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Foodies Converge at the Culinary Capital of Malaysia
for the Penang International Food Festival (PIFF) 2009
Friday to Sunday, March 13 to 15, 2009
... a gastronomic event that left thousands of visitors hungry
for more!
From March 13 to March 15, the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) played host to some of the region’s most talented chefs, F&B industry players and food connoisseurs during the exciting Penang International Food Festival (PIFF) 2009.
Comprising three-massive events under one roof - iFOODex 2009, Penang Food Delights and Battle of the Chefs, it was three days of delicious fun as crowds gathered to savour the best of Penang in a culinary expo, food carnival and cooking competition all rolled into one.
Jointly organised by the Chefs Association of Malaysia (Penang Chapter) and Intrenasionale, an international professional exhibitor, and supported by the Penang Tourism Action Council (PTAC), Tourism Malaysia and the Ministry of Tourism, the food festival saw a host of non-stop entertainment activities including the much-anticipated launch of ‘Tummy Treats' - Penang’s colourful and informative food directory.
To liven things up was a body-shaking, feet-stomping performance by local celebrity Shila - the 2nd Runner-Up (Season Two) of the popular reality talent show, One In A Million. Also on hand to entertain was Uncle Hussien - the Anugerah Juara Lagu 2008 champion, singer Dafi of talent show Akademi Fantasia (Season Five) as well as many of Penang’s popular local bands.
Buskers, jugglers and even a mask-changing magician were there to thrill those who weren’t too busy participating in the balitong, hot-dog and fiery chili eating competitions! The gravity-defying art of roti canai tossing and the tarik pulling was also on show, drawing anxious gasps from locals and foreigners alike!
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The 12th Battle of the Chefs
The indoor stadium was transformed into a makeshift kitchen as 500 chefs from all over Asia battled it out for the prestigious Governor’s Challenge Trophy, the coveted Best Chef title as well as medals for keenly-contested categories involving wedding cakes, plated dessert, buffet platter, butter sculpture, vegetable or ice carving and team live cooking challenges.
The inaugural Battle of the Chefs was held in the month of July, 1988, at the Traders Hotel (Shangri-la Hotel, as it was known then) in Penang, with only a total of 60 chefs participating. This year, the number of participants was almost 10 times more with chefs and cooks from countries as far as Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Australia and Thailand signing up for the 36-category competition.
Endorsed by World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) as a “WACS Approved Competition - National Show”, the event saw some big names lending their expertise to judge the contest. Among those who attended were Global Master Chef Marco Brueshweiller (Chief Judge), Global Master Chef Jochen Kern and Global Master Chef Walter Leible. Also present were chef association presidents Oliver Soe That (Myanmar), Jamnong Nirungsun (Thailand), Federico Mechieletto (Malaysia), Jeong Kwon-sik (South Korea), Tony Chang (Taiwan) and Vindex Tengker (Indonesia); Gordon Noir Gourmet Club president Jochen Kern; and Malaysian F&B Executive Association president Muhammad Hisham Tan Abdullah.
More than 30 judges from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Myanmar, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, Ireland and United States converged at Pisa to witness the participants show off skills, creativity and speed.
The big winner of the three-day battle was The Datai Resort Langkawi, which won the main award — the inaugural Penang Governor’s Challenge Trophy and a cash prize of RM5,000.
iFOODex 2009
Malaysia’s Largest Consumer Food Exhibition or iFOODex celebrated its 10th anniversary during the PIFF. In terms of crowd attendance, it is the second largest consumer exhibition in the state – no small feat considering the number of fairs and expos held here yearly. Some 60,000 foreign and local visitors comprising individuals, chefs, restaurateurs and hoteliers flocked to the exhibition to check out some of the latest products in the market as well as to take advantage of the best deals while networking with like-minded companies.
Almost 200 exhibitors from Penang, Iran, Singapore, Indonesia and China were there to introduce their food products ranging from fresh abalone to cutting-edge kitchenware and cutleries. Lots of discounts, freebies and samples were also distributed at the various booths. Games and activities organised by innovative exhibitors added zest to the already exciting affair!
Penang Food Delights
While Penang goodies were the order of the day, the food carnival also saw diners tucking into an extensive mouth-watering spread of delicacies from other Malaysian states including the Sup Gearbox (bone marrow soup) from Kedah, Satay Tulang from Negeri Sembilan, Rendang Tok Mak Nik from Perak, Kolok Mee from Sarawak, Nasi Dagang from Terengganu, Beyh Royale Herb Tea from Johore and Satay Kajang Hj Samuri Selangor.
Indeed, almost every visitor to the festival will tell you that at the end of the day, their greatest joy was to tuck into the wide array of tasty treats at the Penang Food Delights carnival! |
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