ASEAN SUMMIT: KL CONVENTION CENTRE'S CHEFS ON CULINARY MARATHON TO FEED OVER 5,000 DELEGATES

By R. Vikneswaran

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- As regional heavyweights and some of the world’s most recognisable leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, prepare to converge for the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits here in the Malaysian capital, another equally dedicated team is working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that around 5,000 people never go hungry.

Inside the sprawling kitchens of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, over 100 chefs will embark on a round-the-clock culinary marathon, churning out thousands of plates a day from pre-dawn until late at night.

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Between Sunday and Tuesday (Oct 26-28), their mission is clear: to feed the summit without ever compromising on taste, quality, or food safety.

The Centre’s executive chef, Hisham Jaafar, said the team, comprising 68 permanent chefs and about 100 part-timers, was tasked with preparing five meals daily for over 5,000 delegates throughout the summit. In fact, he said, since early this week, the kitchen has already been serving between 2,000-3,000 meals a day in the build-up to the main event.

“Our mission is to serve delegates the best of Malaysia’s multicultural cuisine using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, with highlights including rendang, varuval, char kuey teow and satay. Despite the large numbers, food quality and safety remain our top priorities,” he said. 

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Hisham, 53, said one of the most anticipated occasions will be the Gala Dinner on Monday (Oct 27), which will host around 860 dignitaries, comprising ASEAN leaders, dialogue partners and representatives from the European Union and other international organisations.

“We’re presenting Malaysian flavours in an avant-garde style. Even if it’s a Western dish, we’ll add a local touch. The soup will be a creamy chickpea and pumpkin, while appetisers will include pecel and gado-gado,” he said.

Delegates will have five main course options, including beef satay, Pulau Ketam barramundi cooked in a Malaysian Chinese style, mini nasi lemak with freshwater prawn sambal and a chicken roulade crusted with rendang flavours,” he explained.

Even dessert pays homage to Malaysia’s tropical bounty -  a lychee-lime mousse panna cotta paired with local fruits, offering a light and refreshing finish after the rich mains.

For Sunday’s closed-door session involving Trump, a lighter menu will be served in line with protocols, comprising a cold appetiser platter of mini roast beef sandwiches, smoked hickory chicken rolls and salmon rosettes with citrus caviar - a blend of Western refinement and Asian sensibility.

Hisham said one of the team’s biggest challenges is handling special dietary requirements, including vegetarian, gluten-free and non-dairy, while adapting to last-minute changes, but the team is committed to doing the best to accommodate every request as much as possible.

And no ASEAN gathering in Malaysia would be complete without a nod to the nation’s most talked-about fruit. The King of Fruits, durian, will be served during the Foreign Ministers’ Welcoming Dinner at the Permata Sapura Tower tonight.

Even the beverages, Hisham said, were crafted to reflect Malaysia’s natural flavours, using locally sourced ingredients such as pandan, tropical fruits and citrus infusions.

“Our drinks are quite well accepted because the flavours are familiar across the region, similar to what you find in Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore, but we add our own twist,” he said.

And of course, no Malaysian table would be complete without teh tarik. 

“Everybody loves teh tarik. Sometimes we do a banana-flavoured version, but the classic one is still everyone’s favourite,” he said with a laugh.

With over 18 years of experience, including serving the former American President Barack Obama’s visit in 2014 and during the 2015 ASEAN Summits, Hisham said preparation for this year’s summit began as early as January in coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Foreign Ministry.

-- BERNAMA