Cover In The Mood For Food is Tatler Dining's inaugural street food festival
In The Mood For Food is Tatler Dining's inaugural street food festival
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Overlooking the green course of the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club in Bukit Kiara, the food festival was a convivial discovery of local gastronomical delights
In The Mood For Food, Tatler Dining’s inaugural street food festival, was a three-day event held at KLGCC (Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club) in partnership with Sime Darby Property and Sime Darby Motors. Eight restaurants celebrated our beloved local cuisine through elevated versions of street staples, presenting one-of-a-kind culinary creations. The establishments were Aliyaa, Beta KL, Bijan Bar & Restaurant, Concubine KL, Jawi House, Siti Li Dining, The Chow Kit Kitchen & Bar and The Regent Chinese Cuisine.
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Guests arrived dressed beautifully in traditional qipaos and retro outfits as the theme was Wong Kar Wai’s classic In The Mood For Love set in 1960s Hong Kong. KLGCC’s Piano Lounge and courtyard were transformed for the night, complete with retro lamp posts decorated with lanterns, traditional tiffins, framed mirrors and birdcages.
Red lanterns adorned the outdoor courtyard
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Divine scents filled the lounge courtesy of candles from 3Rituals, setting a romantic ambiance. In the outdoor courtyard, the eight restaurants were housed in individual pink booths. Cars from Sime Darby Motors were displayed around the venue.
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Beta KL's bubur cha cha
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Upon arrival, guests were given a booklet which they stamped upon redeeming dishes at the respective booths. Spoilt for choice, they started off with savoury snacks such as the crunchy keropok nachos from Concubine KL and the rojak buah from Siti Li Dining, tossed with a rojak sauce made with the unusual addition of dark chocolate. Bite-sized chicken and beef sliders from Bijan Bar & Restaurant were also a hit.
Moving on to mains, Penang-based Jawi House showcased an elevated version of ikan bakar, which was served with an umai-style kerabu and a crispy pulut puff. The Regent Chinese Cuisine’s famous chicken rice was served with pickled vegetables and crunchy fish skin.
Sweet endings came in the form of banana and jackfruit choux pastries from The Chow Kit Kitchen & Bar, fragrant onde-onde appam from Aliyaa, and bubur cha cha from Beta KL, which played up the differences in temperature between frozen coconut foam and warm coconut milk.
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Bombay Sapphire and Bombay Bramble
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A selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were also available from our event partners. Bombay Sapphire’s booth boasted an edible garnish display, allowing guests to create their own gin and tonic pairing by selecting one fruit, one spice, and one herb. Carlsberg had four booths serving different beverages—Connor’s Stout Porter, Carlsberg Smooth Draught, 1664 Blanc, 1664 Rosé and the non-alcoholic Somersby Apple 0.0. Honlynn’s Distillery Kaban Tuak also offered Sarawakian rice wine, made with produce from indigenous farmers.
Uncle Jeff Drinks crafted a selection of kombucha creatively titled Mamak, Bandung and Kopitiam and inspired by local drinks such as air bandung and teh o ais limau. Guests also stayed hydrated throughout the night with water from Langkawi Pure, which comes from the highest peak of Langkawi.
Jeremy Cheong, dealer principal of Sime Darby Swedish Auto
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Guests from the first and second night were invited by Sime Darby Property and Sime Darby Motors respectively. On the second night, Jeremy Cheong, dealer principal of Sime Darby Swedish Auto, welcomed guests to the event. A gift bag courtesy of Sime Darby Property was also provided to each guest.
The festival ended on a high note, receiving the thumbs up from both participating restaurants and guests. "It was such a wonderful experience being part of this elevated street food festival," enthused Kim Leong of The Regent Chinese Cuisine, a sentiment echoed by Shareen Ramli of Siti Li Dining. "Thank you for giving our young team the experience of a lifetime," she enthused.
Festival guest and MasterChef Champion of Champions Ping Coombes, who was on a break in Kuala Lumpur, said: "The festival was a super fun way to showcase homegrown talent and appreciation for local flavours and dishes."
If you enjoyed this year’s In The Mood For Food, stay tuned for more updates regarding the 2023 edition on our Instagram.
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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.
