KUALA LUMPUR: From classic American mini roast beef sandwiches to delicate rosettes of smoked salmon, the menu for US President Donald Trump at the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits promises a taste of home away from home.
Shredded hickory chicken wrapped in tortilla rolls will also be served when Trump is set to have a meal together with heads of state tonight.
“A dessert will also be served. It will be presented on a platter before being handed to US officials to serve the light meals,” said Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre executive chef Hisham Jaafar.
He said discussions had been held with service agents from the White House.
“They just want simple food, saying that it’s not about the United States, but what Asians can eat,” he said.
Hisham said the summit’s gala dinner tomorrow is set to showcase Malaysian culinary staples to the delegates.
Among the stars of the show are beef satay presented in an avant-garde manner, barramundi served Malaysian Chinese style, and even prawn sambal utilising udang galah accompanied with a presentation of nasi lemak.
The barramundi, he said, is sourced from Pulau Ketam.
There will also be chicken roulade with rendang crust and served with a side of lemang.
“All our vegetables are sourced locally, including from Cameron Highlands. Even the chicken is of the finest quality,” he said.
“We really want to wow with our Malaysian flavours and products.”
Satay, he said, is also among the dishes the delegates will really enjoy.
“It will definitely be presented together with onions, cucumbers, kuah kacang and also nasi himpit,” he said.
Despite having only 150 personnel, the kitchen team will serve about 5,000 delegates daily from today to Tuesday.
Hisham said the challenges of handling such a large-scale and high-profile summit include handling last-minute requests.
“This does not deter us from accommodating them to the best of our ability,” he added.
The kitchen, he said, has contingency or backup menus to serve the delegates.
“We also take into account the dietary requirements of all the delegates, as we will be serving a global crowd,” he said.
“The menu was curated beginning in January in discussions with the Prime Minister’s Office. It’s all about Malaysian food and what we want to sell to the delegates.”
The 47th Asean Summit, the highlight of Malaysia’s chairmanship under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, is expected to draw a heavyweight line-up of leaders, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has opted to attend virtually.
Regional heads such as Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and Timor-Leste Prime Minister Jose Alexandre Gusmao will be present.
