West Sumatra exports chefs to Malaysia

West Sumatra exports chefs to Malaysia

JAKARTA (JP): West Sumatra has found a potentially lucrative
export commodity which, until now, has remained largely untapped:
chefs of the spicy Padang cuisine.

Seven chefs left for Malaysia this week to work at the Holiday
Inn Hotel in Johor Baru, after a recent exhibition of Padang
cuisine proved to be successful, according to Antara.

The Padang food was well-liked not only by the locals but also
appeared popular among Europeans, Americans, Chinese, Japanese
and other Asian tourists visiting the Malaysian city, Gazali
Hamzah, the head of the marketing of the West Sumatra Tourist
Office, told the news agency. "They (the hotel management) are
bringing in the chefs from Padang specifically to cater to the
tourists."

He said among the most popular Padang dishes were rendang,
dendeng balado and gulai (meat simmered in spices and coconut
milk, spicy crisp beef strips and curry).

Gazali said the tourist office has also received queries from
Singapore restaurants asking about employing chefs of Padang
cuisine.

He said the increasing popularity of Padang cuisine is also an
opportunity for West Sumatra to boost its tourist industry
abroad. So far, the popularity of Padang cuisine has not been
widely exploited to promote tourism in the province. (emb)