OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma City’s Asian District held its Cultural and Culinary Tour on Saturday.

It was a chance for the district to highlight Asian culture and heritage through history and food.

Many of the restaurants offered multi-course lunches and new dishes, and several area businesses opened their doors. Some lifelong Asian District residents said they experienced things they hadn’t before during the tour.

“I grew up here but I still experience so many new things, so many new restaurants and foods and cultures,” said John Lee, who is also a board member for the Asian District.

For Oklahomans like James Vu, the tour was a chance to carry on his family’s heritage.

His mother made Oklahoma her home in the 1970s, helping to create the Asian District as we know it.

“She had an Asian newspaper, so I took a little bit of pride about having a business over here as well,” said Vu, who also is the owner and executive chef of La Brasa.

Vu’s restaurant was one of the featured stops on the tour.

“A lot of my flavor profiles comes from a little bit from China, Japan, a little bit of Vietnamese and Latin America,” said Vu.

This was the first Cultural and Culinary tour of 2023. Last year, the district hosted three.