We Malaysians take our food very seriously and hate it when people overseas assume and get our dishes wrong. In fact, we had that whole ‘crispy rendang’ issue and the British journalist who was unhappy with her nasi lemak. So as you can see, we hold food very near and dear to our hearts. Which is why it’s amazing to see Malaysian chef Siti Safura represent AND win a competition with our local flavours.
Recently, the 2020 Chef Ireland Culinary Competition was held in Dublin, Ireland on the 4th and 5th of February. On the 6th of February, it was announced that Siti Safura was the winner for the Asia-India category.
The competition is organised and judged by a panel of Irish chefs which can make it quite a gamble to introduce foreign flavours. Thankfully her gamble paid off as she wowed them over with her Malaysian dish.
So what is this dish that was so great? Well, she actually created a delicious dish that united two of our favourites. Nasi Lemak and Nasi Kerabu! In fact, the dish featured the signature blue rice, chicken rendang, kerabu, and keropok lekor.
Are you drooling yet because I am!
Furthermore, the Chef from Ranau, Sabah was actually nursing a fever that day. It truly showcases her skill, passion, and creativity as a chef.
Moving on, in the pasta category Siti Safura came in second place with her yummy looking dish. She cooked a linguine buttermilk pasta with “a taste of Malaysia”. It’s amazing to see how she fuses influences from the West with her roots in Malaysia.
She is currently living in Dublin, Ireland and works as the personal chef for our Malaysian Ambassador there.
