Chifa Latina De Mayo is a new age 420 fusion event offering infused eats, CBD mocktails, and good ol’ fashioned fun.
On Sunday May 5, 2019 The Herbal Center, GetFed Concepts, and Xantruncho, held a popup event “Chifa Latina De Mayo” at The Early Bird Restaurant in Denver, CO. The infused dinner party included infused food by Xantruncho, Chef Sandoval, and GedFed Concepts Chefs, CBD mocktails, a stocked dab bar courtesy of High Roller Smoke Shop, and product sponsored by Laser Cat and Incredibles.
The Experience
Guests were able to migrate between the smoking lounge where there were countless dab rigs and dab pens available for your liking as well as pick up items prepared by the chefs of the night. The restaurant was decorated and ready for a fiesta with paper mâché banners, and more.
The party was set up buffet style where you were able to stop by each table and try the offerings. The first stop was the ceviche scallops by Chef Sandoval in a tangy green sauce, paired with an orange pepper slice which you could individually infuse with cannabis oils for your desired effect. The table included 6 canna-oil offerings where guests could use a dropper to add the desired amount of cannabis to the dish. While there wasn’t much direction or instructions on dosing people were using their discretion to dose themselves.
*It is important to note at a private consumption party since edibles take a longer time to digest into the bloodstream it is best for consumers to understand the milligrams consumed per item to avoid over consumption.
As things picked up it was a bit hard for both the bartenders and waiters to keep up with demand of guests. There was a decent wait at the bar for drinks that were being created by waiters and not bartenders. We waited over 20 minutes for the incorrect drink order by a waiter who seemed overly upset with the situation and walked out minutes later. Eventually the drink was rectified, where we were offered a Hibiscus Margarita mixed with CBD oil.
As a foodie myself I’m very interested in trying new courses, as well as finding new ways to pair cannabis with food.
I was intrigued by the infused foods prepared by Chef Sandoval and GetFed Concepts and was eager to try out the offerings!
The ceviche scallops had decently strong fishy taste to me, and the bahn mi dumplings also had a strange taste causing me to take one bite and then pawn the dish off on my boyfriend. It might have been the combination of the bad taste in my mouth from the cocktail experience, or a combination of all three, but those two dishes left me in search of a more positive experience and more inspiring tastes for my pallet.
After the first round of food and drinks we figured the next best idea was to check out the smoke lounge and take an edge off from the roller coaster ride we just experienced. High Roller Smoke Shop supplied the smoke stations with e-nail dab rigs and portable vape pens that make consuming concentrates a breeze. We took a hit from the Incredible Extracts Pineapple Express and instantly we watched our worries disappear.
At that point in the night we were feeling pretty buzzed. I’m typically not a concentrate consumer so couple the dab hit with a margarita and I was fully feeling the Cinco De Mayo celebration.
After we took a breather back at the table and drank some water we were ready for round two of eats. This time we picked up the vegetarian rice dish which was very flavorful and included bok choy for some added crunch. We also waited for Chef Sandoval to prepare the next dish which were infused vegetarian mushroom raviolis. Both of these items paired well together and were tasty! This is the flavor profile I would have expected from an infused dinner party so I was glad to have tried these items.
I also saw bread and butter and empanadas being passed around, but since it was so difficult to get your hands on food we sadly didn’t get to experience them.
To finish off the experience Xoco Lush provided some amazing handmade chocolates including Citrus Bliss and Peppermint Crunch. These melt in your mouth chocolates had such an insanely distinct chocolate taste we had to go back for more! For those looking for an infused dessert option Incredibles Peanut Budda Buddha Edibles 10mg pieces were available.
As the haze slowly drifted away and we felt good enough to head home we walked outside to the patio to find a Paint Your Own Pot + Succulent Plant station!
I’m so glad we found this before we left, because it was truly the highlight of the evening being able to allow your creative juices to flow while painting and mingling with others.
Looking around this is exactly what you’d think of when you imagine an infused event. Everyone was quietly chatting amongst one another, but mostly focused on the craft at hand. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of cannabis and crafts and this activity just further proved my point that the two go hand in hand. 
At the end of the painting activity you got to pick out a succulent of your choice to go with the hand painted pot.
It was really the perfect ending to the event! 
Take away
Overall, while some of the food lacked luster, we had a few issues with drinks, and didn’t get to try all the food offerings I’d say Chifa Latina De Mayo was a hit. I loved how open Early Bird restaurant was to offering a cannabis-infused party at their location, as well as the unique group of people who attended. It seemed that there were many different groups of friends all ages who came to the event for various reasons which is exactly what cannabis is about. No matter your age, job, or interests cannabis can unite a somewhat unlikely group of people together.
Kudus to Jacquelyn Fuego, The Herbal Center, GetFed Concepts, Xatrucho, Chef Sandoval, and everyone else who was involved with the pop-up. We had a great time and truly experienced Cinco De Mayo 420 style with a new age twist.
Photos by Youwho Brand
