If there is one person embodying the sheer energy of Cambodian New Year in Long Beach this year, it is Chef Chad Phuong of Battambong BBQ—Long Beach’s own Cambodian Cowboy.
And fittingly, in the Year of the Fire Horse, Chad isn’t just showing up. He’s everywhere, beginning on Wednesday, April 1 in Signal Hill, where Chef Chad joins SpaceTime Collaborative for the Foodway Summit. Led by Long Beach Fresh, contributing culinary offerings as part of a broader conversation around food systems, culture, and community.
Following that, let the formal party begin—with Chef Chad leading the way. He will spearhead a multi-day celebration that stretches across East Long Beach, Signal Hill, Cal Heights, and Cambodia Town itself from April 3 through April 5.
Ten Mile continues its tradition of hosting the kickoff event for the Cambodian New Year.
Then Friday, April 3, shifts into pure party mode with the fifth annual Cambodian New Year Kick-Off at Ten Mile Brewing—an increasingly beloved prelude to the weekend’s bigger celebrations.
“It feels like a lifetime ago that we approached Chad to come set up at the brewery because the scheduled food truck we had bailed on us,” said Ten Mile master brewer and pizzaiolo Jesse Sundstrom. “Five years later, we couldn’t have imagined the love and support we received from the Cambodian community. We are so happy to continue to be the go-to place for their celebrations.”
Battambong BBQ will be dropping collaborative pizzas with Ten Mile’s master brewer and pizzaiolo Jesse Sundstrom. It will be topped with twako (Cambodian smoked sausage), pork belly, and lemongrass chicken—an unmistakably Cambodian spin on brewery comfort food. And because Chad rarely does anything halfway, those pies arrive alongside Battambong Lager, a beer collaboration built to pair directly with the menu.
The evening’s vendor lineup reads like a small survey of Cambodian and Southeast Asian food culture in Long Beach: Shlap Muan, Sweetgrass, Idas Sweets, and Shady Jerky are all expected, alongside raffles, giveaways, and DJ Carter providing the soundtrack for the night.
Also? Use rideshare, folks: Ten Mile gets crazy.
Saturday belongs to Cambodia Town and Cal Heights…
The annual Cambodian New Year Parade returns from 9AM to noon, with the procession moving through Cambodia Town before festivities continue at Long Beach City College. It remains one of Long Beach’s most visually powerful annual events: silk garments in vivid color, traditional drumming, dancers moving to chaiyam rhythms, and food anchoring every corner of the celebration.
But for many, Saturday does not end there.
That night, Chef Chad links up with Roxanne’s in Cal Heights for what may be the most ambitious after-party of the weekend.
And true to Roxanne’s style, it goes all in: red carpet arrivals, photo ops, complimentary welcome drinks, Hennessy tasting at Willie’s Distillery, comedy from Lin Sun—the first Cambodian comic to land a 30-minute stand-up special on Prime Video—plus music from The Renegades, tiki cocktails, barbecue collaborations, Khmer ceramics, live Cambodian music, DJs, and vendors running deep into the night.
It is less a single event than a full-scale cultural takeover, running from 6PM to 2AM.
Sunday will continue Trademark’s long-running partnership with Battambong BBQ—special beer included.
Then Sunday keeps the momentum going with Long Beach Sangkranta at Long Beach City College’s PCC campus, where more than 100 vendors gather across food, art, crafts, and community services for one of the region’s largest Southeast Asian New Year gatherings.
Battambong BBQ will again be central to the festivities—but Sunday also marks another major local collaboration: Trademark Brewing releases Mekong Blonde, its anticipated beer with Chef Chad.
“When we met Chad to talk about a beer, we felt pressure,” Trademark owner Sterling Steffen admitted. “The Cambodian community has been great to us—and we couldn’t let them down. We wanted to do something special and bespoke. And the idea of brewing from the homeland came to mind. Chad mentioned the kaffir tree he has in his backyard and, bam, idea done. Light and crispy, refreshing with a Cambodian kiss.”
Brewed with rice from Chad’s hometown in Cambodia and the kaffir used like a dry hop, the beer is a crisp blonde ale. It lands as both tribute and celebration. Available in four-packs or by the glass, it comes with live music, DJs, and traditional dances including Rom Vong, Mardizone, and Saravann.
For Long Beach, Cambodian New Year has never been just one event. It is a citywide expression of identity, migration, memory, and joy. And this year, Chef Chad Phuong is helping stitch much of it together—one plate, one collaboration, and one packed room at a time.
