19 November 2010

TASTES FROM THE MALAYSIAN KITCHEN

When I travel, the food is paramount. I have been intrigued by food for longer than I care to remember, and believe the exploration of another country, its culture, history and even the geography can be carried out through the food. I get quite cross about the way New Zealand is promoted, with endless pictures of pristine landscapes, photos of idiots bungy jumping and seeking vicarious thrills, and completely overlooking the amazing food and wine experiences that most visitors rave about when they’re here.

So I have to hand a heart felt accolade to the Malaysian trade and tourism offices for their new initiative to publicise Malaysia. Some clever strategists within their organisations realised that there were excellent Malaysian restaurants in England, New York and New Zealand where diners could enjoy authentic Malaysian food. And so they have harnessed these restaurateurs in a sassy programme, the Malaysian Kitchen. The idea is that diners will eat in Malaysian restaurants, develop a taste for this deliciously different cuisine and hopefully think about visiting Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Kuching, Penang, Langkawi and many other of the other interesting destinations in Malaysia.

Last night the Malaysian Kitchen initiative was launched by the Malaysian High Commissioner, Dat’Hasnudin Hamzah at the Taste Auckland food festival that is running over the coming weekend at Victoria Park. This weekend visitors to the festival can watch cooking demonstrations, taste dishes prepared by chefs from Auckland’s Malaysian restaurants and enjoy cultural shows in the Malaysian Kitchen marquee.

Malaysian food is a delicious experience. The cuisine is a meld of Indian, Chinese and Malay dishes and features curries, noodle dishes, sambals, satays, laksas and much more. It is subtly spiced, fresh and always delivered to the table the minute it is cooked so the fragrant aromas are enticing and appetising. And for those who are a little shy about spice, the sauces and sambals can be added to taste so that the food is not searingly hot unless you like it like that.

Above you can see a pic of Chef Nicky from Tastes of Malaysia restaurant in Panmure cooking up a storm for Breakfast TV (and for my breakfast; char kuey teow - delicious fried rice noodles ) this morning. Nicky and others will be bringing a taste of the Malaysian Kitchen this weekend and through out the coming year to diners seeking culinary adventures. Sounds far better than bungy jumping to me!