Review: 2026 Masters of Taste
How does a writer review an event that she has attended since it began in 2016? Well, after all these years, I am happy to report that the 2026 Masters of Taste was bigger and better than ever. The annual event just keeps on topping itself. With one hundred percent of the money raised for Union Station Homeless Services (millions since inception), it sets the gold standard for “real giving.”
2026 Masters of Taste
This year’s event felt even more celebratory than ever. Of course, that could have been, because last year’s event was canceled due to the 2025 LA fires. The crowds that came out for 2026 was unprecedented. Entire families attended and groups of friends gathered to partake in this festive day of culinary diversity. Despite the increase in attendees, workers with “Eat More, Give More” t-shirts, were there to answer questions and help keep things running smoothly. Prior to approaching the field, the entry corridor (the Court of Champions) was lined with a fabulous assortment of food trucks. I knew I had to pace myself, but my husband grabbed several bites from Thai Mex Cocina, Fat Boys, Rice Balls of Fire as well as RicoRico Snack Bar.
Akagisan Sake
This year I decided to start with some Akagisan Sake. I really enjoyed the sparkling sake. It was so refreshing, and a bit like champagne. However, it had a lot of depth and was not as sweet. It was both nutty and earthy. When I dine out on sushi, I usually opt for hot sake, but this has completely changed my preference.
I hopped over to Sushi Roku for a perfect Sake food companion. Chef Tetsu Terashima prepared a scrumptious baked Crab Handroll. This was soooo delish! Moving on, there was a plethora of choices such as intoxicating ribs by Maple Block, incredible paella by Casa Cordoba, mouthwatering shrimp with spicy noodles from Le Shrimp Noodle Bar, the best home cooking from traditional Filipino Chaaste Family Market, and so much more.
Italian Deli Co.
As soon as I walked up to Italian Deli Co., I felt like I was back in Little Italy in my hometown of New York City. Chef Lala created an exquisite Ciccio e Pepe inside a giant Grana Padano wheel. One taste, and I was in heaven. It was perfetto!! I immediately popped by Ascension Cellars to find a companion for my pasta. Here, Steve Bowie offered me a fabulous pairing – the 2017 Soul Shaker. This was a full-bodied Bordeaux blend offering notes of blackberry with a whisper of oak and chocolate. Mama was happy!
I simply could not ignore the Capacity Brewery crew, who were hootin’ n’ hollerin’ – so much pizazz. Here Straub Brewery, one of the oldest family-owned independent breweries in U.S. was also represented. Although I am a wine woman, I did sip some of my husband’s tasty Capacity Brewery IPA. It turned out it was totally nonalcoholic. Pretty darn good.
LA Restaurant Favorites
I spotted Emporium Thai owner John Sungkamee who was serving up some delectable Southern Curry Veggie & Crispy Tofu. As always, this had so many layers of flavor. Read my Review of Emporium Thai. If you like Thai cuisine, be sure to pop by the restaurant in Westwood. They also have a new location called Emporium Thai Market on Sawtelle. Find out more on the website. See below for my review link.
Mercado is another restaurant that I adore. Chef Jose Acevedo provided two offerings. While my favorite was the Jicama Shrimp Tacos, my husband fell in love with the Carnitas Tacos. First off, I loved the thin jicama tortilla which held the zesty shrimp covered in crispy panko. Add to that chile de árbol aioli, Mexican slaw, pickled red onions, micro-cilantro and all that flavor swirled about my palate and filled me with happiness. The carnitas topped with red onions, cilantro, Yxta salsa brava were also impressive. My husband loved this so much, he went back for seconds.
Then I stumbled upon even more of my favorites. I have reviewed all of these fabulous restaurants, – BOA Steakhouse, Arth Bar + Kitchen, Ayara Thai, Celestino Ristorante, as well as STK Steakhouse. See below for review links.
2026 Masters of Taste Hosts Chef Thomas and Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb of Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery
And finally, Chef Thomas and Chef Vanessa Tilaka Kalb of Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery stepped up to become the 2026 Masters of Taste Hosts. Boy did they do an awesome job. My husband and I met them at this year’s press preview (see photo). Both are super sweet, and they were so excited to be this year’s hosts. They really outdid themselves. Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery presented an enormous cheese tent straight back from the main entrance. It was gorgeous and quite popular. The spread was massive, every inconceivable type of cheese was represented. See the ETG Instagram for the video.
Best Desserts at 2026 Masters of Taste
Now I cannot forget about dessert. As always, I stopped at Bertha Brownie Co. This tried and true company features the best brownies around. My favorite was the cinnamon chip and the mint.
Rich and I were just about done eating, or so we thought. We were irresistibly tempted with more sweet goodies courtesy of Hello, You’re Welcome. These energetic women from the all female family business were so much fun. Chef Leah DiBernardo had me in stitches.
Now let’s talk taste. Their cookies were both crunchy and chewy. One bite and it lit up my taste buds. I normally would not even waste my time on a cookie without chocolate, but these brown butter cookie were unbelievable. Of course, then I tasted the chocolate chip brown butter cookie. Wow! This really took it to the next level. In addition to a large chocolate button in the middle, it had a thin layer of chocolate through the entire cookie. Yum!! My husband is a donut freak, so he was obsessed with the Yuzu Passionfruit Donuts. Although the Strawberry Donuts were pretty special too.
Last but not least, I must give a shout out to DJ Labellatini who kept us dancing throughout the festival. Believe me, I was trying to work off all that food. I was hoping to find a bit more room in my belly to eat more dessert.
Keep Masters of Taste on your radar. It is one of the best foodie events in Los Angeles. With 100% of the profits going to Union Station Homeless Services, attending Masters of Taste each year is a win for everyone. So, if you missed it this year, hop on the Masters of Taste train. “Eat More & Give More” each year! I hope to see you in 2027! https://mastersoftastela.com
