Foreigners show their passion for ‘assam laksa’

GEORGE TOWN: Assam laksa, which recently earned a seventh spot among the world’s 50 most delicious food in a CNN International Survey, is a must-have for two foreigners.

Briton Vivien Clark and New Zealander Susan Leigh MacKenzie were so enamoured with the local dish they were even willing to learn the tedious process of cooking it. They were among 12 foreign guests who attended a cooking class on the famous dish organised by a hotel here. The guests were given an hour-long lesson on how to prepare the dish by Holiday Inn Resort’s executive chef William Thong.

“It is a beautiful dish with different flavours coming from one bowl. “The sweetness of the pineapple blends well with the sourness of the soup,” said MacKenzie, who is on a two-week vacation on the island. Clark, also on a two-week vacation here, added that another plus point of the dish was that “there were not many chillies”.

For Australians Richard and Kathy Linley, George Watkins and Tan Xuemei, the assam laksa in Penang is different from the ones they tasted in Australia. “The laksa here is lighter and has more fresh spices compared with the creamier ones we had in Australia,” said Kathy, who prefers the Penang version.

Hotel marketing communication executive Ivy Tan said the Penangassam laksa lesson was held in line with the Malaysia Day. “This is a special way to celebrate Malaysia Day, to introduce and teach foreigners how to cook a much-loved local delicacy,” said Tan.

-thestar online.