Published: August 13, 2008 11:07 pm         

Husband and wife team provides unique dishes for fairgoers

FAIRLEA — The Chinese Gourmet, making its debut at the State Fair of West Virginia this year, and the 2008 Olympics ongoing in Beijing have a common bond.

Food with an oriental flair is being served by Jay Hughes and his wife, Gina Ylagan, at their concession stand at the Fairlea exposition as well as in restaurants scattered around the site of the Summer Games.

Ylagan is excited about being at the State Fair and about the Olympics in China.

“The Olympics have never been in China. It’s a chance for Americans to see the country and to learn about their traditions,” she said.

The Chinese Gourmet is gaining attention at the State Fair.

“We have been getting a lot of good comments,” said Marion Shiflett of Union, a member of the State Fair Board of Directors, in discussing the newest addition to the commercial midway.

“It was delicious,” said Nancy Crews of Rock Camp, pointing to the bourbon chicken which she and her husband, Bob, had at The Chinese Gourmet.

Also on the menu are fried rice, egg rolls, lo-mein, chicken wings, sweet and sour chicken and fresh stir-fried vegetables.

According to Ylagan, the recipes she uses came from her mother.

“She was from the Philippines and my father was from China. I can never forget my heritage,” Ylagan said.

“I grew up in the Philippines and came to the United States in 1985. I met my husband in Ohio,” she explained.

Ylagan credits a visit to a flea market with setting the wheels in motion for The Chinese Gourmet.

“My husband and I were walking around a flea market in Ohio and I wanted some rice,” Ylagan recalled.

The couple realized that Chinese food was not available at fairs, festivals or flea markets so they decided to open their own business.

That was almost a decade ago and today the couple stay on the road with The Chinese Gourmet.

Prior to setting up at the State Fair, the couple did four county fairs in Ohio.

They do fairs in Rhinebeck, N.Y., and Woodstock, Conn., and spend 17 days at the Eastern State Exposition in Springfield, Mass.

“Then we work our way back to Florida,” Ylagan says.

In November the couple will settle down in Webster, Fla., where, throughout January, they work fairs and festivals.

It was at an annual fairs and festivals convention in Las Vegas that Hughes and Ylagan met Dr. John Wilson, president of the State Fair of West Virginia.

“He liked our brochure,” Ylagan said, noting that soon they received an offer to set up at the exposition.

Ylagan says she and her husband are impressed with the friendliness of the people at the State Fair as well as at other fairs and festivals where they set up.

“I like to go to the barns. I like the 4-H groups. They are very friendly.”

The couple has grown children who are in college but help out their parents during the summer months.

The Chinese Gourmet has eight spacious picnic tables for outside dining and is located near the grandstand.