For the first time ever, the Kita Food Festival will bring its dynamic showcase of the region’s finest culinary talent and local producers to Kota Kinabalu from November 8 to 10. Supported by Sabah Tourism this inaugural Weekender event promises a gastronomic journey that celebrates Sabah’s rich culinary heritage while championing sustainability and innovation in the food industry.
“We are excited to bring Kita Food Festival to Kota Kinabalu for a Weekender, which will include a Big Sunday Barbecue, a mini–Kita Conversations and a selection of four-hand dining events. Sabah has one of the richest biodiversities on earth, making it the perfect setting to celebrate the unique flavours and stories of not just Borneo, but Southeast Asia. By showcasing the exceptional talent and local produce in Kota Kinabalu, we aim to foster meaningful connections between chefs, producers, and food enthusiasts, while elevating the local culinary scene and showcasing it to the world,” said Leisa Tyler, co-founder of Kita Food Festival.
In keeping with the festival’s commitment to empowering the exchange of knowledge on sustainable food practices and uniting food enthusiasts in a celebration of diversity, Kita Food Festival is hosting a series of Four-Hand Dining Experiences, a Big Sunday Barbecue and a condensed version of Kita Conversations in Kota Kinabalu:
November 8
The festival will kick off on Friday evening with a vibrant cocktail party at ON23 Sky Bar Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu. The event will feature the best bartenders across Kota Kinabalu together in one venue, collaborating on a menu of special cocktails that use and infuse exotic flavours and endemic ingredients from Sabah.
November 9
The day starts with a Four-Hands Brunch featuring Linn Yong of Limau and Linen (Kota Kinabalu) and Ray Adriansyah of Locavore Nxt (Bali), a restaurant known for taking its local ingredients philosophy to the next level. Locavore NXT is an evolution of the renowned Locavore in Bali, which has been around since 2013 and took multiple crowns at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2019: the No.42 spot, as well as the top honours for The Best Restaurant in Indonesia and the Sustainable Restaurant Award. Coupled with Linn Yong’s strong advocacy for local Sabahan produce, the brunch is primed to showcase the best that the ‘Land below the wind’ can offer.
On the same evening, the festival will feature an extraordinary dining collaboration between Raphael Jay Peter Lee of OITIM (Kota Kinabalu) and the acclaimed Aidan Low of Akar Dining (Kuala Lumpur). One of Kuala Lumpur’s Michelin Selected restaurants, Akâr is known for its seasonal menus that spotlight local ingredients in European cuisine The menu will explore the harmony between tradition and innovation, showcasing the use of locally sourced, premium and seasonal ingredients, whilst paying homage to Malaysia’s rich cultural roots.
November 10
Ultimate foodies will not want to miss the Big Sunday Barbecue, a live-fire cooking extravaganza led by three celebrated chef pairings, featuring the likes of Oliver Truesdale Jutras of Re:Growth Hospitality (Singapore), Johnson Wong of Gēn (Penang), Sidney Disimon Suchart of Hearth (Sabah), Ho Jun Yip of Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu (Sabah) and Oliver Regis Hinson of Shangri-La Tanjung Aru (Sabah). Each team will offer their unique interpretation of grilled dishes, elevating local ingredients and the art of barbecue to new heights. The event will be hosted at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru, a proud venue partner of Kita Food Festival.
Kita Conversations will host a mini symposium at Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, where culinary thought leaders will take to the stage to discuss the future of food and sustainability in the region. The symposium will feature engaging talks and live demonstrations, with special presentations from Oliver Truesdale Jutras and Malaysia’s own Darren Teoh of Dewakan (Kuala Lumpur), alongside other key voices in the culinary world.
With its combination of curated dining experiences and thought-provoking discussions, the Kota Kinabalu Weekender is set to be a milestone event for both locals and visitors alike.
Julinus Jimit, CEO of the Sabah Tourism Board, expressed excitement about the festival’s debut in Kota Kinabalu:
“Through Kita Food Festival, we aim to celebrate and elevate Sabah’s proudly local ingredients, showcasing not only the depth of flavours that our land provides but also the incredible stories of the people behind them. Whilst Sabah has always been known as a haven for adventure and nature tourism, we are also an evolving destination for food lovers who seek authentic, rich, and diverse culinary experiences. This festival is an opportunity to put Sabah on the map as a gastronomic treasure, inviting visitors from around the world to taste and experience the true essence of our home.”
Local Chef and owner of Limau and Linen Linn Yong, who is a strong advocate for championing local ingredients and sustainable practices in food and beverage, added:
“Despite being one of the busiest international tourist destinations in Malaysia, the Kota Kinabalu Food & Beverage industry is still in its infancy but with immense potential for growth. An event like Kita Food Festival could help cast a lasting spotlight on what is unique to Sabah, and perhaps then our homegrown Sabahan chefs and business owners will feel empowered and find the courage to look inward for inspiration so that together as an industry we can be of better represent for our home state.”
Tickets for the Kota Kinabalu Weekender go on sale on 4 October.
The Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu is the official hotel partner for Kita Food Festival in Kota Kinabalu and, given its prime location in the coastal city’s downtown area, will serve as the central hub for the festival. The hotel is also proudly the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Southeast Asia.
Ruben Schrijver, General Manager of Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, on the partnership with Kita Food Festival:
“We are excited to team up with the Kita Food Festival, an event that perfectly aligns with our values of innovation, creativity, and community engagement. This partnership reflects our continued dedication to elevating the culinary scene in Sabah while promoting sustainable and thoughtfully sourced ingredients. We are confident that this collaboration will further establish Kota Kinabalu as a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts from around the region.”
After the Kota Kinabalu Weekender, Kita Food Festival will head to Singapore for a 3-month long activation. The festival starts with three seminars taking place on 20th January and 10th and 24th February 2025 leading up to Kita Conversations as part of the Singapore Weekender from 13th – 17th March 2025. The seminars and Kita Conversations will be curated in partnership with creative data house Synthesis with a focus on the Future of Food. On top of that, the Singapore Weekender promises a stellar lineup of four-hand dinners and kitchen takeovers, culminating in a Big Sunday Barbecue.
For more information on Kita Food Festival and to stay up-to-date on the latest news and announcements, visit www.kitafoodfestival.com and follow Kita Food Festival on Facebook Instagram and LinkedIn
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