Tibetan food and culture will come to the forefront along a stretch of Queen Street West Sunday.
On Feb. 13, Queen Street West between Callender Street and Jameson Avenue and the peppering of Tibetan-style restaurants that reside along the strip, will play host to the Eat for Tibet Food Festival.Organized by Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) Canada, the festival is a celebration of Tibetan cuisine and culture in Parkdale, the largest Tibetan neighborhood in Canada, said Urgyen Badheytsang, an organizer with SFT."The Tibetan Food Festival on Feb. 13 aims to showcase (the large community) and the various Tibetan delicacies available in Tibetan cuisine - a very interesting mix of dishes influenced both by the country's geographical neighbours of China and India, and some of its own," Badheytsang said.There will also be cultural performances, raffle draws and more throughout the day."The event starts at 11 (a.m.). There will be performances, which range from food-making demonstrations to cultural performances and dances," Badheytsang said.The participating restaurants will donate one half of the proceeds to help fund SFT Canada's work for Tibet.SFT is an organization comprised of students who believe in the fundamental right of Tibetans to self-determination and basic freedoms. Proceeds from Eat For Tibet go toward helping maintain campaigning for human rights in Tibet."We use strategic and non-violent action to bring light to the Tibetan cause," he said. "The more visible Tibetans are, the more visible the Tibetan cause."Participating in Eat for Tibet Food Festival are: Om Restaurant, 1439 Queen St. W.; Himalayan Cafe, 1500 Queen St. W.; Le Tibet, 1526 Queen St. W.; Tsampa Cafe, 1528 Queen St. W.; Tibet Kitchen, 1544 Queen St. W. and Shangrila, 1600 Queen St. W.