Food Explorer & Home Chef
Growing up, I hung out with my cousins a lot and would often eat at their place. Once in a while, my Aunt Molly (my mother’s youngest sister) who was married to a Swiss man (my Uncle Richard), would make Apfelwähe for dinner. Those were …
Maison Martell has introduced the Martell Single Cru collection in Malaysia, a significant milestone in Maison Martell’s history spanning over 300 years in that—for the first time—every cognac in the collection is crafted with eaux-de-vie sourced from a single terroir. Crafted by Cellar Master Christophe …
Throughout this May, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will launch its annual celebration of local and international cuisines — showcasing the incredible craftsmanship of local and international chefs. First launched in 2023, #DinewithChef was created as a meeting point for epicureans, food enthusiasts, and culinary creatives to gather in appreciation of fine cuisine.
This year the head chefs from Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, and Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur will work alongside culinary mavens from Indonesia, Poland, Japan and Malaysia to create a brand new, never-before-seen festival of culinary exploration.
The 2024 #DinewithChef series will showcase the different spaces around the hotel, including restaurants THIRTY8 and JPteres, the semi-alfresco POOLHOUSE, and the newly opened event space on Level 5 of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.
The Featured Chefs
At the helm of the 2024 #DinewithChef series is Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Chef, Chef Grzegorz Odolak, also known as Chef Greg, a Hyatt veteran with over two decades of professional experience in the culinary world. Starting in Poland where he hails from, Chef Greg has left an indelible mark on various Hyatt properties across the globe, including Hyatt Regency Warsaw in Poland, Hyatt Regency Dubai, Grand Hyatt Doha Hotel & Villas, and Park Hyatt Chennai. Embodying the Hyatt ethos of “Food Thoughtfully Sourced, Carefully Served”, Chef Greg has continuously strived for culinary and sustainability excellence, collaborating with local eco-conscious suppliers, such as Cultiveat to make Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur a hub of creativity and sustainability.
Also headlining this year are Executive Chef Stig Drageide and Executive Pastry Chef Holger Deh who have designed a menu which offers diners a sneak peek of the exquisite dishes that will be served when they take the helm at the upcoming Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Chef Stig hails from Norway and in his career has served in many reputable establishments including Bagatelle in Oslo — the only Norwegian restaurant to have received two Michelin stars until 2012, Hyatt Hotels around the world and Hotel Continental in Norway.
Chef Holger is an internationally acclaimed pastry chef who hails from Germany. With a devoted following, Chef Holger’s culinary expertise has taken him on a remarkable journey, from renowned establishments such as Rosewood Hong Kong and The Datai Langkawi, and notably Restaurant Haerlin at Raffles Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg, which received a Michelin star within two years.
Joining the star-studded line from Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur is Executive Chef Vincenzo Carbone, or Chef Enzo as he’s affectionately known. Chef Enzo brings over 30 years of experience in restaurants and hotels around the world including Italy, Switzerland, Oman, the UK, South Korea, China, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Turkey, and New Zealand. His journey began in Naples at Circolo Della Stampa where he first developed his unique approach to Italian cooking — seen later in his restaurants CAPO (Shanghai), Mamma mia! (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuxi and Suzhou), 208 Duecento Otto (Hong Kong) and PiPa (Istanbul). In 2022, Chef Enzo was appointed as the Specialist Executive Chef for the Asia Pacific region. As part of the 2024 #DinewithChef series, he promises to showcase a taste of Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur upon its debut in the city.
Event Highlights
1. May 9-11 | THIRTY8: The first official event in the #DinewithChef series sees Chef Gregteaming up with two distinguished chefs from his homeland — Polish Chefs Marcin Budunek and Mariusz Olechno. In collaboration with the Polish Embassy in KL, the three chefs willserve up a la carte dishes that capture the essence of Poland’s culinary heritage and “The Spirit of Poland” with contemporary techniques.
2. May 12 | THIRTY8: Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will host a Mother’s Day Brunch at RM198 per person in an exclusive culinary showcase by Chef Greg, Chef Stig, Chef Holger, Chef Enzoand chefs from Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur as well as Chef Pande from Andaz Bali. There will also be sparkling wine and unique mocktail and cocktail creations on offer such as “Dear Mummy” at RM48 per glass.
3. May 13-17 | JPteres: Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will partner with Chef Pande Cipta from Andaz Bali to offer an Indonesian-inspired menu for buffet lunch at RM128 per person coupled with Original Thai Tea brand, ChaTraMue and a selection of specially crafted drinks to complement the buffet.
4. May 17 | Level 5: A highlight of the #DinewithChef series sees an exclusive and intimate Sake Tasting Omakase Dinner at RM628 per person in collaboration with Sushi Azabu.
5. May 18-19 | THIRTY8: Serving up a menu of afternoon tea delights at RM148 per person orRM268 per person with a glass of Champagne from 12pm to 5pm, Chef Stig and Chef Holger will take over THIRTY8, treating guests to upscaled versions of classic savoury and sweet dishes in this Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Afternoon Tea. Expect some Nordic creations and a dessert tray!
6. May 23-25 | THIRTY8: Guests of #DinewithChef will be treated to an exclusive sneak peek of Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur when Chef Enzo from Napoli takes the wheel, serving a variety of delectable Italian dishes from antipasti, fresh pasta, main course and dessert to curated bar snacks.
7. May 25 | POOLHOUSE: In collaboration with Milawa, experience an exquisite selection of wines paired with delectable canapés in the Grant Burge Guiding Wine Tasting from 4pm to 6pm at RM180 per person. This event is limited to 20 pax.
8. May 1-30 | POOLHOUSE and JPteres: Chefs Ramu and Izmin of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur will be showcasing their signature dishes from their own respective kitchens at the popular Weekday Malaysian Buffet Lunch at JPteres for RM128 per person and Weekend A La Minute BBQ at POOLHOUSE for RM178 per person.
For reservations and dining enquiries, email restaurant.kuagh@hyatt.com or send WhatsApp at 012-621 9869.
One cuisine I don’t get to eat often enough is Sri Lankan food. For a great introduction to Sri Lankan cuisine, the full Aliyaa experience is highly recommended by chef Siva, comprising a set of tasting dishes of the following: Crab samosa; Atukkal rasam; Fish …
Topshelf proves why it’s still one of the top places for fine dining in KL after 12 years, with its exquisite dishes courtesy of chef Chris Yee. Haven’t been there for years, and now it’s expanded and renovated to encompass a much bigger space, including …
Renowned for its Chinese cuisine, the Oversea Group of Restaurants’ latest outlet at TREC, KL, features pork-free seafood dishes with a tank-to-table concert. Super fresh seafood gets delivered via an innovative conveyor belt from the tanks directly to the kitchen.
The OTT decor blew me away as I half expected to see Ursula, the sea witch from Little Mermaid, to pop out from the stairways, thanks to the giant octopus tentacles reaching out towards diners. The immersive dining experience is further enhanced by a LED-ceiling screen showing underwater scenes on the ceiling. You can’t help but look up and stare, and even the opulent washrooms were something to shout about, dressed in shimmering tiles with ‘shells’ as taps and basins.
Of course, the star of this place is the seafood menu and you can choose expensive fish, huge tiger prawns, oysters, lobsters, abalone and more, and those not big on seafood, not to worry as there’s a diverse selection available for you too. But wait, the media was invited to eat, and what a feast it was!
We started off with Braised Assorted Seafood Soup with Eight Treasures, naturally sweetened with seafoody goodness. The other seafood dishes all came out together:
*Streamed Turbot Fish with Chilli and Superior Soy Sauce – beautifully steamed despite so large a fish, its flesh still succulent and firm.
*House Special Giant Freshwater Prawns – the chunky flesh was springy, a clear sign of its freshness, and the tasty sauce similar to kam heong.
9*Indonesian Mud Crab with Chilli with mini croissant – conventional sweet sour style, but well-delivered, good quality meaty crabs. Although I prefer mantou to the mini croissants which would have absorbed the gravy better.
*Steamed Japanese Scallop with garlic and vermicelli, largest scallops I’ve come across, juicy and springy flesh. Love this.
The Black Truffle Fried Rice with Japanese Scallop was everyone’s fav – fragrant with truffle, while the ebiko provided texture and bite. Each grain was nicely separated as it should be for fried rice, yet mixed well for a balanced flavour.
*Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables provided our green quota while refreshing Chilled Citron Tea with Snow Fungus and Peach Gum was a fitting refreshing dessert to the lovely meal.
Make a trip to Oversea Seafood, even it’s just to gawk at the decor. Quite a sight indeed, and the food is definitely praiseworthy.
Add: 436, Jalan Tun Razak, near Kelab Golf di Raja Selangor, Kuala Lumpur. HP: 010-303 2200
This new-ish café in Bangsar, KL, located on a little sliver of land with a tree jutting through the roof, was named The Spot by Chinoz by its owners literally because they described its location to friends as ‘X marks the spot’ on the map! …
S.A.J. Bistronomy by Leen’s (short for Syrian Authentic Jars), offers a similar line up to its predecessor Leen’s, with a few small twists to familiar ones, a couple of fav mainstays and some entirely new dishes. Helmed by chef Ameer Alzalek, his culinary story is …