Some of the mouth-watering offerings at Guinness Flavour By Fire Festival in Fort Cornwallis, Penang.
FLAME-GRILLED foods are delicious. Add malty stout and creativity to the mix and what ignites is sizzling culinary revelry.
Visitors to the Guinness Flavour By Fire Festival held in Fort Cornwallis, Penang, discovered as much after indulging in unique creations by some of the country’s leading grill maestros.
Guinness’ bittersweet notes were cleverly harnessed in recipes both sweet and savoury.
Chefs Sherson Lian and Johnny Fua of Kitchen Mafia’s Guinness Sticky Lamb Ribs, Caveman Salmon and Grilled Pineapples with Guinness Ice Cream were resounding hits with the 7,000-strong crowd.
“Guinness’ earthy character is a good base to build other flavours on. When used in a glaze, it caramelises and adds body and depth to meats,” Lian said.
KAO BBQ founder Terrance Chan echoed those sentiments, describing it as a fantastic enhancer for his Guinness Teriyaki Pork, Spicy Pork and Korean Dakkochi skewers.
“Teriyaki marinades typically use sake but I substituted it with Guinness to get that lingering bittersweet nuance,” Chan said during the event.
Chan cooking his Guinness Teriyaki Pork skewers. — JEREMY TAN/The Star
Smoke Papa BBQ’s Smoked Guinness Pork Ribs and Shepherd’s Pie also derived deep umami notes from reductions of the stout.
Founder Tan Eik Hong said the transformative power of fire unlocked a deep and complex flavour profile which few other ingredients could replicate.
White Smoke head chef Teow Chean Hou enjoyed stout himself so using it in dishes like Guinness-Braised Pork Belly and Pork Loin Skewers was a no-brainer.
“The roasting process that creates stout makes it a natural complement to the flame-grilled food that we do,” he added.
Also notable were Foxhole 24 x Lumiere Restaurant’s Angus Beef Brisket in Guinness Au Jus and Guinness Sticky Chicken Wings; Roku’s Shrimp on the Barbie and Somtum Salmon Nori Tacos; Dream Burger’s artisanal Guinness Chicken and Beef Burgers; Firewood Restaurant’s Guinness-Glazed Chargrilled Sweetcorn and Guinness-Infused Brownie as well as Three Tiers’ velvety Guinness Ice Cream.
There were also live performances from various local artistes and deejays.
Some visitors tried the Long Bar Challenge to win exclusive merchandise.
Shaun Lim, marketing manager for wheat beer, stout and Diageo brands at Heineken Malaysia Bhd, said they were thrilled to bring the unique festival to Penang following its success in Kuala Lumpur.
“Guinness is always looking for new, exciting and immersive ways to bring our brand values of power, goodness and communion to life,” added Lim.
