In the Mood for Food 2023: All the dishes to expect at the festival

Rojak fans are in for a delightful treat with Dáo's In the Mood for Food creation. Dubbed the "Dáo-jak", this dessert takes inspiration from the salad dish usually made with cut fruits like jambu, starfruit, guava, or pineapples, a belacan-based sauce, crushed peanuts, and bunga kantan (torch ginger).

The Dáo-jak features Dáo's popular soy-based soft serve ice cream drizzled with a tangy and spicy rojak dressing. For added texture and crunch, the soft serve is topped with crushed peanuts and served with a rice cracker.

See also: 9 eateries we love in Damansara Jaya

Known for its Nashville hot chicken, Fowlboys has prepared a stunner of a dish for the festival that consists of bite-sized hot chicken coated in the beloved nostalgic snack, Super Ring, all tucked into a fluffy buttered brioche bun. Adding a Malaysian twist, the bun is topped with a delightfully sweet and spicy mango kerabu salad. 

The hot chicken and Super Ring make for a killer combination which blends the spiciness and crunch from the chicken perfectly with the subtle cheesiness and sweetness of the snack. The dish is completed with refreshing touch and a slight chilli padi kick from the mango kerabu, which ties the whole sandwich together.

As one of the city's leading vegan eateries, Hijau has prepared a plant-based dish for the festival called, Champ aka Campur or 'Cham', which combines the Indian snack Panipuri with the local Hakka dish, Lei Cha. Traditionally filled with a mixture of imli pani (flavoured water), tamarind chutney, chaat masal, mashed potatoes, chilli powder, onions or chickpeas, Hijau's take on the panipuri for this festival will feature the regular lei cha fix-ins alongside Hijau's signature sambal hijau, which packs a punch.

To bring the dish together, a sauce made from Thai basil, mint, cilantro, roasted chickpeas, sesame seeds, pink rock salt, matcha powder, and lime is added. 

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The iconic Malaysian cuisine restaurant, Madam Kwan's, proudly stands as the sole representative of Malaysia in the lineup. Showcasing their expertise, the restaurant is offering a creative twist on the classic nasi lemak by transforming it into a gunkan sushi. Replacing the nori (seaweed) is a thin slice of cucumber, cut lengthwise and used to wrap around the coconut rice.

The wrapped rice is then topped with the tangy and spicy acar, spicy sambal, shrimp floss, and a quail egg. Upping the Madam Kwan's factor is a side of boneless chicken curry, another dish that that Madam Kwan is well-known for. 

Based in George Town, Penang, Pablo'$ is famous for its inventive tacos, so it comes as no surprise that the team is presenting a Malaysian-Indian take on the Mexican street food with a Kashmiri mutton taco, their take on the local mutton varuval. The taco is stuffed with tender and flavourful mutton that is slow-cooked with Kashmiri spices, local santan, and pandan leaves. 

On top of the mutton are the usual taco fix-ins of pico de gallo, Pablo'$ secret sauce, sliced purple cabbage, mozzarella cheese, and cilantro, all of which pair extremely well with the deep and rich mutton flavour. 

Read more: 8 restaurants, cafés and bars at Hin Bus Depot, George Town

Staying true to its pizza roots, Phil's Pizza is serving up scrumptious slices of Lingham's hot sauce pizza. This vegetarian-friendly and vegan-friendly pizza features a specially crafted plant-based pizza base.

The base is generously spread with a delectable vegan pesto and topped with roasted mushrooms, peppers, cherry tomatoes and basil. To add an extra kick of flavour, the pizza is finished off with a tantalising drizzle of the ever-popular Lingham's hot sauce.

Appealing to those who grew up with Chinese food in their household, Waig by Chipta11a's dish tugs at the foodie heartstrings with its rendition of Szechuan cuisine's kou shui ji, that translates to mouthwatering chicken. Originating from Sichuan, the dish is usually served with a pool of Szechuan chilli oil sauce and sesame seeds.

In Waig by Chipta11a's unique adaptation, the team has infused the sauce with a blend of local Bentong ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and yuzu. This addition introduces an aromatic and tangy element, complementing the rich flavours of the chilli oil sauce.

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The first session of the event on June 23 is completely booked, but tickets are available for the remaining sessions on June 24-25. Visit our event page for more details.

• Date: June 23-25, 2023
• Time: 7.00-11.00pm
• Venue: Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) Piano Lounge
• Theme: Fun in the fields (Coachella)
• Price: RM350 per ticket

Advanced ticket purchase is required for entry to In The Mood For Food. Places are limited so book early here.

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