THE annual Penang International Food Festival (PIFF), which was held for the first time on the mainland at the Design Village Outlet Mall in Batu Kawan, today drew a reasonably huge crowd.
The festival made a return after being put off for the last three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
PIFF 2022, which runs from today until Aug 28, will be held across the state, featuring two major events, six mini-festivals and three cooking classes.
The event at the Design Village Outlet Mall is being held for two days, ending tomorrow.
The idea to have this year’s opening event over on the mainland by the organising committee is to bring a balanced tourism attraction for both Seberang Perai and Penang island.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and state Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin were among the many visitors at the opening ceremony today.
“Penang may be listed as one of the world’s top holiday destinations, but it is our street food culture that gives us the advantage,” Chow said during his speech when opening the PIFF 2022 at the mall in Batu Kawan.
“We offer visitors a rich and varied multicultural cuisine, whereby many of our hawker dishes originate from the food cultures of different migrant groups.
“Today, our cuisine is regarded among the best in the world, with the Penang’s assam laksa ranking seventh on CNN World’s 50 Best Foods list, while char koay teow and nasi kandar were named among the Top 50 World Street Food Masters.”
Chow foresees the festival would attract various visitors to discover Penang’s famous and authentic street food.
“It can contribute to Seberang Perai’s local economy while allowing visitors to discover the mainland’s tourist attractions and hidden gems,” he added.
According to Chow, the event would enhance unity among the communities to come together to taste the amazing street food.
“The hoteliers can also adopt a new concept to attract more tourists to the state.
“Besides the PIFF 2022, the Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM), which will be held end of this year, and other events are our strategies to promote the tourism industry,” he added.
Yeoh was delighted to witness the smooth resumption of the event.
“Heartfelt appreciation to the PIFF 2022 organising team and all the industry players for supporting the state’s tourism effort in promoting Penang as the preferred destination.
“We hope everyone here will enjoy the sumptuous food,” he said.
Among those present were Sabah’s Tourism, Culture, and Environment assistant minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, Bukit Tambun assemblyman Goh Choon Aik, Malaysian Association of Hotels vice president Datuk Khoo Boo Lim, Penang Global Tourism (PGT) chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, and Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) deputy general manager S. Bharathi.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis