Tucson Foodie’s 12 Weeks of Foodie Summer has officially begun, and Asian Week is first up.
The citywide dining campaign runs from Monday, May 18, through Sunday, Aug. 9, with a new theme each week and a simple mission: eat local, support Tucson restaurants during the slower summer season, and win prizes along the way.
For Week 1, diners can visit any locally owned Tucson restaurant, café, bar, bakery, food truck, or food spot that fits the Asian Week theme. After dining out, participants can upload a photo of their receipt through the 12 Weeks of Foodie Summer page for a chance to win weekly prizes.
This week’s prize lineup includes a $100 Visa gift card, a $50 Kin Dee Thai gift card, a $50 Tuk Tuk Thai gift card, and a $50 Saigon Blossoms gift card.
How Asian Week works
Participating takes just a few steps.
First, eat at a locally owned Tucson spot that fits the Asian Week theme. Then, snap a photo of your receipt and upload it online. The receipt must show the restaurant name, date, and total.
Each valid receipt counts as one entry. Diners can enter up to three times a day, which means breakfast, lunch, and dinner can each count separately. Weekly winners will be selected at random, with three to five winners picked each week.
Every valid receipt also rolls into the grand prize drawing at the end of the 12-week campaign.
Where to start for Asian Week
Asian Week gives Tucsonans a reason to revisit longtime favorites, try something new, and explore the local restaurants shaping the city’s Asian food scene.
The 12 Weeks of Foodie Summer page highlights several locally owned spots to get started, including Ate Kei’s Filipino Treats, Bombolé Eatery, Fuku Sushi, Gully Bakehouse, Ikkyu, Kin Dee Thai, Maru Plus, Noodleholics, OBON Sushi Bar Ramen, and Samurai Sombrero.
This week also brings new specials tied to the celebration.
Noodleholics is launching Málà Peanut, featuring its wheat noodles tossed in a rich, creamy peanut sauce with a bold málà kick. Inspired by Sichuan cuisine, málà brings that signature combination of numbing heat and spice, making the dish a fitting pick for anyone looking to add a little extra tingle to Asian Week.
Meanwhile, Kin Dee Thai is rolling out a Khao Mun Gai combo with fried chicken on Friday as a promo for Asian Night Market. The restaurant will also offer an Asian Night Market special with a beverage pairing for a fixed price.
The theme stretches beyond one narrow definition of Asian food. Diners can use the week to seek out ramen, sushi, Filipino sweets, Indian dishes, Thai food, Japanese comfort food, Asian-inspired specials, and more, as long as the spot is locally owned and fits the theme.
Asian Night Market closes out the week
Asian Week will wrap with Asian Night Market on Saturday, May 23.
The event serves as one of the campaign’s first three anchor events, alongside the Wine Week kickoff with AZ Wine Collective on May 25 and Vegan Night Market on June 6. Together, the events launch the summer campaign with food, community, and a direct push to support local restaurants.
For diners looking to make a full evening of it, Kin Dee Thai’s Khao Mun Gai combo with fried chicken and fixed-price beverage pairing special will give Asian Night Market guests another reason to arrive hungry.
The bigger picture
Tucson Foodie created 12 Weeks of Foodie Summer to rally diners around local restaurants during one of the toughest stretches of the year.
“Tucson summers are really tough on our local economy, especially restaurants,” Addie Ibarra, community director at Tucson Foodie, said in the campaign announcement. “We wanted to create something that gives our community a reason to go out, try something new, and feel good about supporting local.”
Asian Week runs through Saturday, May 24. After that, the campaign continues with Wine Week from May 25 to 31, followed by Vegan Week from June 1 to 7, Coffee & Tea Shop Week, Happy Hour Week, Frozen Dessert Week, Burger Week, New-to-Me Week, Italian Week, Breakfast & Brunch Week, Steak & Carne Asada Week, and Sonoran Week.
To enter Asian Week, upload receipts, and follow the full summer schedule, visit summer.tucsonfoodie.com.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
