A FESTIVAL featuring Southeast Asian food and culture is now being held at Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou through Sunday.

The event, which coincided with a citywide campaign by the Guangzhou government that promoted tourism, food and culture especially for the May Day holiday period, is organized in collaboration with the eight consulates in Guangzhou from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Southeast Asian Cuisine and Culture Festival at Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou is presented by the hotel’s culinary team led by chefs Calvin Yap and Ben Goh at the WOK TOO Cafe and S.E. Asia Kitchen & Bar.

On offer are 32 tailor-made specialties and desserts that use more than 100 ingredients, tropical herbs and spices combined with the creativity, inspiration and original recipes from the eight Southeast Asian countries and their local culinarians, a display of the extensive experience gained from their exposure to cuisines across Southeast Asia.

At the major venue of the event, WOK TOO Cafe offers Southeast Asian food and beverage in addition to an unlimited lobster and seafood buffet in 16 food stations. Signature dishes include the honey glazed roasted chicken, fried fish with dabu-dabu sambals, beef laab, chicken and beef satay with rice cake, braised pork in vinegar and soy sauce, chilli crab with deep-fried golden bun, green curry chicken, and pho noodle soup.

One of the dishes well worth mentioning is the chilli crab, which is considered the national dish of Singapore. The fresh crab is fried with a semi-thick, sweet and spicy sauce made of tomato and chilli. When eaten together with a deep-fried bun, it offers you a prominent and delicious aftertaste.

The traditional Malay food, satay, may consist of diced or sliced chicken, beef, pork or other meats, grilled or barbecued over a wood or charcoal fire, and most often served in a combination of soy and peanut sauce. While enjoying the satay, you can add traditional Malay rice wrapped in coconut or Pandan leaves, while the addition of cucumber and onions makes the taste even more distinct.

For the desserts, a must-try is the ice cendol, a traditional dessert in Java, Indonesia. The way to make it is to quickly shave a large bowl of ice flakes, add jackfruit and coconut sugar, and then add green rice noodles made from Pandan leaves; and finally top all the ingredients with a spoonful of white coconut milk, which gives a cool and smooth taste, ensuring that every bite is sweet yet refreshing.

In addition to the delicacies, guests also stand a chance to win a stay at designated Shangri-La hotels and resorts, round-trip air tickets, dining coupons and other grand lucky draw prizes.(Tang Li)