By Anthony Tan email: micemalaysiabeyond@gmail.com
Latest Update: 4 March 2012
Malaysia's Tourism Minister Dato Sri Ng Yen Yen appreciates KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' initiative to promote Malaysian cuisine
Thijs Visser and Celine Marbeck posing with the ready to serve food tray
Specially selected Cristang dishes based on the recipes created by renowned Malaccan Chef Celine Marbeck are served on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) Kuala Lumpur-Amsterdam route effective 1 March.
This came about when Thijs Visser, Food and Beverage Specialist from KLM and a cooking enthusiast himself bought a copy of Marbeck's cookbook, Cuzinhia Cristang. He tried out some of the recipes and found them to be delicious and yet not spicy hot. In fact, just right for the Westerners’ taste buds.
Visser was looking for something authentic with a Malaysian-Dutch influence cuisine to be served onboard on the Kuala Lumpur-Amsterdam route for a change.
Visser said, “One of the oldest of Malaysia’s many flavours, the Cristang cuisine is influenced by a variety of ethnic groups who had settled in Malacca and left their cultural gastronomic traits behind.
“This gives us the possibility to serve authentic Malaysian-Dutch food onboard our aircraft. It also creates a unique opportunity for us to present ‘Food With A Story’.”
Sharing with the media at a special food tasting session held at the LSG Sky Chefs-Brahim's complex near Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, Marbeck said, “Cristang recipes were passed down from generation to generation of families with Portuguese-Dutch ancestry, sometimes only through word of mouth at the kitchen.”
Her family roots can be traced from more than four generations. Marbeck has been promoting Cristang cuisine both at home and abroad since 1998.
Over the past decade, she has done food demonstrations in four countries on three continents, written three books in English, Malay and Dutch. In 2005 she was recognised by Malaysian publisher MPH as one of its 20 celebrity authors.
Executive chef Razaha Harun (left) from LSG Sky Chefs-Brahim's, KLM’s caterer for all onboard meals departing KLIA was specially sent to Marbeck’s home to learn to cook the dishes selected for the menu onboard the flight.
We had a preview of the selected dishes: seybak salad, beef semur, Dutch chicken curry and bolu cocu that are served onboard KLM’s World Business Class for three months (1 March to 31 May) and on the economy class for six months (1 March to 31 August).
Explaining the name of the starter, Marbeck said, “Sey is a Chinese word which means celebrate while bak is pork.” However, as the dishes had to be halal, she said beancurd was used to replace pork.
It is served with half of a hard-boiled egg, fresh chilled green salad of lettuce, cucumber and topped with a sauce made of ginger, chilli, garlic that is cooked with vinegar and a little sugar to give a spicy-sweet and sour taste. (below)
This came about when Thijs Visser, Food and Beverage Specialist from KLM and a cooking enthusiast himself bought a copy of Marbeck's cookbook, Cuzinhia Cristang. He tried out some of the recipes and found them to be delicious and yet not spicy hot. In fact, just right for the Westerners’ taste buds.Visser was looking for something authentic with a Malaysian-Dutch influence cuisine to be served onboard on the Kuala Lumpur-Amsterdam route for a change.
Visser said, “One of the oldest of Malaysia’s many flavours, the Cristang cuisine is influenced by a variety of ethnic groups who had settled in Malacca and left their cultural gastronomic traits behind.
“This gives us the possibility to serve authentic Malaysian-Dutch food onboard our aircraft. It also creates a unique opportunity for us to present ‘Food With A Story’.”
Sharing with the media at a special food tasting session held at the LSG Sky Chefs-Brahim's complex near Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, Marbeck said, “Cristang recipes were passed down from generation to generation of families with Portuguese-Dutch ancestry, sometimes only through word of mouth at the kitchen.”
Her family roots can be traced from more than four generations. Marbeck has been promoting Cristang cuisine both at home and abroad since 1998.
Over the past decade, she has done food demonstrations in four countries on three continents, written three books in English, Malay and Dutch. In 2005 she was recognised by Malaysian publisher MPH as one of its 20 celebrity authors.
Executive chef Razaha Harun (left) from LSG Sky Chefs-Brahim's, KLM’s caterer for all onboard meals departing KLIA was specially sent to Marbeck’s home to learn to cook the dishes selected for the menu onboard the flight.We had a preview of the selected dishes: seybak salad, beef semur, Dutch chicken curry and bolu cocu that are served onboard KLM’s World Business Class for three months (1 March to 31 May) and on the economy class for six months (1 March to 31 August).
Explaining the name of the starter, Marbeck said, “Sey is a Chinese word which means celebrate while bak is pork.” However, as the dishes had to be halal, she said beancurd was used to replace pork.
It is served with half of a hard-boiled egg, fresh chilled green salad of lettuce, cucumber and topped with a sauce made of ginger, chilli, garlic that is cooked with vinegar and a little sugar to give a spicy-sweet and sour taste. (below)
For the main course, the airline’s passengers can either opt for creamy Dutch chicken curry or Beef semur (simmered beef), which comes accompanied with steam rice and pineapple patcheri, which is not spicy at all.
Cooked with a variety of local spices and coconut milk, the creamy Dutch chicken curry is quite aromatic. Those who are not into spicy food need not worry as this dish is very mild. (top)
The Beef semur is tender and well seasoned 
with selected spices, soya sauce and vinegar to give it a Western Oriental taste. I won’t be surprised if the passengers asked, “May I have Semur (some more)?” (left)
After the tasty starter and main course, one would definitely want to round up the meal with a dessert. You are going to love the bolu cocu, a light cake topped with lots of shredded coconut and served with a custard sauce.
with selected spices, soya sauce and vinegar to give it a Western Oriental taste. I won’t be surprised if the passengers asked, “May I have Semur (some more)?” (left)After the tasty starter and main course, one would definitely want to round up the meal with a dessert. You are going to love the bolu cocu, a light cake topped with lots of shredded coconut and served with a custard sauce.
Smiling stewardess will be serving the new menu on aboard
If you are already salivating for this set meal onboard, book your next flight from KLIA to Amsterdam with KLM!
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Update: 4 March 2012
