A Taste of Oman at The Empire Hotel & Country Club
The act of breaking bread has always been used to create cross-cultural understanding, as after all, the easiest way to win hearts and minds is through the stomach. The culinary history of Omani cuisine stems from different cultural backgrounds and geographic diversity, which is why the best way to learn about the Sultanate of Oman is by tasting its food.
In promoting Omani arts and culture in Brunei while further strengthening existing ties between the two sultanates, the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in partnership with the Empire Hotel & Country Club has organized an Omani Food Festival at the luxurious and contemporary Spaghettini Restaurant at the Empire Hotel. Held from 23 November to 2 December 2017, the Omani Food Festival is held in conjunction with the 47th Anniversary of the National Day of the Sultanate of Oman.
An event was held at Spaghettini Restaurant at The Empire Hotel & Country Club on 23 November 2017 to launch the promtion, and was officiated by the honourable Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohammad Yussof, the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. Also present at the event was His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed bin Hashil Al Maskari, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Brunei, and Mr. Nigel Badminton, General Manager of the Empire Hotel and Country Club, along with notable foreign dignitaries and government officials.
The purpose of the Omani Food Festival is to showcase their unique cuisine through its rich and wide variety of delicious dishes.
“Showcasing traditional cuisines is an effective tool of promoting relationships between nations,” remarked His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed in his opening speech. “The meals shared with my colleagues and Bruneian brothers cultivate a stronger cultural understanding between countries and offer an exceptional setting to enhance the formal diplomacy we conduct every day.”
“This is an opportunity for our Bruneian brothers to test and enjoy the Omani food; it shall also go a long way toward promoting and further strengthening the tourism cooperation between our two brotherly countries, as food is always an important attraction for tourists. It is also our hope that his event could further enhance the ties of friendship that happily exist between our peoples.”
Mr. Nigel Badminton praised the long-standing relationship between the Empire Hotel and the Oman Embassy. “The Empire Hotel is pleased to co-host this food festival with the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, with the prime purpose of promoting Omani food in Brunei, as food is considered one of the vital cultural ties between countries. On the grounds of long-standing cooperation with the Embassy and the resounding success of a similar event we co-hosted in 2015, we were encouraged to jointly organize this year’s event on a bigger scale.”
In ensuring that the public samples the very best of Omani cuisine, preparation of the dishes will be made by the award-winning Chef Malik Al Jahdami along with his assistant Chef Tariq Al Bahlani. Expect to see a wide variety of Omani favourites like Mashawi Bahri (a dish made up of grilled seafood), Qabuli Laham (dried fragrant rice with meat), Paplou (a seafood soup) and Mishkak (skewered meat grilled on charcoal), along with a wide variety of desserts.
The Taste of Omani Cuisine is charged at BND48 per person (subject to 10% service charge) and is open to the public from 23 November to 2 December 2017, from 6pm-10pm. For more information, visit The Empire Hotel & Country Club website here or call them at 673-2418888 for reservations.
