Budaya, Carnegie Mellon's Malaysian cultural organization, showed off their cooking talents on Friday, September 15, with a food festival. Their chefs deftly prepared numerous authentic Malaysian dishes in the University Center's Merson Courtyard from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., despite threats of rain, to raise money for the organization and awareness of a cuisine that is unfamiliar to many students.

The dishes served spanned the various styles of Malaysian cuisine, specializing in Malay and Mamak. Malay refers to foods originating from the Malay Peninsula, and Mamak to those which mix in Indian-style flavors introduced by Indian immigrants to Malaysia.

I tried the ever-popular Satay, or grilled skewers of chicken with a peanut sauce. According to Budaya's website, the Satay was so popular that it made more than twice as much money for Budaya as any other dish. I also sampled some Nasi Lemak, a rice dish that included coconut milk, chili paste, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, chicken, and crispy anchovies. This traditional Malay dish was expertly prepared by, among others, Information Systems Master's student Hana Hamdan, who served the rice either on a plate or packaged in a banana leaf.

My friend unknowingly tried another culture's cuisine when he ate a couple of Mamak dishes: Roti Canai and Mee Goreng. Roti Canai, a flour and egg-based bread, was first pressed and tossed into transparent sheets by Budaya member Afif Drani, then folded over and pan-fried in an electric skillet, before being topped with a curry mixture. Mee Goreng was a more complicated dish involving udon noodles, shrimp, red onion, potatoes, tomatoes, green onion, garlic, sprouts, a curry paste, Sriracha hot sauce, ketchup, sweet soy sauce, and regular soy sauce. ECE senior Crispin Ali Basah, one of the Mee Goreng chefs, said he had been practicing making the dish for four weeks before the food festival. His experience showed, as the dish was deliciously spiced; no one of the myriad ingredients overpowered the rest.

The desserts and drinks were equally unusual and intriguing. ECE senior Ken Yu Lim and ECE junior Hong Tuck Liew mixed such diverse ingredients as sweet corn, grass jelly, red beans, a "coconut thing" (which Lim said he couldn't describe in any better way), and lots of shaved ice to create Ais Kacang, a dessert that makes American snow cones seem boring. Other desserts and beverages included Bandung, Muar Chee, Tang Yuen, Kacang Muah, Kuih Lapis, and Leng Chee Kang.

Surprisingly, the event occurred without a hitch, despite an ominous sky. A large crowd milled through the courtyard for most of the event; many chefs had consistently long lines for the two hours. Toward the end, it did start to rain, but the Budaya crew quickly moved tables under the covered area next to the courtyard and continued to serve food. Overall, the event was a success for both Budaya members, who generated over $1,700 in revenue, and food eaters, who left with full stomachs and new ideas about southeast Asian cuisine.

For more information about Budaya, visit their website. If you'd like to try some of these dishes, there are no strictly Malaysian restaurants in the nearby area. However, Sun Penang in Squirrel Hill serves a large selection of Malaysian foods and My Thai in Shadyside also offers some Malaysian dishes.

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