The Apsara - Tamarind's Artistic Spirit

2006 - This year marks Tamarind Springs' 4th participation in the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF). We look forward to this event ever year enthused, charged and motivated to be a part of such a world-class event. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. We're most honored to share the same plane of prestige with Malaysia's finest restaurants.

The gala launch is always sensational....yet challenging I must say… very challenging. With acts harder to follow each year, we got to tirelessly search for a new inspiration to showcase and more essentially, to compete.


We however, never strayed away from that one basis that shaped our creative core – the apsara, our artistic spirit.

The Apsara is a divine goddess in ancient Cambodian folklore. She is embellished on the walls of all the Angkorian temples.

The Tamarind brand has adapted her to be the restaurants’ icon as a symbol of charm, charisma and class. Making the Apsara as the ‘face’ of Tamarind is also our way to honor the mystique of Cambodia.

We believe food and art is one undivided affair hence the endorsement of this lattice of CUISINE & CULTURE as the ultimate Tamarind experience.

Where creativity is definitely not confined to the kitchen, the marrying of Cuisine & Culture is often dramatized through dance, music and the arts.

At the MIGF 2004, for the first time, we brought the Apsara to live….Alive and towering at 12ft as a surreal being glamorously draped in gold and adorned in glittery gold and silver jewelry – as she appears in the legend.

Incorporating décor to illustrate our Jungle Luxury concept, we brought our jungle. With finishing touches of sorts, Tamarind
Springs’ display was the highest and most dramatic. And the Cambodian + Laotian cuisine we displayed for all to devour had drawn crowds the entire night. We, therefore had gamed very highly on the jury’s scoresheet.

This year, we worked on a variation. I was terribly inspired by Madonna’s Confession Tour so the idea of a high stage was to be materialized. Instead of one Apsara, we had four – in the legend, they always appear in fours anyway…. So, perfect.
Each dancer disguised as an ancient Khmer deva – the Peacock Goddess and The Apsara flanked by 2 heavenly angels.

Tall red rectangles were towering with scrumptious Khmer cuisine enhanced by the misty effect of dry ice. Very sublime. Since we never leave home without our jungle, we created what seemed more like a jungle heaven with food, wine and angels in the sky! Seeing all that finally come together so seamlessly was PARADISE. All the frustrations and anxiety disappeared instantly, like magic.

The preparation? Can you even imagine? Our building team constructed, Chef cooked, service staff served. My department is of course the designing of the ‘stage’, choreography and those elaborate costumes & accessories... gosh, from the sourcing of stuffs to the sewing, the details….definitely not funny. Not funny when it’s a Do-It-Yourself quest.

Our objective was to transcend the totality of a Tamarind experience. What’s really tough is, to do that within that given time and space sure felt like having to build Rome in one day!

Nevertheless, we did more than just merely pulling through – WE WON AGAIN!


At the finale dinner a month later, Federico stepped up to receive Tamarind Springs' proud victory.

Many ask, "So what's Tamarind Springs gonna do for the next MIGF?"

We wonder too.
Will just have wait till the instincts kick in!