A vibrant food festival concluded the 8th Asian Film Festival organized by the Asian Consuls General Club (ACGC) last week.

Food stalls set up by 13 Asian countries including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, China, Philippine, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand and Brunei Darussalam offered traditional delicacies that were enjoyed by both Saudi and Asian guests.

Indonesian Consul General Zakaria Anshar, who hosted the event, welcomed guests, diplomats and members of the ACGC on the last night of the film festival.

He thanked Matahiro Yamaguchi, Consul General of Japan and coordinator of the ACGC for his continued support in putting up the festival.

The consuls general unanimously agreed that though this year’s film festival concluded, activities promoting cultural exchange between the ACGC countries will continue as it helps in understanding each other’s lifestyles, cuisines, traditions and so on.

A stall put up by the Japanese consulate served the country’s delicacies such as sushi and barbecue chicken, which were a hit with the guests.

The Indonesian consulate served dishes such as Perkedel, Nasi Uduk and Satay.

“We tasted all the different foods available from the 13 Asian countries, it’s really a fantastic festival. I enjoyed it as each country has a specific style and flavor of food,” said Hamid Attas, a newspaper editor.

Pakistani Consul General Aftab Khokhar said the main purpose of the event was to reach out to people and create an opportunity for communities to come together.

“Food from from the Makkah Restaurant, especially their mutton pulao, Gulab Jamun, spinach and Naan, was popular among the guests. Once again, food proved to be a good means of promoting cultural exchange,” he said.

Malaysian Consul General Abdul Razak said a food festival is the best place to present the best culture and flavor of Malaysian food and its hospitality.

Indian Consul General B. S. Mubarak said: “Today our stall is serving South Indian dishes, which are excellent for showing the famous Indian culture and traditions.”

Bangladesh’s famous Halsa fish, rice, samosas and Namkeen and Sri Lanka’s deep fried chicken, fried rice, Ulundhu Vadai and chili chutney were also on offer.

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