain View Buddhist Temple, Abe said that assistance is available at their “Control Tower” which is a booth set up for announcements, event information, and answering visitors’ questions. Or feel free to look for either of the co-chairs, David or Candice Maruyama, or even the Rev. Dean Koyama, the resident minister.

With warm weather expected up this weekend, this is a perfect event for families and friends of all ages to enjoy in the sun–a day of activities, entertainment, and endless food for all.

Location:

Located at 575 N. Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, across from the Bailey Park Shopping Center

Cost:

Free entrance, may purchase food and other items at event.

Schedule:

Saturday  4 to 10 p.m.
4 p.m. - All booths and Food
4 to 9 p.m. - Cultural Room Exhibit
4:30 p.m. - Temple Taiko performance to open the festival
6 p.m. - Jun Daiko taiko performance

Sunday Noon to 8:30 p.m.
Noon - All Booths and Food
12 to 8 p.m. - Cultural Room Exhibit
12:30 p.m. - Temple Taiko performance to open the festival
1 p.m. - Childrens' Hands-On Cultural Activities
3:30 p.m. - Jun Daiko taiko performance
6 p.m. - Chidori Band
7 p.m. - Bon Odori Dance 

Check with the Control Tower for the complete schedule.

The culinary art aspect to celebrate would be that the Japanese dishes have been cooked in the traditional fashion and could be considered authentic, straightforward and non-pretentious. Delicious too! By the way, you can find some of the recipes in the cookbook that the Temple has created and will be on sale at the event.

Another event nearby to whet your culinary arts appetite…

Connoisseurs’ Marketplace in Menlo Park, Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Located at Santa Cruz Ave.

Presented by the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce, this event is in its 25th year. Take a leisurely stroll down charming Santa Cruz Avenue while you take in fabulous food and drink along with chef cooking demonstrations, music, exhibits, displays and a lounge. Cost is free.

… Next Up:

Check back with us next week for the next dining establishment with a claim to culinary fame as we continue to celebrate National Culinary Arts month this July. The month's celebration promotes appreciation and awareness of professional chefs and cooks and how they impact the culinary and dining landscape.