Fine feast fiesta

The ongoing Malaysia International Gourmet Festival 2009 offers foodies a chance to sample local and international cuisines offered by different outlets

Diners thronged the ballroom of the brand-new Royale Chulan Hotel in Kuala Lumpur recently in search of some fine food.

The hotel was the venue for the launch of the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) 2009, which attracted more than 2,000 local and international guests.

The month-long event, which was supported by Tourism Malaysia, was launched by Kuala Lumpur city mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail, who together with MIGF organising chairman Datuk Steve Day, cut a huge chef’s hat to denote the start of the festival.

Among the guests-of-honour were 100 foreign ambassadors and Dr Junaida Lee Abdullah, the deputy secretary-general of Tourism Malaysia.

There were also dozens of food writers and travel agents from the US, Canada, France, Italy, Britain, India, China and UAE (all invited by Tourism Malaysia) for the event.

At the ballroom, the entourage were met by a Latin band together with 24 master chefs from the festival participating outlets who rang out a samba beat with their pots and pans.

They were flanked on both sides by two sleek-looking limousines from Mercedes-Benz, the official car for the festival.

Surrounding the stage were stations representing all the 24 participating outlets where guests were invited to sample the exotic creations from the master chefs. Some of the stations were decorated to highlight the type of food offered.

For instance, Chinese fare were presented in an imperial Chinese palace setting while Malaysian favourites were placed in a traditional Malay dwelling. There were also stations resembling a jungle resort and a Middle Eastern souk, among others.

In the atrium area outside the ballroom, the elaborately-designed Prince Court Medical Centre had eight sous chefs whipping signature dishes under its ‘healthy diet, healthy lifestyle’ banner.

The centre’s contemporary Chinese cuisine with a Malaysian influence was beneficial to the body and tasted good.

Nearby, Sime Darby showcased one of its unique new sustainable properties while Philips displayed its lastest hi-tech TV screens. Canon had roaming photographers taking pictures of guests and printing them on-the-spot as souvenirs.

Meanwhile, Trinidad showcased its luxury lifestyle products; Watch Shoppe its fine timepieces; and Harrod’s served up British tea and teddy bears.

Stations representing Italy, Chile and Canada flying their national flags kept thirsty guests’ glasses topped up.

The gala launch party went on long into the night as some of Malaysia’s best chefs continued to serve up delicious food to the guests.

The 9th MIGF, which ends on Oct 31, offers gourmets a chance to experience unique Malaysian and global cuisine at special festive prices. Participating restaurants are offering special promotions which include discounts on beverages, hotel rooms and block bookings.