By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 10: Six international chefs will be partnering with six Sarawak partners to take part in a culinary exchange entitled F.E.A.S.T (Food Escapades About Sarawak Traditions) during their visit to Kuching for its Creative Cities Forum this weekend.
This collaboration of culinary cultures will be at the Nyamai Sarawak Gastronomy Festival from 11am to 1pm on Sept 15 at Sarawak Cultural Village, where members of the public will be able to watch as these professional pairings discover, recover and innovate traditional dishes from ASEAN+.
This programme is curated by Marian Chin of WhatMatters and supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC).
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) Kuching chairman Dato Wee Hong Seng emphasised that the culinary exchange programme is central to the city’s designation under UNESCO and to the aims and goals of the network.
“Our Sarawak chefs will be able to learn new skills, while sharing our traditional ingredients and techniques with their international counterparts.
“We urge the public to watch as Sarawak’s pride goes toe-to-toe with chefs from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and China,” he said in a statement today.
Meanwhile, UCCN Kuching and UNESCO Focal Point’s Strategic Director Karen Shepherd said the familiar faces include Julian L Henry of Little Hainan, Chef Tay of the Sarawak Club, Jordan Wee of Jordan’s Signature Catering, all members of the Kuching Heritage Chef Association, alongside Chef Valentino Ngabong Peter, currently at Babaganoush, Chef Karen Yap and also Sarawak’s ‘jungle chef’, the incredible Saloma of Saloma’s village stay.
“Each chef, both local and international will demonstrate a traditional dish and a traditional technique. Expect leaf-wrapping, bamboo-cooking, milk-frying, fermenting and salting aplenty.
“Following this, each pair will work together to produce an entirely new dish based on their collaboration,” she said.
She said the international chefs also will take part in curated visits and dinners where they will drop by Junk—a firm favourite with all Kuching folk, appreciate the scenery at Cove 55 for the Nyamai gala dinner, and experience one of the best restaurants in Malaysia at Kantin at the Granary.
“Adrian Jo Milang, the parap specialist, will share on the importance of our oral literature and Ezra Tekola of At Adau will introduce them to the sape and nose flute, as both maker and player.
“Batik Linut and the Tun Jugah Foundation will also play hosts as we show them our weaving culture and the versatility of sago as a staple.
“A highlight of the 3-day visit will be our special dinner at Kyujin restaurant: From Market Stall to Dining Table. This will see our own chef Alex curating a special 5-course dinner in collaboration with Karen Yap, whose pop-up dinners curating elevated ethic Sarawak cuisine have been setting Kuala Lumpur abuzz, and also with Joongla, a restaurant from Bandung, whose mission is to bring Indonesia’s hidden culinary treasures to light,” she added.
For more details on these events and on Kuching’s membership of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, please visit www.kuchingcreativecity.com or www.nyamai.com. — DayakDaily
