Earlier this year, badminton player Pearly Tan smashed the Guinness World Record for the fastest female badminton smash with a powerful hit at 438km/h. Now, four top chefs from Sarawak have made their home state proud by being presented with certificates of recognition by Guinness World Records for their part in organising and judging the world’s largest cooking competition.
The four include Chef James Lee of Rock Road Seafood Restaurant; Chef Julian Lai of the Little Hainan restaurant; Chef Tay Soon Kheng, an executive chef at The Sarawak Club; and Chef Jordan Wee, who owns Jordan’s Signature. The foursome are all members of the Sarawak chapter of the Malaysia Bersatu Culinary Association (MBCA).
As reported by The Borneo Post, Chef Julian Lai said, “On Feb 21 to 23, Malaysia attracted the attention of the world food industry by making the world’s first Guinness record for the world’s largest cooking competition ever.”
“More than 730 individuals from all over the world participated in the culinary competition held at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre, attracting more than 15,000 Malaysians and foreign tourists,” said Lai in a statement on behalf of MBCA.
These included home cooks, hawker stall owners, food truck operators, culinary school students, and professional chefs. Based on a point system, marks were awarded to the contestants for preparation, hygiene and taste, among other criteria.
International renowned chefs and Michelin chefs were also present among the judges to judge the 64 items in the competition.
“Altogether, 75 judges were from Sweden, Italy, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Morocco, South Korea, Mexico and surrounding countries,” he added. MBCA intends to make it an annual event to be held abroad in the future.
Lee added glory to Sarawak by being awarded silver in the competition’s modern seafood category. Jordan's Signature also recently attained the Top World Gourmet Award Year 2023 for International Cuisine Catering.
MBCA president Master Chef Arthur Lim has also encouraged all Sarawakians in the culinary industry to join the association to promote Sarawak and Malaysian cuisine to the world.
Image credit: The Borneo Post