Guest residency by 2-star Michelin Alex Dilling at Sabayon

EQ has announced the guest residency by two-Michelin star chef Alex Dilling at its fine dining restaurant Sabayon. Dilling is Chef Patron at Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal in London’s West End, where he presents gastronomic French cuisine in an intimate, 11 tables, 34 pax only dining room. The restaurant was awarded two Michelin stars in 2023, seven months post opening. It placed 14 in the Top 100 Restaurants in the UK in June 2023.

London-born, American-raised Dilling has worked with Alain Ducasse, famed godfather of French gastronomy, and under the direction of Didier Elena and Tony Esnault at Adour (three Michelin stars in 2008 and two the following year) in New York. He came into his own as Chef De Cuisine of New York’s Caviar Russe in 2012 which earned a Michelin star under his direction in 2013. His love for caviar, birthed in that Manhattan restaurant, has continued over the years, and continues to make a constant appearance on his menus.

Returning to the city of his birth, Dilling joined Hélène Darroze at The Connaught where he led the team as Executive Corporate Chef, maintaining the London restaurant’s two Michelin stars as well as overseeing the Paris site and global events in Japan, Mexico and New York. As the Executive Chef of The Greenhouse in London’s Mayfair from 2018 to 2021, Dilling impressed Londoners and gastronomy’s elite, to the extent of being called one of the world’s best culinary talents.

Dilling will bring his modern take on la cuisine Classique to Sabayon from June 4-15 with only a dinner service, limited to only 50 guests a night. EQ x Alex Dilling will be the star chef’s first ever visit to Malaysia. This first will accentuate EQ’s exclusive collaboration with Barons de Rothschild, which will see the House’s Rare Collection Blanc de Blancs 2012 being offered exclusively in Malaysia at EQ, complete with a bespoke presentation box marking the hotel’s 50th anniversary.

EQ x Alex Dilling offers two menus including a vegetarian option. The media had a sneak peak:

*Aged Kaluga caviar with salmon rillette – this took my breath away – creamy, luxurious globules of delight, resplendent, paired with crumpet and cucumber pickle. Absolutely decadent.

*Wild mushroom macaroni gratin with 36-month aged parmesan and black truffles – anything but ordinary, carbs never tasted so good, layers of flavour one never imagined possible with macaroni.

*Olive oil poached black cod with smoked eel consommé – buttery, smooth fish swimming in luxurious broth that lingered in rhe mouth, slurp-worthy goodness (but we have to behave).  

*Hunter chicken (chef’s version of chicken cacciatore) – the piece de resistance, like beef wellington but different. Chicken so tender, texture almost like meat patty but the meat strands were still apparent; the ‘pastry’ which had us guessing was chicken mousse with a blend of smoked duck. Wow, just wow! Brilliant execution. 

*Sourdough ice cream with Pedro Ximénez sabayon. There’s dessert, and then there’s this seductive party in the mouth which defies description. 

“EQ x Alex Dilling is about the modern aspects of what we do in the classics. The biggest inspiration in food is always the product – what’s in season, what we want to do with it, and how to challenge ourselves with techniques and different flavours,” says Dilling.

Gerard Walker, General Manager of EQ is elated at being the first hotel in Malaysia to collaborate with the two-star chef. “There is immense potential in Malaysia as a culinary destination, with the favourability of its exchange rate, exciting F&B scene, and award winning hotels and fine dining restaurants like Sabayon. EQ has a long tradition of culinary innovation and a big focus on presenting memorable F&B opportunities to our guests. To have Alex with us portents well for a great year of exciting culinary discoveries,” says Walker.

EQ x Alex Dilling is priced at RM1,200+ per head for dinner, with the vegetarian menu priced at RM850+. For reservations please WhatsApp +60122789239 or email
dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com