Cover Photo: Imran Sulaiman
Photo: Imran Sulaiman
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Have you got your tickets for Tatler Dining’s first street food festival? Here’s the lowdown on what you can expect at In The Mood For Food
The theme is Wong Kar Wai's 1960s Hong Kong
Above Photo: Handout
Photo: Handout
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Come dressed in your best qipao or retro outfits as the theme of the evening is inspired by Wong Kar Wai's seminal classic, In the Mood for Love. Set in 1960s Hong Kong, the award-winning cinematography by Christopher Doyle is replete with romanticism—utterly gorgeous and irresistible—lending the movie a lush backdrop for the heartbreaking love story.
An oft-repeated scene in the movie—and one of the most memorable ever captured on film—is the one where the protagonists played by Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung pass each other along a stairwell that leads down to their favourite wantan mee stall. Cheung, in one of her form-fitting cheongsams, is always seen with her trusty tiffin containing her noodle takeaway, transforming the functional container into an elegant must-have accessory.
There may be no stairwell at the In the Mood for Food venue, Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, to reenact this scene but you can still expect to bask in the same romantic vibe. Think lanterns, mood lighting and divine scents by 3Rituals to set the mood for an evening of enjoyment and indulgence.
See also: Dine and Unwind Luxuriously at Kaysha Dine & Beauty
8 top restaurants in Malaysia as headliners
The team at Beta KL led by Chef Raymond Tham (Photo: Imran Sulaiman)
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In The Mood For Food shines the spotlight on eight restaurants that define our local dining scene. For a change, the upscale restaurants of Aliyaa, Beta KL, Bijan Bar & Restaurant, Concubine KL, Jawi House, Siti Li Dining, The Chow Kit Kitchen & Bar and The Regent Chinese Cuisine will become traditional street food stalls for the evening and they promise to dazzle us with their innovations on beloved Malaysian staples. Read on for a preview.
Street food elevated with flair
Above Photo: Imran Sulaiman
Photo: Imran Sulaiman
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Start the night with satay by Bijan Bar & Restaurant and snack on crunchy keropok nachos served with chicken skin and assorted sambal from Concubine KL. Savour luscious bites of rojak reimagined by Siti Li Dining before making your way to The Chow Kit Kitchen & Bar stall where crispy morsels of fried bananas and jackfruits (pisang goreng and cempedak goreng respectively) await.
Now that your tastebuds are tickled, move onto the mains. Visit Jawi House to experience how the team is turning ikan bakar (grilled fish) into a sophisticated offering of torched snapper finished with turmeric oil, ulam and herb dust, and served alongside a homemade pulut puff infused with flavours from kaffir lime leaf. It's truly a dish that befits a fine dining establishment.
Next, tuck into The Regent Chinese Cuisine's take on the humble chicken rice, piquing our curiosity with the accompaniment of crispy fish skin and assorted pickled vegetables.
See also: In The Mood For Food: How Chef Nurilkarim Razha of Jawi House is Elevating Grilled Fish
Leave space for decadent desserts
Above Photo: Beta KL
Photo: Beta KL
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Do leave room for dessert as there is not one but two sweet treats. There is Aliyaa's famous sweet appam, the pillowy bowl-shaped rice cake with pandan essence. Beta KL will be serving up an indulgent bubur cha cha, which incorporates frozen coconut foam and pandan-infused coconut milk into the nostalgic Peranakan dessert.
See also: Merdeka 2022: 5 Dining Promotions Not to be Missed
Sip on custom Malaysia-inspired drinks
Above Photo: Uncle Jeff Drinks
Photo: Uncle Jeff Drinks
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You will need something to wash all this deliciousness down with, and we've got you covered. Choose from among the custom beverages curated specially for the festival from Bombay Sapphire, Carlsberg Malaysia, Kaban Tuak and Langkawi Pure.
Uncle Jeff Drinks has also crafted a selection of Malaysia-inspired kombucha flavours creatively titled Mamak, Bandung and Kopitiam and inspired by local drinks such as air bandung and teh o ais limau.
See also: In The Mood For Food: How Concubine KL is Elevating Keropok
The food festival will be held over August 26-28 weekend, with the first two nights reserved for our main partners Sime Darby Property and Sime Darby Motors. Tickets are available for public sale for August 28.
- Date: August 28, 2022
- Time: 7pm-11pm
- Venue: Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club
- Theme: In the Mood for Love, Hong Kong circa 1960s
- Price: RM350 per ticket
In The Mood For Food is strictly by reservations only. Book now by filling out this form.
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
