RUSH, RUSH, RUSH TO WARISAN CAFE AT ROYALE CHULAN HOTEL ON JALAN CONLAY KUALA LUMPUR FOR THE TANTALISING, TEMPTING AND TERRIFIC TURKISH CUISINE AND CULTURAL WEEK!
Lunch is RM 68++ and Dinner is RM 78++
Call Royal Chulan Hotel now 03-2688 9688
THIS CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA IS ON NOW TILL 4 NOVEMBER SO MAKE HASTE AND ENJOY SUBLIME AND AUTHENTIC TURKISH CUISINE AS THIS IS ONE OF THE RARE OCCASIONS WHEN YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN FOR A STUNNING TREAT!
Ali Gulen, Counsellor of Turkish Embassy Tourism & Information Centre with dancer from KUFAD
Kee Hua Chee with KUFAD dancer and both wore equally colourful costumes!
Yummy Turkish pastries
Delicious desserts
Ali Gulen of Turkish Tourism and Information Centre, Datin Suriani of Royale Chulan Hotel and Camm Mustapha, Sales Manager of Etihad Airways at the press conference
Ali Gulen answering a question as Datin Suriani and Camm Mustapha looked on
The 2 lucky winners, Cheah Yiing from Oriental Daily and Kee Hua Chee of the lucky draw. Each of us won a 4-day, 3-night visit to Istanbul sponsored by Etihad Airways and Turkish Tourism and Information Centre Malaysia. My wish was granted by God!
Kee Hua Chee with Yasin Temizkan, Deputy Chief of Mission who picked my name card!
Ali Gulen with Chef Yilmaz, one of 4 chefs flown in from Turkey to cook authentic Turkish delights for you!
Kee Hua Chee with lead dancer and choreographer of KUFAD team
Kee Hua Chee locked arm in arm with 2 dishy Turkish dancers
Kee Hua Chee with the girls and his outfit is almost as colourful as theirs
THIS IS NOT A CASE OF LOCAL MALAYSIAN COOKS (GOOD AS WE ARE) MAKING TURKISH FOOD FROM RECIPE BOOKS AS ALL THE TURKISH CUISINE SERVED AT WARISAN CAFE ARE COOKED BY A TEAM OF 4 CHEFS FLOWN IN FROM ISTANBUL BY ETIHAD AIRWAYS! SO NOTHING COMES MORE AUTHENTIC THAN THE FOOD COOKED BY TURKISH CHEFS!
Turkish food is influenced by the regions of Anatolia, Middle East and Balkans, all important centres of civilisations. Warisan Cafe will serve Turkish food from 6.30pm to 9pm daily till 4 November. This is not just a case of eating Turkish food and drinking its famed coffee but diners also get a dose of Turkish culture in the form of art, dance, music and song!
Explains Ali Gulen, Turkish Cultural and Tourism Attache, "Etihad has flown in an entourage of 23 Turkish chefs, dancers, musicians and craftsmen including calligraphists and famous paper marbling expert Mustafa Erkan who will demonstrate the fascinating art called Ebru in Turkish. You will be spellbound by the demonstration of this ancient and seemingly magical artform!"
A Turkish band will play Turkish classical music at Lanai Lounge. There are performances of Sema the Mevlevi ritual dance, folk dance and rhythm show by musicians playing traditional instruments. The dance troupe is the renowned KUFAD (Kusadasi Folklore Arasturma Dernegi) group while the 4 female musicians are the Fast-I Bahar group. The most fascinating and amazing dance is the Black Sea dance which involves men and women dancing in unison in colourful costumes. The dance bursts with energy and requires strong legwork by the male dancers and is extremely lively and eye catching so bring your cameras!
SHOWTIME!
Arjan Barish (left) and team performing the rhythm show
But first handsome model, musician and dancer Barish has to warm his instrument lightly over a flame to tighten the skin so it produces better sound
Getting ready
In action
Solo dancer
Female musicians from Fasl Bahar group
BELOW IS THE BLACK SEA FOLK DANCE, MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE AS IT IS SO ENERGETIC, LIVELY AND COLOURFUL
GROUP PHOTO OF THE TURKISH CONTINGENT!
The ice cream man and dancers
Kee Hua Chee joins in the festivities
TURKISH CRAFTS
Kerim of Creatives Yildiz, 4 floor, Wisma Central KL. 017 318 1859 and he has a shop selling these lovely Blue Eyes lucky charms. Visit www.blueyol.com
These world famous blue eye amulets protect the wearer from jealous, evil eyes and bring good luck! Contact Kerim 017 318 1859
They come in all sizes and are available now at Royale Chulan during the Cultural Week or www.blueyol.com
BELOW IS WORLD FAMOUS PAPER MARBLING EXPERT MUSTAFA ERKAN DEMONSTRATING THE HIGHLY SKILLED AND ANCIENT ART OF EBRU OR PAPER MARBLING, STEP BY STEP
THIS CALLIGRAPHIST WROTE MY NAME IN BEAUTIFUL ISLAMIC SCRIPT
MY ILLUSTRIOUS NAME KEE HUA CHEE!
Turkish food is ranked third in the world after French and Chinese cuisine and has influenced the entire Middle East region all the way through the Mahgreb to Morocco on the western edge of Africa, taking in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. Remember the Turkish Ottoman Empire was once the most powerful military, political, social and cultural force in the Middle East and North Africa. In fact, the Turks were stopped at Vienna's gates and retreated. If the Turks had continued, Europe might well have been Muslim by now.
When the Turkish army returned to Istanbul, they left behind bags of strange looking, nice-smelling blackish beans. The Viennese wondered what they were for but soon discovered the delights of coffee for these were coffee beans! Before long the aristocrats and elite of Vienna were enjoying coffee and this soon spread all over Europe as Vienna became the centre of the mighty Habsburg Empire which counted Germany as a province! Many think Austria was a vassal of Germany but the opposite is true! So it can be said it was the Turkey which introduced the joy of drinking coffee to Europe!
Turkey is celebrating its 88th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey founded by none other by the great Kamal Ataturk, touted as one of the greatest men in history. He removed the Ottoman Sultans and established a secular state. He forced men to shave their beards and encouraged women to study and work along men. He introduced the modern Turkish script using alphabets like Europe and dragged Turkey out of the feudal past into the modern age. Today, Turkey is one of the world's most successful states with an incredibly rich heritage that is beyond compare in its scope and diversity and a future that glows with potential. Since we are living in 2011, all of Turkey also happens to be a fantastic tourist attraction!
30,000 Malaysians visited Turkey last year and according to Ali Gulen the Turkish Cultural and Tourism Attache, 40,000 Malaysians will be visiting Turkey. Of course all you readers must plan to visit Turkey as I swear on my ancestors' souls in China you will have a great time! I have been to Turkey at least 7 times and loved every visit!
Alas, the last time I visited Turkey must be 8 or even 10 years ago so I really want to visit Turkey again. Because I am sincere in what I have been saying about Turkey, God granted my wish and I won the lucky draw during the media briefing! The prize was a 4 day 3 night stay in Istanbul courtesy of Etihad Airways and Turkish Tourism and Information Office in Malaysia! This proves what I have been saying about Turkey being a must-visit destination is true as God heard my prayer and sincere thoughts about Turkey!
LUNCH RM 68++
DINNER RM 78++
Call Royal Chulan Hotel at 03; 2688 9688 for reservations
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