MIGF 2014---BUNGA EMAS IN FULL BLOOM! 'BUNGA EMAS' MEANS 'GOLDEN FLOWER' AND WAS ONCE A METRE HIGH TREE CRAFTED IN SOLID GOLD PRESENTED TO THE KING OF SIAM ONCE EVERY 3 YEARS AS TRIBUTE BY KELANTAN WHICH WAS A VASSAL STATE. TODAY, EVERYONE CAN ENJOY FINE MALAY DINING AT MALAYSIA'S BEST MALAY RESTAURANT AT ROYALE CHULAN HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR!

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
Malay cuisine is fabulous but not known worldwide except in London, New York and Australian capitals with large Malaysian populations. Having said that, there is a Malaysian restaurant in the heart of Amsterdam's redlight district that has been there for 19 years and still going strong! I went in to say hello to the Chinese owner who admitted he was Singaporean married to Maslaysian who insisted the restaurant should simply be named Malaysian Restaurant! Amazing!

When we think of Malay food, nasi lemak, nasi dagang, beef rendang and of course satay come instantly to mind. To be frank, you don't find 'Malay food' and 'fine dining' in the same sentence. In all the world capitals from Asia to Africa to Europe and USA, Chinese and Japanese restaurants are easily found. Ditto for Korean, Thai, Indian and even Vietnamese restaurants. I suppose Cambodia and Laos are under 'Indo-Chinese' and Burmese food copies Thai cuisine. Only Filipino food is never found outside Philippines as I have never seen a Filipino restaurant elsewhere.

But Royale Chulan hotel along Jalan Conlay hopes to be the only Malay fine dining restaurant in Malaysia and has succeeded wonderfully!

The decor mimicks a traditonal Sultan's wooden palace and even boasts a large balai seri rong or audience hall which is remarkably spacious and considered very luxurious as it consumes a big space. There are small alcoves and rooms with Malay-style seating and a see-thru kitchen if you wish to see how your meal is being cooked.

We were rather disappointed when founder and organiser of MIGF (Malaysia International Gourmet Festival) Dato Steve Day announced Bunga Emas's chef Nizam Samsu was unable to cook for us as he had an auto accident and broke his leg!

I am very ruthless normally and don't care a hoot about minions but even I agreed Chef Nizam Samsu should not be working from a wheelchair in the kitchen or hobbling on crutches.

However, we were in excellent hands under Chef Sabri Soid so all ended well.

Bunga Emas MIGF Festival menu consists of 8 courses at RM 180 ++ or RM 150 ++ for Light menu

bungaemas@theroyalechulan.com.my  03-2688 9688

PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO

PATRICK MCVEIGH AND PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO

4-DAY OLD DATO KEE HUA CHEE AND PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO

DATO KEE HUA CHEE AND PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO

PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO

PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO

KEE HUA CHEE IN BON ZAINAL COUTURE SUIT AND BROOKS MESSENGER BAG MADE IN ENGLAND AND AVAILABLE AT LORD'S TAILOR@THE PAVILION KL AT RM 3,200

MICHAEL MANTZ, MAHDI MOUDINI AND WIFEY MICHELLE GOH LOOKING LIKE FAIRY

SAME

JEFFREY PERERA, SOORIA PERERA AND MALKIT SINGH---ALL 3 ARE TITLELESS UNLIKE DATO KEE HUA CHEE

WELCOME MAT ON FLOOR MADE OF COLOURED SAND

MYSTERIOUS FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH INSIDE BUNGA EMAS RESTAURANT! DRINK A SIP AND LIVE 4EVER

SECOND FOUNTAIN OF ETERNAL LIFE

GRAND DINING HALL

PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO AND DATIN SU DAY

PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO AND FARAH HALIM, PR MANAGER OF ROYALE CHULAN

PRETTY LASSIES

DATO STEVE DAY IS FOUNDER AND ORGANISER OF MIGF (MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL), DATIN PADUKA SITI SAADIAH SHEIKH BAKIR, DAUGHTER IN LAW NOOR ATIKAH AND PATRICK MCVEIGH

ROBERT GERALD CLARKE AND LEE CLARKE

ENJOYING THE PASSAROUNDS

DATIN PADUKA SITI SAADIAH SHEIKH BAKIR

LOVE THESE CHICKEN NIBBLES

YUMMY

BLONDIE IS ANDREA AHRENS

DATIN SU DAY, PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO AND MICHEAL MANTZ

DATO KEE HUA CHEE WEARS BON ZAINAL COUTURE SUIT

NORMAL AND CHILLI SPIKED DRINKS

UWE AND ANDREA AHRENS, DATO STEVE DAY, SOORIA PERERA AND PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO

PATRICK THE LEPRECHAUN MCVEIGH AS HE IS IRISH AND HAS MAGIC POWERS, DATIN PADUKA SITI SAADIAH SHEIKH BAKIR AND NOOR ATIKAH

HASBULLAH AND RAM

HASBULLAH AND RAM

CHAT

MALAY STYLE DINING ROOM

MINGLE

DATO KEE HUA CHEE WEARS HIS DIMP MEDAL AS PENDANT

LOOKING GOOD

TAN SRI FUAD BIN ISMAIL THE FORMER MAYOR OF KL WHO NOW RUNS TRADEWINDS VENTURE, DATIN PADUKA SITI SAADIAH SHEIKH BAKIR, NOOR ATIKAH, PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO AND DATO STEVE DAY

DATO STEVE DAY CLAIMS TAN SRI AHMAD FUAD ISMAIL WAS THE BEST MAYOR EVER

DATO STEVE DAY WELCOMING HIS GUESTS

DATO STEVE DAY HOLDING COURT

CHEF SABRI SOID AT LEFT

GUESTS

MALAY IN BAJU MELAYU IS NAJIB ABDULLAH

GROUP PHOTO!

THAT IS A PEN DRIVE WHICH ALL THOUGHT WAS CHOCOLATE

MY DINNER AT BUNGA EMAS WAS MY SECOND DINNER AS A PAHANG DATO, VERY AUSPICIOUS

NAJIB ABDULLAH DESCRIBED EACH DISH AS IT CAME

PRETTY DAMSEL PUTTING DOWN OUR BOUQUET OF RED HOT CHILLIS TO MATCH MIGF'S 2014 THEME 'RED HOT CHEFS'!

ROBERT CLARKE AND UWE AHRENS

MAGICIAN MOUDINI NOT HOUDINI AND DATO KEE HUA CHEE

MOUDINI THE MAGICIAN AND KEE HUA CHEE THE PAHANG DATO

WARM APPETISER

MASTER KOBE WITH PINE NUT AND POMEGRANATE SAUCE

DATO STEVE DAY INTRODUCING HIS GUESTS, ESPECIALLY THE NEWLY MINTED PAHNAG DATO KEE HUA CHEE

COLD APPETISER

SCALLOP WITH AVOCADO AND KESUM, CRESS AND SWEET CHILLI SABAYON

PAN SEARED FOIE GRAS

HONEY PINEAPPLE AND RASPBERRY SORBET

MAHDI MOUDINI GETTING SERVED

CREAM OF SWEET POTATO SOUP

WITH LOCAL BASIL AND BLACK CAVIAR CORDON NOIR

BRAISED SHORT RIBS IN ONION, CORIANDER, TOMATO, CUMIN GRAVY AND YAM

THIS IS MY FAVORITE

SO DELICIOUS AS THE MEAT CAME OFF THE BONE NICELY

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

OF COURSE WE INSISTED MAHDI MOUDINI MUST DO SOME MAGIC TRICKS TO DAZZLE DESMOND WONG OR HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY HIS DINNER BILL OF RM 180++

BUT THE IRANIAN MAGICIAN SAID HE WOULD MAKE THE BILL DISAPPEAR! DESMOND WONG FEARED MAHDI MIGHT MAKE HIM VANISH TOO

HERE HE TRANSFORMED RM 1 TO USA$1! I ASKED HIM CHANGE MY RM 100 NOTE INTO US$ 100 BUT HE DECLINED

STUFFED GOLDEN POMFRET IN SINGGANG BROTH WITH ALASKAN KING CRAB AND KARIPOLEY NOODLES

MAHDI AGAIN SHOWED A MAGIC TRICK BY TEARING AND BURNING A NAPKIN AND MAKING IT WHOLE AGAIN!

HE WENT TO NEXT TABLE AND TRANSFORMED RM 1 INTO US$1

WITH TAN SRI AHMAD FUAD ISMAIL, HE MAGICALLY SWOPPED TAN SRI'S PLAYING CARD FROM HIS MOUTH INTO HIS!

THE NUMBERS AND DESIGNS PROVE MAHDI MAGICALLY CHANGED TAN SRI AMAD FUAD'S CARD FROM HIS LIPS INTO MAHDI'S MOUTH!

AND THE SWOPPED CARD WAS DRY AND NOT SOAKED WITH YUCKY SALIVA WHICH MAY CONTAIN EBOLA VIRUS!

MAHDI MOUDINI MAGICKED FARAH HALIM!

DESSERT

FERMENTED RICE TIMBALE WITH BLUEBERRY COMPOTE, COCONUT CRUMBLE AND YOGHURT ICE CREAM

DATO STEVE DAY AND TEAM OF BUNGA EMAS

DATIN PADUKA SITI SAADIAH SHEIKH BAKIR SPOKE AND THANKED BUNGA EMAS ON BEHALF OF GUESTS

DATIN PADUKA SITI SAADIAH FORMERLY THE BOSS OF KPJ HOSPITALS DECLARED THE MALAY FINE DINING MENU WAS BEYOND HER EXPECTATIONS

AND SHE HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS!

THE CULINARY TEAM OF BUNGA EMAS

DATO STEVE DAY INVITING TAN SRI AHMAD FUAD ISMAIL TO SAY A FEW WORDS AS TAN SRI IS AN ACCOMPLISHED COOK! 

TAN SRI AHMAD FUAD BOUGHT LAND 15 YEARS AGO TO BUILD HIS OWN RETREAT, PAVILION, PONDS AND ORCHARD!

TAN SRI ALSO DECLARED BUNGA EMAS WORTHY OF ACCOLADES

TAN SRI AHMAD FUAD BIN ISMAIL WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH BUNGA EMAS

DATO STEVE DAY EXHORTING BUNGA EMAS TEAM TO CONTINUE TO EXCEL

BACK VIEW

FRONT VIEW

FARAH HALIM STRANGLING MAHDI MOUDINI UNTIL ...

HE PRODUCED A US$1 NOTE FROM HIS MOUTH!

THE CURRENCY NOTE WAS REAL AND DRY AND NOT SOAKED HIS DISGUSTING SALIVA UNLESS YOU ENJOY KINKY SEX

FARAH HALIM GOT HER US$1 NOTE FINALLY

AMAZINGLY, DATO STEVE DAY COULD DO A MAGIC TRICK TOO!

PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO

SAME

PRINCESS DR BECKY LEOGARDO WITH HER RM 8,500 VERSACE BAG