Tuesday, November 1, 2011

MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL GALA DINNER AT ROYALE CHULAN

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
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All parties flow better with great beer---in this case the cool beer of Kronenbourg!
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These two beers from Kronenbourg is the upscale, lifestyle beer enjoyed by the hip and happening crowd in Europe and now Malaysia.

www.theroyalechulan.com.my or 03-2688 9688


MALAYSIA'S ACCLAIMED FOOD FEST, MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL, KNOWN TO ALL FOODIES WORTH THEIR FORK AS MIGF, IS NOW INTO ITS 11TH EDITION AND IT FELT LIKE YESTERDAY WHEN DATO STEVE DAY AND HIS PRETTY,PERKY WIFE DATIN SU WAI FUN INVITED ME TO THEIR INAUGURAL FOOD FESTIVAL IN 2000.

NOW THEY ARE CELEBRATING 11 YEARS SO CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER! HERE IS TO ANOTHER 111 YEARS, DATO STEVE AND DATIN SU DAY! WE WILL NOT BE AROUND BUT FROM OUR LOFTY, DIVINE PERCH IN HIGH HEAVEN, WE CAN LOOK DOWN ON OUR SUCCESSORS AND INHERITORS AND CHEER THEM WITH OUR MANNA AND NECTAR OF IMMORTALITY. OF COURSE IN MY CASE, THIS PARTICULAR BRANCH OF THE KEE CLAN ENDS WITH MY ENTRY INTO THE ELYSIAN FIELDS BUT LIVING DIVINITIES LIKE ME ARE FORBIDDEN TO PRODUCE OFFSPRING THE WAY JESUS CHRIST DID NOT MARRY OR HAVE CHILDREN OF DIVINE STOCK AND DITTO FOR SIDDARTHA GAUTAMA BUDDHA AFTER HE ATTAINED ENLIGHTENMENT.

WHAT THIS RAMBLING HAS TO DO WITH FOOD ONLY FELLOW DIVINITIES WILL UNDERSTAND AND MERE MORTALS HEIR TO DEATH AND TAXES WILL BE AT A LOSS.
BUT SUFFICE TO SAY, WE HAD A DEVILISHLY DIVINE TIME AT BUNGA MAS, THE MALAY FINE DINING RESTAURANT AT ROYALE CHULAN, ONE OF MY FAVOURITE HOTELS.

The MIGF dinner at Bunga Mas at Royale Chulan was the last of 28 such dinners, each held at a different hotel with different guests. Even I, famous and powerful and feared by all, was only invited once and at the last one too so if I missed this, I would have broken my record of having attended all 11 MIGF VIP dinners.

The 8-course dinner at Bunga Mas costs RM 119 per person, a steal!

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The hosts with the most, Dato Steve Day and Datin Su Day with guests Mrs and Mr Geoffrey Briscoe, MD of BMW Malaysia
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Franz Swoboda, GM of Royale Chulan hotel, Tan Sri Sheikh Abdul Kadir our former Tourism Minister, Princess Dr Becky Leogardo with one of her 13 Hermes Birkin bags and Michael Mantz
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HE Dr Rolf Lenz, Swiss ambassador and his Taiwanese wife
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Kee Hua Chee, He Dr Rolf Lenz the Switzerland ambassador, Tan Sri Sheikh Abdul Kadir, Princess Dr Becky Leogardo, Mrs Lenz and lawyer Michael Mantz from The Hague, Holland
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HE Paul Bekkers, Ambassador of the Netherlands and his wife
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The new Cuban ambassador Ruben Perez Valdes and his wife
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Lynn Tan and daughter Jeanette Tan, legal counsel for ATOS, Mrs Aparna Nanavati and Sanjeev Nanavati, CEO of Citibank Malaysia
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Michael Mantz lawyer from The Hague, Soren Ravn MD of Carlsberg Malaysia and HE Paul Bekkers, Ambassador of the Netherlands
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Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and Mrs Lenz, wife of the Swiss Ambassador
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Chris Tomachi, deputy MD of Panasonic Malaysia and Allan Womg, GM of Panasonic
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Dato Steve Day (extreme right) MD of Vision Four and organiser of Malaysia International Gourmet Festival with Franz Swoboda, GM of Royale Chulan, introducing the chefs
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One for the album!
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Amuse bouche; Salmon Roulade with Percik sauce
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Slow braised rock lobster with Singgang broth
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Watermelon granite and young coconut
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Black cod with sweet tamarind paste and seafood paste Wellington
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Supreme chicken, lamb rack with masala date potato and Tongkat Ali sauce
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Malay cultural dances added to the enjoyment
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I love Malay cultural dances as I was the top non-Malay dancer with KESUMA the cultural dance troupe of Universiti Malaya

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Princess Dr Becky Leogardo, Michael Mantz and Jeanette Tan, the last two are lawyers
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Host with the most Dato Steve Day introducing each guest and his or her traits. Luckily he said something flattering about me being the greatest journalist this side of the observable universe!
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A toast at my table
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One for the road!



As this was different from the Opening and Closing Galas which were attended by the high and mighty as well as riff-raff who sneaked in knowing no guards ever bothered to ask for proof of admission, only 28 guests or 14 couples were invited apart from hosts with the most Dato Steve Day and Datin Su Day and their staff plus GM of Royale Chulan Franz Swoboda and his team of chefs.

Tan Sri Sheikh Kadir, our ex Tourism Minister was the first to arrive at 7pm as he thought that was the time but my invite read 7.30pm and most came late due to the rain.

At only RM 119 per person, Malay fine dining does not come any cheaper or more sumptuous than what we had at Bunga Mas!

www.theroyalechulan.com.my

03- 2688 9688

1 comment:

ChopinandMysaucepan said...

Hi Kee,

Trust you are well :)