An evening at the food fair

“Food brings people together on many different levels. It’s nourishment of the soul and body; it’s truly love.”. 

Dear friends, have you ever tasted Wagyu beef before? I hadn’t until I visited the Kuching Festival Food Fair recently.

Wagyu beef is expensive because it originates from Japan and is renowned for its unmatched tenderness and rich buttery flavour.

My nephew, Ah Kiong, who took me to the fair, ordered three Wagyu skewers – one for himself, one for me and one for his wife, Terisa. Each skewer cost RM20.

“Never mind, don’t look at the price. Just try it,” Kiong told me when I protested that the beef was too expensive.

Perfectly grilled, the meat was indeed tender and unusual. But if I were alone, I would think twice about paying RM20 for one beef skewer.

I guess that’s the difference between the young and older generations; we, older folk, sometimes think too much about money.

Anyway, I must thank Ah Kiong for taking me to the annual fair at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) compound. It has been ages since I visited it.

My friends, if you have not visited it, there is still plenty of time for you to do so. The festival, with the theme “Bridging Generations: The Legacy of Our Kuching City”, started on July 26 and will be on until August 18. It is held annually to boost local tourism and food fair.

 This year, there are over 300 stalls that offer mouth-watering local delicacies to international delights.

Besides Wagyu beef, I also tasted Nann Shawarma, a classic Arab dish of meat (lamb, chicken and beef) seasoned and placed vertically on a spit and slowly roasted.

The thinly sliced meat, served with salad, bread, tomato, penang cucumber and various sauces, is my nephew’s favourite.

He has been looking for the dish since his favourite Nann Shawarma stall at the Kuching Waterfront closed. Imagine how happy he was when he saw it again.

Ah Kiong also looked for Penang-style Otak Otak (steamed fish custard wrapped with banana leaves) at the fair.  He used to eat it when he lived  in West Malaysia.

The look on his face proved that the Otak Otak was good and to his liking. He also offered some to me.

Mesmerised by the sight of two men grilling a suckling pig at one of the stalls, my nephew also bought one plastic container of the meat for RM60. The pale and tender meat came in two different sauces.

Again, it has been ages since I ate a suckling pig. The last time I did so was at a wedding feast in Sibu. Needless to say, it was a taste I had forgotten.

“Eat, eat, eat. Don’t think about the money,” said Ah Kiong as we shared a table at the fair with another family.

Since Ah Kiong’s wife, Terisa, loved oysters, we also enjoyed some grilled oysters at the fair. The oysters were delicious and like most of the food at the fair, expensive.

Ah Kiong also paid for the stewed beef tendons and tripes that I ordered. From afar, the food looked appetising as it was being cooked in front of us. Later, I discovered that it was not as tasty as I expected.

At the fair, Terisa also enjoyed candied strawberries on a stick. It was not a surprising choice for a young woman with a sweet tooth.   

One of the young female visitors with whom we shared a table ended up tasting a piece of our suckling pork while I tried a Korean delicacy she bought. Yes, a food fair is also for making friends.

I found out that she had three children but only brought her youngest child out  for the outing. I told her it was a wise choice; after all, in a crowded place, it would be hard to enjoy the food and still keep watch on two active kids.

I guess many mothers in Malaysia, including Kuching, are still traumatised by the recent case of Albertine Leo who went missing for many days. Thankfully, the six-year-old girl was eventually found safe and rescued by police  from a hotel in Selangor days after she disappeared from a Johor mall.

The Kuching Festival Food Fair is a must-visit event for food lovers and tourists. During my recent visit, I was greatly tempted by the food offerings at the Dayak Cuisine stall, Teochew Omelette stall and Mee Jawa stall  but had no room to accommodate them. 

Yes, my friends, if you are thinking of visiting the fair, go on an empty stomach and bring lots of money. Believe me, nothing is cheap there.

Be prepared also for the huge crowd, the smokes and the long queues. Happy eating!