KUALA LUMPUR, 1 NOVEMBER 2012: MasterChef Australia star, Billy Law, is putting Malaysia on the map as a culinary destination that Australians must visit.

Tourism Malaysia is working together with the rising celebrity to provide Australians with the opportunity to join the star on an exclusive nine-day culinary tour of Malaysia this October where he will share his passion for food, love and family in the country where he grew up. This unique tour will show what delights this ‘food obsessed’ country has to offer. As Malaysia is a cultural melting pot, ‘typical’ Malaysian dishes are derived from an amalgamation of multi-ethnic, historical influences which have created an exciting cuisine praised worldwide for its delicious flavours.

The first in a series of four culinary tours to Malaysia begins from 31 October to 8 November, and sees ten participants visiting Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang, where they will learn the secrets of local signature dishes. Their visit coincides with the Fabulous Food 1Malaysia celebration.

The tour will begin in Kuala Lumpur with guests sampling Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines and learning how to make ‘typical’ Malaysian dishes, i.e. nasi kerabu, ayam percik and kerabu jantung pisang at Bayan Indah Culinary Retreat, a “bed-and-kitchen” boutique property. Old China Café and Atmosphere 360, the revolving restaurant on the top floor of the Menara Kuala Lumpur, are just two of the places where guests will dine.

Ensuring guests have the finest experiences, they will stay in four- and five-star hotels along the way: Park Royal in Kuala Lumpur, Holiday Inn in Melaka and G Hotel in Penang. When touches of luxury are combined with delicious food and stunning sightseeing, a magnificent vacation awaits.

Private food tours, incredible cooking demos and classes given by the likes of Florence Tan, one of Malaysia’s celebrity chefs, will be given during the nine days. Guests will revel in having dinner at Amy Nyonya Heritage Cuisine Restaurant, Melaka, where they will be treated to traditional Nyonya cuisine, enjoyed with Florence Tan. This will be a big highlight.

Penang, the foodies haven, will delight with its numerous bazaars, world famous ‘Penang Food Trail’ and Georgetown, the UNESCO world heritage site. Guests will visit Little India, where the hawker food is to die for, and dine on the island’s most delicious seafood at Bali Hali Seafood Restaurant. The Tropical Spice Garden gives an interesting insight into how spices are used for functional and medicinal purposes and when the tour is over, guests will indulge in TSG’s cooking class to learn how to use these spices to recreate traditional Malaysian dishes at home.

Hosted by MasterChef’s Billy Law, the tour guarantees a personal journey like no other, where guests will learn how to master Malaysian cuisine and savour the real flavours of Malaysia.

The programme is just one of the ways in which Malaysia is being promoted as a destination for affordable luxury holidays. Other similar efforts by Tourism Malaysia include the packaging of Malaysia’s helicopter tours and big bike tours to explore the country’s rugged landscapes, and promoting Malaysia as a wedding and honeymoon destination. These efforts are in line with the Government’s goal of attracting 36 million tourists and RM168 billion tourists receipts by the year 2020.

Last year, Malaysia was ranked ninth most-visited country in the world by UNWTO, registering 24.7 million tourist arrivals, of which 558,411 were from Australia.

For more information on the Malaysia Culinary Tours, visit http://uniqueculinarytours.com/, or contact:

Mr. Syed Muhadzir Jamalullil,
Deputy Director,
America, Europe and Oceania Division
Tourism Malaysia
Tel: 03-8891 8000
Email: syedmuhadzir@tourism.gov.my

Issued by: Communications & Publicity Division, Tourism Malaysia
Tel: 03-8891 8764; Email: anis@tourism.gov.my
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