Usually, nasi beriani sold in restaurants is cooked in large pots, but a chef, T. Gunaseelan, 26, from Sungai Nibong near here, cooked the fluffy and fragrant beriani in bamboo tubes.

Rempah is a multidimensional spice paste that some believe is the "mother sauce" of Southeast Asian cuisine. The paste, which means spice in Malay, can be used to make (almost) any Malaysian dish.