The end of the week always begins with the roads being jammed up, as everyone rushes to get home. Top that with rain and it can just about dampen anyone’s mood. But for guests of the Festive Dinner Series at The Olive and Imperial Rama in the highlands of Genting, in conjunction with the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival, the traffic snarl and bad weather proved no barrier to their high spirits.

Madam Ines Morovic, H.E. Vincent Piket,Mr Jeremy Oliver and Ms Eliane Sterchi

Dato Dr KY Lau, H.E. Lyudmilla Vorobyeva, Dato Kevin Sim and Ms Rachel Looi

Despite the storm, guests such as HE Vincent Piket, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union, and Mdm Ines Morovic; Russian Ambassador HE Lyudmila Vorobyeva and Mr Feodor Ozarenov; and Dato’ Dr KY Lau, Honorary Consul of Tonga, and Ms Rachel Looi; made in good time for the dinner hosted by MIGF Organising Chairman Dato’ Steve Day and Datin Su Wai Fun.

And the guests clearly relished getting out of the cold and into the plush surroundings of The Olive, where the dinner incorporating the best of its Festival Menu, as well as that of Imperial Rama, was being held.

Pre-dinner drinks were enjoyed at the lounge and bar area, where warm lighting over the olive and mellow orange décor and a man tickling the ivories created an inviting ambience, and separated from the busy dining area by a large see-through wine room boasting a selection of very exclusive and expensive vintages.

Gathered at cocktail tables and comfy couches and armchairs, the guests partook in cocktails such as Royale, consisting of Martell VSOP, triple sec, ginger ale and cacao white, and mocktails including Mist, a luscious mixture of peach, mango, lemon cordial and fresh apple. The cream of the crop however, was definitely the Chocolate Stick – Cinzano dry, Greygoose vodka and cacao – served in a glass coated with chocolate on the inside; a delicious drink which looked as cool as the weather was outside!

The choice of canapés was no less impressive, with delightful morsels of marinated salmon and cream cheese, lobster ceviche and golden beetroot, deep fried mushrooms and seared scallop with mango salad.

Once everyone had arrived, Dato’ Steve gave a short welcoming speech, introducing everyone with funny anecdotes that got the crowd laughing. He then gave the floor to Edward Arthur Holloway, Senior Vice-President of Genting Hotel Operations, who delivered a passionate speech about the growth of Genting since its creation and plans for expansion. Holloway then went on to introduce the chefs and restaurant teams before inviting everyone to make their way to The Olive’s main dining room.

The menu, a mixture of dishes from Imperial Rama and The Olive, offered guests the privilege of enjoying a fusion of Chinese, Thai and French Continental cuisines created by the respective MIGF Master Chefs, Eric Lee Mun Chun and Daniel Sheen.

Starting with Alaskan king crab with smoked duck salad, followed by duck assiette and stewed chicken essence soup with dried seafood, the diners then enjoyed an entrée of abalone with black truffles. The delights continued with mains of veal escallops with snow crab, asparagus and regianno choron fondue, and manjari sponge ganache with caramel croustillant, vanilla-infused apricot and citrus nougat ice cream for dessert, and it was evident from the sighs of satisfaction that the guests were indeed in seventh heaven as they polished off dish after dish.

“I enjoyed the starter and the soup – they were both excellent in their respective tastes, and imaginatively presented. Very nice use of herbs to bring out a wonderfully good flavour,” said Datuk Dr Victor Wee, Chairman of Tourism Malaysia.

“The dessert was amazing!” exclaimed the European Union Ambassador. “Especially the citrus nougat ice cream, which went perfectly with the caramal croustillant with vanilla-infused apricot. It was rich and full of flavour, which is exactly how I like my desserts. It was a very sweet ending!”

Before long, the last plates were cleared and dinner was over. As everyone continued to enjoy their delicious beverages, Dato’ Steve invited Her Excellency Vorobyeva to say a few words to end the night. “People ask if Russia is Europe or Asia, and a lot do not know, it’s actually Eurasia. Which means our country is made up of Western and Eastern (Asian) parts, and we have a combination of both Eastern and Western influences, both of which are equally good and strong – just like the beautiful presentation tonight.”

And as the night continued back at the lounge, where the guests enjoyed their drinks and mingling with one another, everyone agreed that the wonderful dinner was made more special by its location away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

“Overall, I would say this has been a bit of a discovery for me. I don’t associate Genting with fine dining, so The Olive is a great find. The ambience here is impeccable and I have enjoyed the whole evening from start to finish. The company was great, the food was great and I will most certainly be coming back at the earliest date possible. It’s well worth the drive up to have such an outstanding meal,” said Piket.

Dato Kevin Sim, Dato Dr. KY Lau, Ms Rachel Looi, Ms Lim Siew Lian, Dr. Massimo Tancredi and Ms Jeannie Tan

Mrs Ann Ch'ng, Mr Abraham Ch'ng, Dato Dr KY Lau, Mr Edward Holloway, Datin Su and Mr Peter Lo	H.E. Vincent Piket, Mr Peter Lo, Datuk Dr. Victor Wee, Dato Dr. KY Lau and Dr. Massimo Tancredi

The other guests for the night were Dato’ Kevin Sim, Executive Vice-President of Genting Resort Operations, and Datin Dwina Sim; Dr Massimo Tancredi, Executive Committee Member of the Italian Malaysian Business Association, and Ms Jeannie Tan; Ms Lim Siew Lian, Director of Megaton Holdings Sdn Bhd; Ms Eliane Sterchi, Director of Sri Villas Lanka, and Mr Jeremy Oliver; and Mr Abraham Ch’ng, CEO of Abec Technology Sdn Bhd, and Mrs Ann Ch’ng.