Last weekend, the Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism and Sumbiling Eco Village collaborated and coordinated a pilot project with top hotels as well as restaurants in the country namely; The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Royal Brunei Catering, Rizqun International Hotel, Radisson Hotel, Orchid Garden Hotel and Energy Kitchen which brought their Executive Chefs and team to Temburong for a cooking class on the Bamboo Chicken. These classes would later be extended to other hotels and restaurants who are interested in offering the dish.
Brunei has a unique opportunity to champion the Bamboo Chicken as one of its national dish. Where Korea is known for its Kimchee, Thailand for Tom Yam Goong Soup and Japanese for its Sushi, Brunei will have its own unique dish, Brunei Bamboo Chicken. This was discussed by members of the Brunei Tourism Board during the recent Board meeting.
The Bamboo Chicken (Manok Pansuh) is a traditional Iban dish which features succulent pieces of chicken marinated in organic ginger and lemon grass then stuffed into a hollow green bamboo before finally sealing the tube with banana leaf and carefully cooking on an open fire pit.
Currently the Bamboo Chicken is not served anywhere else except in the local villages of Temburong. The Tourism Development Department of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism wants to promote the Bamboo Chicken as an authentic Bruneian delicacy showcasing Brunei's culinary diversity and creating awareness to Brunei's expansive gastronomy. Other Bruneian delicacies include Acar Buah-Buahan, Sup Kembayau, Sup Tahai, Ambuyat, Soto Brunei, Nasi Katok, Daging Masak Kunyit (Beef cooked in Tumeric) and as well as desserts such as Wajid, Cendol and Selurut.
According to Salinah Salleh, a senior officer from the Tourism Development Department, who led the Temburong trip last week was a result of the recent Brunei Tourism Board Meeting where members of the Board agreed to have a Brunei Gastronomy Week on the 22nd - 26th February 2017 in conjunction with the week of the 33rd National Day of Brunei Darussalam. Participating restaurants will be promoting their own signature dishes during Gastronomy Week, whereby Brunei cuisines must be seen as the highlight of the buffet or Ala Carte menu. Other restaurants and hotels from the 4 districts as well as Royal Brunei Airlines may also take part and hold their own promotion during the week to celebrate Brunei Gastronomy.
The discussion in Temburong also included ways in which the presentation of Bruneian dishes could be further improved and elevated to even be served as part of the fine dining experience or at receptions held within or outside the country.
