Norwegian Seafood Gala Dinner: A Viking's Victory Banquet

The hall's alive with music,
Lyre, harp, and faden;
The banquet tables of the king
With feast are heavy laden.

Great dogs lay by his feet,
Sentries guard the door;
Tricksters entertain them,
His warriors cry for more.

Mead flows now like honey,
Filling each raised horn;
Echoed cries of victory
Warriors lips adorn.

Lovely women dancing,
Boasts of bravery;
Mead and meat and bread,
Stews of savory.

Tonight their mood is joyous;
The battle now is done,
They celebrate the end,
Of a war they nobly won.

When morning lights the vale,
They'll float the funeral pyre,
To Valhalla send the slain
On longships lit by.


'Viking's Victory' by Sokarjo Stormwillow. © All Poetry

***

The ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur was indeed rapturous when Wilhemsen Maritime Services was announced the winner of the Malaysian Norwegian Business Council (MNBC) Innovation Award. The award is given out every year to an outstanding member of the council to acknowledge its excellent performance as well as its contribution to increasing and sustaining business and cross-cultural understanding between Norway and Malaysia. Our Minister of Tourism, Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, presented the award together with His Excellency Mr Arild Braastad the Ambassador of Norway to Mr Dag Schjerven, President and CEO of Wilhemsen Maritime Services. Congratulations.

The award ceremony was held in conjunction with the Norwegian Embassy's annual Seafood Gala Dinner. A spectacular seafood feast was laid out by renowned chef Frank Naesheim and his team. All the seafood was flown in from Norway and presented in both Norwegian and Asian cooking styles. This includes Norwegian salmon in all its many, many, many (did I mentioned many?) various forms (smoked, grilled, cured, poached, steam, pureed, creamed, sauteed, stir-fried, satayed... you named it, they have it!); and a multitude of other oceanic display of mackerel, Tuna, Atlantic halibut, caviar, scallop, herring, crayfish and kingcrab.

Invited guests were also well-entertained by His Excellency's humorous tales and histories of the Vikings complete with visual aids featuring one of the most lovable vikings around, Hagar The Horrible. Well-known evergreen Malaysian pop-band, The Alleycats, also performed at the gala dinner. I guess when there's fishes, there's always cats around.

Special thanks to our Makan Fairy Godmother, Marian of Scribe Media Link, for the invite. And congratulations to His Excellency and his team at the Norwegian Embassy for a successful and enjoyable evening.



Photo Credits: Additional photographs on the final strip borrowed from @agentcikay and @boo_licious. Many thanks!