The Belly Laughs Comedy & Food Festival knew precisely what it was doing when it hosted a celebration of Asian American culture.

As at most major celebrations, food was a cornerstone of the two-day event at the Peacock Theater and Chicken Hern Court in Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday.

While the lineup featured over 30 Asian comedians, including Hasan Minhaj, Kumail Nanjiani and Margaret Cho, it also showcased over 20 restaurants, highlighting some of the best Asian eateries in Los Angeles.

The comedy lineup was stacked and undoubtedly needed two days to be fully realized, but both days were also necessary for the food, as the options were plentiful and tasty. There was just as much excitement for the food as for the comedy, with some restaurants selling out certain items by late afternoon on both days.

Attendees had the opportunity to taste a variety of Los Angeles’ best Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, Lao, Indian, Pakistani, Vietnamese and Korean foods, and if they were lucky, got seconds.

Here are six of the best dishes we tried.

Biriyani Kabob House: chicken tikka masala

This eatery combines the flavors of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh for some truly memorable cuisine. This chicken tikka masala was marinated in a bright, creamy tomato sauce that was sweet but had a slight spicy kick. Each bite paired with the rice. With so much sauce covering the chicken, it was inevitable that some would overflow onto the rice. However, when it did, it didn’t matter if it got a little mixed up or if you ate all the chicken first. The marinade was good enough to stand on its own. If I didn’t have a disdain for germs, I would’ve licked my fingers clean of the excess sauce on the spot. The samosas, made with mixed veggies and spices, were also tasty enough to stand on their own, but the slightly sweet and sour tamarind sauce made each bite even more delicious.

— Charlie Vargas

Kanomwaan Thai Cafe: mango sticky rice sundae

People were buzzing about this Thai dessert the first day of the festival, so much so that it sold out less than two hours after the gates opened on the first day. We made sure this was one of the first items we tried, and the hype was well-earned. Kanomwaan takes the best of a traditional mango sticky rice dessert, with coconut sticky white rice topped with dark ripe mangos, and elevates it. The dessert cafe adds a scoop of lilac-colored coconut gelato and another of mango gelato. It was such a cathartic process combining the rice, mango chunks and gelatos with every bite. This sundae has shattered my expectations of every sticky rice I will have in the future, and I am OK with that.

— Charlie Vargas

Bopomofo Cafe: beef noodle sandwich

This spot has established itself for its Taiwanese, Chinese and American blend of flavors, which the restaurant incorporates into its food items and beverages. When I saw the booth was offering its beef noodle sandwich, I was intrigued. The sandwich combines elements of beef noodle soup inspired by birria consomé and a French dip. It consists of a Chinese braised beef shank stacked on a toasted hoagie with melted havarti and crisp green onions. Let me tell you, it was love at first dip. The bread was toasted enough to withstand multiple dunks without becoming soggy and compromising its signature crunch. The dip also had a soup flavor that worked with the melty havarti like a quesabirria taco would with its broth. I am here for this crossover sandwich.

— Charlie Vargas

Hermanos Empanadas: jalapeño cheese empanada

After an eventful few hours inside the Peacock Theater watching the comedians, I was ready for a bite. I made my way around all the food vendors, weighed my options and ended up here. The jalapeño cheese empanada in particular caught my eye.

One bite in, and my eyes turned to cartoon hearts. The cheese was perfectly melted, and the jalapeño added just the right amount of kick. Pairing it with the chimichurri sauce elevated the dish to another level.

It was so good that I had to share it on my Instagram Story, and in doing so, I spoiled the “Love Island USA” season finale for myself, which I had been successfully avoiding for hours up until that moment. But what can I say, the world needed to know.

— Carolyn Burt

Jilli modern sool jib: K-Popcorn Chicken

There were several fried chicken choices at the festival, but this booth had the one that stood out. The popcorn chicken had a crisp texture and didn’t lose its flavor in the deep fry, unlike some similar dishes. Once you bit into the outer coat, the chicken inside was a juicy reveal of even more flavor. We added the vodka sauce, which I highly recommend. Despite its bright red hue, the sauce wasn’t spicy, but it did add a garlicky flavor that, once you taste it, you won’t want any other way.

— Charlie Vargas

Chef Tue Nguyen: Vietnamese tiramisu

Nguyen treated the crowd to a cooking demo of this dish. She challenged herself to get it done in under 30 minutes and was easily able to finish. I’m not sure if it was the tiramisu being crafted from scratch onstage that made me want it more, or if I was just ready for dessert, but I had to visit her booth and give it a try. I was not disappointed. The base layer was made of Biscoff cookies, which is already a win (and the only reason I fly Delta). It was combined with a pasteurized egg batter, condensed milk and ladyfingers soaked in slow-drip Vietnamese coffee and dusted with cocoa powder, sending me on my way to decadent dessert heaven.

— Charlie Vargas