Application for Kuching Fest Food Fair stalls to open soon

KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) will soon open the application for the stalls at this year’s Kuching Festival Food Fair.

Kuching South mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the first meeting had already been held to discuss the running of this year’s festival.

“As the largest food fair organiser, we hope to surprise our patrons to give them something to look forward to. We hope applicants will come up with innovative and creative food items.

“Take laksa as an example, which has been transformed into laksa chips.

“This is the kind of innovation that we want. Be more innovative and diversify local ingredients and dishes.

“Another example would be ice-cream with chilli topping. You may be surprised by this combo, even if some others might find it odd.

“We will give priority to those who can offer innovative food items,” he said in his weekly ‘Shall WEE Talk’ Facebook live session yesterday.

On Ramadan bazaars, Wee said he could only comment on the one at Stutong Community Market here as it was the only one he had patronised so far.

“It’s satisfactory; the food selection is quite decent.

“There, I came across a stall selling very nice ‘soup kambing (mutton)’ as well as Arab rice with chicken and mutton.

“There’s another stall selling ‘Ayam Masak Merah’ and ‘daging (beef) hitam’.

“I guess the reception is very good, especially the RM28 lamb shank, which I saw had sold out in just within two hours,” he added.

The mayor acknowledged that majority of the stall operators at the Stutong Ramadan bazaar were not first-timers.

“One operator offers ‘kuih chang’, which appears to be the Malay version of the Chinese rice dumpling.

“Some even display the traditional food of other races. You may never know that one day you would be having curry ‘bak chang’ (rice dumpling), and no one will be complaining about it because this is Sarawak,” he said.

Wee also encouraged the public to channel their complaints and queries to the WhatsApp hotline 010-660 1919.

Meanwhile, the mayor invited 35 individuals to join him for a one-hour chit-chat session, to take place at Chagee@ Friendship Park at Jalan Song here, at 10.30am today.

“You can either join us on the spot or register with us via the hotline.

“There will be 35 cups of milk tea offered on a first-come, first served basis,” he said.