MATRADE HOSTS MALAYSIA KITCHEN WEEK IN NEW YORK

By Manik Mehta

NEW YORK, June 18 (Bernama) -- In an effort to promote Malaysian cuisine,
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) organised the Malaysia
Kitchen Week on June 14-20 with the collaboration of Malaysian restaurants here.

The event was staged to familiarise Americans with Malaysia's rich culinary
heritage.

The Malaysian Kitchen Week was held at restaurants in New York, New Jersey
and Connecticut.

According to Wan Latiff Wan Musa, the Malaysian Senior Trade Commissioner
in New
York, the focus is on New York and New Jersey where the majority of Malaysian
restaurants are located.

"There are 31 restaurants participating in the kitchen week. Of these,
21 are Malaysian restaurants while the remaining 10 are non-Malaysian
restaurants that also serve Malaysian food," said Wan Latiff in an interview
with Bernama here.

At an unbelievable price of US$20.10 (RM65.80), the restaurants will
serve a three-course Malaysian menu (20.10 chosen as the price to reflect the
year 2010), Wan Latiff pointed out.

"Matrade is promoting this event by publicising it through advertisements in
the print and broadcast media. We will also hold live cooking demonstrations and
Channel 11 (a local television channel) will also air such cooking
demonstrations," he said.

MALAYSIA KITCHEN CAMPAIGN

Since Matrade started the Malaysia Kitchen campaign in 2008, it has
organised cooking demonstrations at the International Culinary Centre in New
York by four Malaysian chefs.

"We introduced Malaysian cuisine and held Malaysian cooking demonstrations.
We also encouraged non-Malaysian restaurants to serve Malaysian cuisine.
Subsequently, we participated in an Asian night market on April 30 in Brooklyn
where Malaysian restaurants also participated.

"People here may not be as familiar with Malaysian cuisine as they are with
Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Thai cuisines. But more and more Americans are
likely to try out Malaysian food.

"Malaysian chefs recently prepared food for 70 members of the James Beard
Foundation. We are planning to hold more cooking classes in June and July, and
enhance the awareness of American consumers for Malaysian cuisine," Wan Latiff
said.

The idea of promoting Malaysian cuisine has strong economic motivation by
exposing consumers to Malaysian cuisine and creating demand for Malaysian food.

Matrade is also creating a market for spices, ingredients and other
requisites of Malaysian cuisine.

PROCESSED FOOD

This will eventually promote Malaysia's processed food exports to the United
States, which amounted to US$471 million (RM1.54 billion) in 2009, down 16
per cent from the previous year's value of US$564 million (RM 1.84 billion).

Melaka-born Michael Bong who runs two successful restaurants - one a
Japanese restaurant called 'Mizu' and the other an 'authentic' Malaysian
restaurant called 'Laut' (Sea) - in a busy Manhattan location, is among those
participating in the Malaysia Kitchen Week.

Bong described the 'strong interest' among Americans for Malaysian
cuisine.

"Once they taste Malaysian food, Americans become repeat customers. I can
tell you that they like Assam Laksa (noodles in sour and spicy soup), Assam
Pedas (a sour and spicy dish) , Roti Canai (a type of flatbread), Beef Rendang
(beef cooked in coconut milk and spices), Hainanese Chicken among others," Bong
told Bernama.

But most customers are simply fascinated and tickled by the demonstration of
how Teh Tarek - or 'Pulled Tea', as Bong calls it - is prepared at 'Laut'.

MAINSTREAM AMERICANS

Bong's customers are not just Malaysians and other Asians but also
mainstream Americans, as a visit to his restaurant on any given day will
confirm.

While his 'Mizo' restaurant is generally patronised by customers belonging
to the trendy, yuppy class, 'Laut' has become a haunt of New Yorkers
representing almost every ethnicity in the Big Apple's melting pot.

"I rely on word-of-mouth propagation by my customers, that's the best way to
promote the business. A satisfied customer is a repeat customer with a sense of
unflinching loyalty," Bong reveals the key to his success.

Many visiting Malaysian dignitaries and luminaries have also dined at the
'Laut' and recently, Malaysia's International Trade and Industry Minister
Mustapa Mohamed had dinner at Bong's restaurant.

Bong is confident that the crowds would start coming to his restaurant when
the Malaysian Kitchen Week is held at the 'Laut'.

"We already see a surge in the patronage after the recent publicity about
the event. I am sure it will be a good thing for Malaysian cuisine," he said.
-- BERNAMA


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