A feast for all food lovers
> The newly-rebranded Malaysian International Gastronomy Festival now offers a greater variety of epicurean delights from fine-dining and premium restaurants
SINCE the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) was first held in 2001, the Malaysian food scene had seen remarkable changes over the years, with the appearance of more and more finedining establishments.
However, locals still have a penchant for hawker fare, and some upmarket restaurants, even those situated in hotels, have added this to their menus to attract a wider clientele.
That is one of the reasons why the festival is now called the Malaysian International Gastronomy Festival.
“We want to make the umbrella wider to cover a wider range of restaurants,” said MIGF organising chairman Datuk Steve Day, referring to the first-time participation of restaurants such as Unique Seafood PJ23 and premium steamboat restaurant Yezi, which are not categorised as fine-dining establishments.
“The word ‘gastronomy’ reflects the evolution of the food scene in Kuala Lumpur,” Day added.
“When the festival was started 15 years ago, there were barely a dozen fine-dining restaurants in KL and they were primarily based in hotels. “Today, we see hundreds of premium eateries all over the country serving every cuisine imaginable.” MIGF 2016 will take place throughout the month of October, with 25 restaurants taking part.
Among them are Samplings on the Fourteenth at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Marini’s On 57, Southern Rock Seafood Kitchen as well as The Olive and L’altitude Restaurant, Bar and Lounge, both at Resorts World Genting.
And the theme for this year’s festival is High Octane Chefs.
The theme was in full effect during the recent festival launch, when participating chefs were driven to the venue at Berjaya Times Square in Porsche sports cars by members of the Porsche Club Malaysia.
If you want to sample what these restaurants will be preparing as part of the festival menu, head for the Taste MIGF, the festival’s preview event at Berjaya Times Square Hotel Kuala Lumpur happening tomorrow and Sunday.
The festival chefs will be preparing bite-sized portions from their festival menus at the Taste MIGF’s Theatre of Cuisines’ Super Gourmet Safari.
You need to purchase Gastro Dollars to partake of the food, with prices that range between one and three Gastro Dollars.
The Gastro Dollars, priced at RM5 each and sold in booklets of 10, can be purchased at a booth at the venue. Gastro Dollars can also be pre-ordered online at a 5% discount and collected at the venue itself.
There will also be cooking demonstrations by three Michelin Stars Chef Albert Au, who has served at restaurants all over the world. This Hong Kong chef is making a special stop in Malaysia just to be a part of the MIGF.
Other chefs from participating restaurants will also be holding demonstrations over the weekend.
Taste MIGF also features the Epicure International Gourmet Village, where gourmet food and beverage vendors will be selling everything from fine wines to exquisite cheeses, as well as a wealth of mouth-watering delicacies from around the world.
Also, check out the LuxuryPlus Showcase where luxury items such as high-end art pieces and tableware, boutique scents and exotic getaways will also be on sale. The showcase also highlights the finest luxury lifestyle options.
For more, visit the Taste MIGF website.