About 150 students overran the Leverett House dining hall last night, sampling authentic Asian delicacies and watching cultural performances.

The Asian American Association (AAA) sponsored the event, dubbed the Cultural Extravaganza, with numerous other Asian campus groups.

"There are rare times at Harvard that all the Asian groups get together," said AAA Cultural Committee Chair Jennifer W. Toy '01, who emceed the event.

The multi-group effort was a departure from tradition, said AAA Vice President Jenny I. Shen '01, as AAA is usually the sole sponsor of an annual buffet dinner to commemorate Asian-American Heritage Month.

This year the group expanded the program to include cultural performances and enlisted the help of other groups, Shen said.

Students, who were charged $4 in advance and $5 at the door, were offered a plethora of tasty dishes, prepared and served by undergraduates wearing traditional Asian garb.

The Japan Society featured yakisoba--Japanese-style fried noodles, the Taiwanese Cultural Society served up scallion pancakes, the Harvard Philippine Forum (HPF) offered lumpia--a Filipino egg roll, and the South Asian Association had pakoras--vegetables deep-fried in chickpea batter.

Students also ate fried tofu courtesy of the AAA, Korean "sushi" from the Korean Association, fried rice made by the Hong Kong Club, and pad thai cooked by the Harvard Thai Society.