Juniper
“Ang koo” kuih galore
Despite the rainy weather on Monday, there was a very good turnout for the MIGF 2012 Grand Finale. I arrived early because I wasn’t sure how to get to Sunway Lagoon Surf Beach. I just had a fair idea that it was near Sunway Lagoon Theme Park. After asking a police officer stationed at the Theme Park, I went through a tunnel and arrived at the venue via the back way which made me want to turn back a few times because it didn’t look like it was the right way. Turns out the right way is nearer to the hotel but I wasn’t to know that until I got to the media desk.
Down several flights of escalators and I arrived at the brightly lit Surf Beach, the stalls were still preparing the food and I could smell the aroma of satay. There are few sights more welcoming than satay sticks being fanned on a charcoal grill. I say that Malaysia has the best satays in the world. I’ve tasted satay in Singapore and sorry to say the sauce there doesn’t come close to what we have here in Malaysia.
So since I couldn’t invite all of you to join me in my culinary journey at MIGF Grand Finale a few days ago, let me show you what was on offer. There were a lot of hits but there were also misses such as the whole roast lamb which was chewy and the “char kuey teow” which had the longest queue but I thought the taste was just average. I was there for 2 hours and it was almost non-stop eating and drinking. Thank goodness they only have this event once a year!
Ipoh “sar hor fun”
My favourite stall was the Ipoh “sar hor fun”. You know how difficult it is to find truly authentic Ipoh “sar hor fun” in the Klang Valley? This one comes very close to Ipoh quality. The “sar hor fun” had the right springy texture and the soup base was rich in prawn stock. Best of all, after the bowl was handed to me with the “sar hor fun” and soup, I could help myself to as much chicken, prawns and fried shallots as I wanted. Superb and totally thumbs up to this stall. I had 2 bowls, tempted to have 3 but that would have been overdoing it, methinks.
Kelantan Ayam Percik
For some reason, I wasn’t expecting to like this but was I in for a surprise. Not only was the chicken tender, it was so tasty. Let’s just say it was a lot better than what I had at Ayamas. I believe some of the key ingredients for Ayam Percik are ginger, galangal, cardamom, cloves, coconut milk, This Ayam Percik was the best I’ve had but then again, I haven’t had that much Ayam Percik to compare.
Coconut jelly drink
The coconut jelly drink was the best drink of the event. It was cooling, refreshing and they were so generous with the jelly inside the coconut. Loved this drink so much that I wish I could get it everyday.
Chicken Tikka
I have had my fair share of dry chicken tikka but the one served at MIGF’s Grand Finale was juicy. The accompanying mint chutney was the perfect complement to the well marinated chicken.
While the desserts were lovely to look at, they were a bit of a miss for me especially the tarts because the base had gone soft or perhaps were not crispy to begin with.
Chefs go Gangnam Style
The most anticipated part of the event was the chefs’ performance of Oppa Gangnam Style. Not only are the chefs dishy, they can cook up a storm with their singing and dancing. If they put up a performance like this at their restaurants, it’ll be full house every night.
