Miri chef wins World National Tapas competition with bold Sarawak laksa twist

Borneo Post

19-06-2025

Liew (right) and Jack pose for photographs during the closing ceremony of the World National Tapas and World Asia Tapas Competition Exhibition and Seminar 2025. – Photo by Mohd Faisal Ahmad
KUCHING (June 19): Chef Liew Kit Kiet from Miri was crowned champion of the World National Tapas Competition 2025, beating 20 fellow Sarawakian chefs for the coveted spot to represent Malaysia at the prestigious World Tapas Championship in Spain this November.
The 24-year-old culinary talent wowed judges with his innovative take on the beloved Sarawak Laksa, reimagining the iconic dish with a daring twist of dark chocolate and coconut cheese.
'I am very surprised and happy to be named this year's champion,' he said when met at the closing ceremony of the World National Tapas and World Asia Tapas Competition Exhibition and Seminar 2025 held at KTS Garden here today.
'It is an honour, and I am really proud of myself, especially since this is my first time ever participating in a cooking competition.'
What made Liew's Sarawak Laksa stand out was not just its bold reinterpretation, but the respect he retained for the dish's traditional flavours.
'I stayed true to the traditional flavour of the laksa, but reimagined it in a more modern tapas style,' he said.
'I added dark chocolate to balance the spices, and fermented coconut 'santan' to make coconut cheese.'
The result was a nostalgic and comforting yet inventive bite – a tribute to his Sarawakian roots infused with a refreshing touch of innovation.
'For me, Sarawak Laksa is a flavour I always crave for when I miss home. It really comforts me,' said the chef, who is currently based in Kuala Lumpur.
Second place went to Chef Jack Owen Atit from Kuching's Kyujin restaurant, who brought his heritage and culinary experience into the spotlight through a dish inspired by 'kasam', a traditional method of indigenous fermentation.
The 36-year-old's creation, 'Golden Gem', is shaped into a delicate golden ball, which features Kasam Wagyu at its core while coated with lacto-fermented Terung Dayak.
'The Golden Gem represents our indigenous vegetable Terung Dayak, otherwise known as Terung Asam, which is not really well-known outside of Sarawak.
'So, I wanted to let people know that there are many ways we can use this native vegetable,' he explained.
Rather than serving the Terung Dayak, known for its distinctive sour taste, in the typical soup or stew, Jack turned the humble native ingredient into a sophisticated, cold dish that surprised the judges.
'I wanted to highlight how fermentation has always been a part of our way of preserving food long before the existence of refrigerators.
'This dish brings that technique into a modern context,' said Jack, who has been a chef for 15 years. chef Liew Kit Kiet miri Tapas