This year, Tiffin Food Court is sectioned into 5 different zones (Photo: Tiffin Food Court)
Tiffin Food Court returns to The Warehouse for a third instalment, featuring a line-up of some of the best culinary players in Malaysia. Tucked behind The Gasket Alley, Tiffin Food Court – adopted from the concept of the eponymous food carrier – offers multilayered dining experiences and concepts from up-and-coming eateries and acclaimed chefs. Foodies will be able to sample the best fare from a rotation of over 60 vendors over six weekends (Thursdays to Sundays) from July 25 to September 1.
“This year, we’ve tried our best to further elevate Tiffin Food Court’s offerings as a reflection of our aspirations to become the culinary platform for events and conversations around food that push the culinary experience in Malaysia,” says Adrian Yap, CEO and founder of Freeform Sdn Bhd that organises Tiffin Food Court.
“Tiffin has always aimed to promote and develop emerging culinary talents and support entrepreneurs while nurturing our nation’s collective enthusiasm for all things culinary.”
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This year, Tiffin Food Court will practise a cashless payment system and encourage festival-goers to bring their own containers and utensils. The space is split into five experiential zones, each focusing on different themes and courses. Here’s a breakdown of the vendors to keep on your radar.
Street Food Corner
KL consists of some of the best stalls that make up Malaysia's reputation as a street food nation. However, even restaurants are not losing out, offering their creative take on what street food could be. Meat-lovers can head over to newcomers to the dining scene Lucky Tora x Super Boring Club (Aug 1-4) and tuck into dishes that combine Japanese diner with classic Korean BBQ flair. For something with a little more kick, Ekkamai (Aug 8-11) doles out fiery tom yum tacos with crispy dried shrimps and pomelo salad filling. Staying true to the restaurant’s commitment to modernise Thai food, these flavourful Thai tacos are convenient enough to hold in your hand while browsing other vendors. Set the mood for a barrio fiesta at Thyme Out (Aug 22-25) and sink your teeth into hearty Tex-Mex burritos, tacos and quesadillas. Order the mac and cheese burrito – the ultimate comfort food – and you’re set to get the party started.
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Dessert Funhouse
Chocolate fiends will be pleased with the selection of decadent chocolate truffles at Cocodash by Cocoraw’s (Aug 1-4). Available in three flavours – milk, dark and salted gula Melaka – the chocolate truffles come in a box of 12, perfect as a gift or a self-rewarding treat. Cocodash by Cocoraw will also be serving a variety of chocolate beverages and desserts.
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To fend off the heat, visit The Puntry by Pun’s Ice Cream (Aug 22-25) for a variety of delicious and creative ice cream combinations. If you’re lucky, The Puntry may even offer a few experimental flavours. Namelaka Pâtisserie’s (Aug 29-Sept 1) stunning handcrafted desserts have been the talk of the town. Famed for their goods that bear resemblance to real fruits, the pâtisserie is bringing some of their new creations, including a banana dessert that will look great on your Instagram feed.
Disqovr Lounge
Wash down your meal with cocktails and drinks from some of the best watering holes in KL. As a preamble to their upcoming Saké Festival in September, Nomi Tomo Saké Bar’s (July 25-28) drinks menu features a variety of neat saké, including the Seikyo Maboroshi Black, an award-winning fruity, sweet-rich saké from Hiroshima. For saké cocktails, opt for the Kodakara red grapes or cherry and peach highball.
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If the classic gin and tonic is what you're after, drop by Pahit (Aug 1-4) for their house infusion, classic and contemporary gin-based cocktails and artisanal syrups. Beta KL (Aug 29-Sept 1) will serve up specialty cocktails that pay tribute to Malaysia's national day over the Merdeka weekend. The unique cocktails will feature the nation's most familiar and favourite flavours, including The Nation Ruby, a Ribena-inspired drink and Malaysian Bubble Milk, a spiked, grown-up version of the nation's current obsession.
Grub Hubs
Restaurants are venturing beyond their on-site premises this time around, swapping white linens for paper plates. For the first time, modern Thai restaurant Ploy (Aug 25-28) will be offering its tuna tataki – a pan-seared sashimi grade tuna served with avocado puree, crispy shallots and citrus ponzo sauce – as well as all-time favourites such as soft shell crab mantao and Ploy popcorn chicken. Its neighbour in Clearwater, Bukit Damansara, Way Modern Chinois (Aug 25-28), will make an appearance at the festival too, delivering cute black pepper Wagyu stuffed porcupine-shaped buns straight from its kitchen.
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Umami Boru from Beard Brother’s BBQ (Aug 29-Sept 1) is set on changing your perception of how a bowl of ramen should be by offering a halal version. Adhering to the restaurant’s philosophy of slow cooking, the ramen broth is infused with flavours of the barbecued meats for 10 hours, yielding a thick and robust soup.
Chef’s Kitchen
Adding buzz to the already jam-packed festival is a cadre of high-profile chefs, who will be taking over the kitchens at the festival this year. Singaporean chef Nicholas Scorpion of Jing Ze (Aug 8-11) aims to stretch your imagination with a Scandinavian-South East Asian flavour crossover while chef Vic of RATA (Aug 15-18) entices with fusion pizzas. Mr Chew’s Chino Latino Bar’s (Aug 8-11) wildly popular Nori Taco is back to satisfy fans but chef Micha promises a takeover that will showcase what contemporary South American dining is all about.
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The showdown we’re most looking forward to is Chef Jack from Soon Heng Social Club (Aug 29-Sept 1), whose restaurant location is only revealed to diners upon reservation. You’ve seen the ‘70s décor of the restaurant with vintage Shanghai vibe on Instagram – now you can enjoy food from the city’s best-kept secret at Tiffin.
For the full festival line-up, see here.
