Malaysian food festival in China

The three-day Rasa Malaysia Festival, which began on Friday, has helped to promote various Malaysian dishes and cultures to the people of China.

Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China (MayCham) chairman Loh Wee Keng said the festival featured musang king durian, nasi lemak, satay, Ipoh curry mee, lion dance and Malay martial arts, among others.

He said the festival involved 30 stalls from Malaysia and 10 from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and China covering Beijing and several other provinces.

“Musang king durian is getting more attention and is in high demand among people in China. Many have expressed interest to try it.

“We are aiming for at least 50,000 visitors during the festival, which is being held at the Taikooli Sanlitun West Beijing shopping mall. So far, 5,000 tickets have been sold in advance within a week,” he said on Saturday.

Loh added that the strategic location of the shopping centre could also attract more visitors to the festival, which was being held for the first time.

“In line with the name and theme of the ‘Rasa Malaysia’ festival, I hope visitors can feel the Malaysian culture directly.”

He expressed hope that the festival would further strengthen diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China, which will hit the 50-year mark next year.

Meanwhile, Rasa Malaysia Festival chief coordinator Tengku Eliza Ibrahim, who also runs various Malaysian food stalls, said he hopes the festival could become a platform to further promote the uniqueness of Malaysian cuisine to the local community.

“There are different menus and the food selection is based on the popularity and favourites of Malaysians such as nasi lemak and satay,” she said. – Bernama