Guinness Flavour by Fire festival celebrates all things roasted,
grilled and BBQ’d; thousands of foodies turn up to feast on
specially-curated dishes paired with cold, smooth Guinness Draught.
Fire is a force with an awesome transformative power. When it comes
to food, fire is what turns simple raw ingredients into
mouth-watering meals. Guinness, Malaysia’s No. 1 Stout,
understands this better than anyone – the barley used to brew
Guinness is roasted at exactly 232° Celsius, which gives the beer
its distinctive dark colour and delicious roasted flavour notes.
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| Guinness Flavour by Fire Festival @ The Gasket Alley, Petaling Jaya |
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| Guinness Flavour by Fire chefs Kok Fung, Sherson Lian, Sapna Anand, Suren Krishnan, Johnny Fua (L-R) |
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| enjoying the atmosphere outside at Guinness Flavour by Fire |
Celebrating this transformative power of fire, the Guinness Flavour by Fire festival brought together some of KL’s hottest chefs and musicians for a two-day feast for the senses at The Gasket Alley in Petaling Jaya. Serving up a range of delectable dishes for the thousands of hungry party-goers in attendance were five chefs, each with their own signature styles and techniques.
Celebrity chef Sapna Anand, from GOA by Sapna, took inspiration from traditional Indian barbeque recipes for her menu, including her signature Kashmiri lamb chops. Marinated in roasted spices and citrus and cooked over a charcoal grill, the beautifully tender lamb with its delicate balance of flavours and flame-seared exterior paired perfectly with the cold, smooth Guinness Draught.
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| A selection of dishes from Chef Sapna Anand of GOA by Sapna, paired with Guinness |
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| A selection of dishes from Chef Suren Krishnan of Tipsy Boar, paired with Guinness |
Chefs Sherson Lian and Johnny Fua from Kitchen Mafia put on an eclectic mix of dishes, melding Western and Asian influences to create surprising takes on a range of favourites from seafood to duck. Cooked over an ‘outback-style open fire’, the duo used locally-sourced wood including bamboo and rubber wood to give each offering a unique flavour unlike anything cooked in a traditional kitchen.
Suren’s style, a mash-up of Southern USA, European, and Asian barbeque techniques, focused – as the name of his restaurant suggests –Tipsy Boar, focus on various cuts of pork. Artisanal chorizo and German sausages, Kansas-style spare ribs, and pork knuckle slathered in a Guinness glaze were cooked in a ‘low-and-slow’ style over wood from locally-grown mangrove and fruit-trees. The end result: melt-in-the-mouth, rich and satisfying dishes which had attendees clamouring for more.
Meanwhile, Pitmaster Kok Fung, from Texas Barbeque joint Burnin’ Pit, harnessed the power of fire in a similar way. His signature dish, dry-rubbed beef brisket, was smoked for over 12 hours to impart an incredible depth of flavour to the mouth-wateringly tender meat. The wood used in the smoker – tropical fruit trees such as mango, jackfruit and durian – added a Malaysian twist to his authentic, rustic style. Served up with pickled mangos, gherkins and jalapenos and a smoky Gula Melaka and berry barbeque sauce, the cold, smooth Guinness contrasted with the sharp and sweet flavours of the sides and the richness of the meat to create a well-rounded flavour experience.
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| Lamb cooked over an outback-style open flame by Kitchen Mafia |
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| Paneer roasting on the grill from Chef Sapna Anand of GOA by Sapna |
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| Pitmaster Kok Fung_s smoked beef brisket |
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| a chance to pour your own Guinness at Flavour by Fire, hands on learning of the Guinness Two Part Pour |
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| cheers~ |
This being a Guinness event, there were plenty of other activities to keep attendees entertained after they had feasted on all the food on offer. Performances from fan favourites Kyoto Protocol, K-Town Clan, Crinkle Cut, Church Mouse and Skits got people moving on Day 1 of Guinness Flavour by Fire, while Day 2 saw Jumero, Kaya, Dani Komari, Samantha Diana and Muzza and Arjuna take the stage to heat things up.
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| Dani Komari _ The Nightshades performing at Guinness Flavour by Fire |
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| Kyoto Protocol performing at Guinness Flavour by Fire |
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| Long Bar Challenge prizes ;) |
Perhaps the most popular activity was the Guinness STOUTie machine –
a device which uses a malt extract to print a selfie directly onto
the head of a glass of Guinness. Previously only available at the
Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Ireland, hundreds of people lined up
to get this exclusive opportunity at Flavour by Fire!
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| The Guinness STOUTie Machine |
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me, my Guinness & I ^^^ For the first time outside Ireland,
guests at Flavour by Fire could get their very own Guinness STOUTie (Stout+Selfie) |
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| guests dig in to some delicious flame-cooked food at Flavour by Fire |
Finally, the return of the Guinness Long Bar Challenge – previously
seen at Guinness St. Patrick’s Day events – gave party-goers the
chance to get their hands on exclusive Guinness merchandise by
sliding a bottle of Guinness down a bar in a test of skill and
precision. T-shirts, bottles of Guinness-infused steak and barbeque
sauces, and handmade Guinness chopping boards – perfect for serving
up your own home-made fire-kissed dishes – went home with the
winners across both days of Flavour by Fire.
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| A Long Bar Challenge contestant prepares to slide the bottle along the bar |
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| Winners of the Long Bar Challenge stood a chance to win exclusive Guinness merchandise including custom-made Guinness chopping boards |
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