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MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL GASTRONOMY FESTIVAL – MIGF2016 @Berjaya Times Square and Taste MIGF was formally launched amid a cacophony of Porsche supercars, super-hot biker girls and sizzling food!
The buzz was the change in name in MIGF, its first in 15 years. The initials remain unchanged but it is no longer Malaysia International Gourmet Festival but is now tweaked to be Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival!
Back then in 2000, Kuala Lumpur's fine dining scene was akin to Sahara desert---all high and dry with posh restaurants mostly in 5 star hotels. Standalone, expensive restaurants were far and few inbetween as wealthy and classy diners were likewise. Remember Melaka Grill at KL Hilton (now demolished) and Suasana at The Regent (now ParkRoyal)? They were the last words in haute dining.
Gourmets were a rare breed so a gourmet festival was fine and dandy. Today there are interesting, palatable and upscale restaurants galore and you don't need to be a cultivated, manor-born gourmet to enjoy our many cuisines. So it is perfect timing to transmute 'gourmet' which is so elitist to' gastronomy' which is more generic!
These days a fine meal can be savoured for a realistic price from RM 50 up as Malaysia
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This year's theme 'High Octane Chefs' is a word familiar to me as many say that describes my voice and my clothes! I protest indignantly but again, a prophet is never appreciated in his lifetime!
This theme was chosen in honour of Formula One race at Sepang which runs a week later! So 'loud noise' is the keyword!
Media from around the world, celebrity guests and thousands of members of the public looked on in awe as the Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival (MIGF) and its preview event, Taste MIGF were announced in an action-packed Media Launch at Berjaya Times Square!
The event set Kuala Lumpur’s city centre abuzz with a parade of Porsche supercars carrying the High Octane Chefs of MIGF 2016, as well as Festival Royal Patron Tunku Naquiyuddin ibni Tuanku Ja’afar and MIGF Organising Chairman Dato’ Steve Day from the Malaysian Tourism Information Centre on Jalan Ampang to Berjaya Times Square.
A huge crowd eagerly awaited and cheered the arrival of the 34 cars as they pulled up to the shopping mall’s entrance. The cars revved their engines as they came to a halt before the chefs made their way down to the stage area on the lower ground concourse where a stage replete with Harley Davidson motorcycles set the scene for the official introduction of this year’s Festival restaurants and their chefs.
As guests resumed their seats, leather clad biker dancers took to the stage for a high-octane performance before superstar magician Dr Moudini wowed guests with a handful of mind-bending tricks. His grandest illusion of all he saved for last, as the spectacular motorcycles on stage were covered with a large black cloth. Quick as a flash, the sheet was pulled away to reveal Dato’ Steve and Tunku Naquiyuddin atop the bikes. How they appeared so suddenly is beyond me, as are many things.
After revving their engines, Dato’ Steve took to the microphone to welcome the assembled crowd to this year’s Festival. The Organising Chairman beckoned in the new era of the Festival, in which ‘Gastronomy’ has replaced the word ‘Gourmet’ in the MIGF acronym.
This change reflects the ever-changing landscape of Malaysia’s vibrant dining scene and gives rise to the most diverse lineup of restaurants in the Festival’s 15- year history.
With that, the chefs from said restaurants burst onto the stage one-by-one to much applause from the assembled throng. Familiar faces stood alongside MIGF debutants as the public got its first glimpse of the men and women who will be cooking up a storm throughout the gastronomic extravaganza from 1st-31st October.
After several group shots, the chefs their way down to a specially-created area in which each restaurant showcased one dish from their Festival Menus. Tunku Naquiyuddin, Dato’ Steve and all of the guests made their way around the stations feasting their eyes on the mouth-watering dishes and whetting their appetites before this weekend’s culinary affair.
Taste MIGF, which will take place at Berjaya Times Square from 11am to 10pm on Saturday the 24th and Sunday 25th September 2016, will allow tourists and locals alike to sample food from all the festival restaurants as they gather together under one roof in a specially designed Theatre of Cuisines.
All they need is buy Gourmet Dollars at the venue on the day of the event or in advance for a discount at www.taste.migf.cpm. Taste MIGF will also feature a Gourmet Village and a range of Master Chef cooking classes as well as a special cooking demonstration by 3 Michelin starred chef Albert Au.
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