Food Explorer & Home Chef
If someone breaks a plate, I’m startled at the crash. At El Cerdo, it’s done puposely when someone orders the house specialty, but every time a plate breaks, I still jump a bit. El Cerdo is known for its piggy dishes, so it was interesting …
It was instant reconnection with chef Julia Ung as we shared food stories and nyonya history at her latest abode DS Wine. Together with chef Onion, they make up Jung & Co, taking care of the food aspect at wine bar DS Wine. We had …
Teppan Maru-Take is located deep, deep inside Seibu department store in TRX KL. In fact, I had no idea there were so many Japanese eateries inside, including a small omakase dining corner.
It makes sense that Teppan Maru-Take, an offshoot of Okonomi in Pavilion KL, offers some 11 variations of okonomiyaki. You can also watch Chef Takeshi Wada in action as he cooks up Osaka-style teppan through the window to the kitchen. Shy but amiable, burly Takeshi looks like he strolled off a Hollywood set rather than your average clean-shaven Japanese chef, and if he’s not busy cooking, he’d surely share some Osaka stories with you.
We chose the Kimuchi Okonomiyaki (RM30) which had pickled cabbage, sweet corn kernels and loads of toppings such as okonomiyaki and Japanese mayonnaise sauces, bonito shavings and aonori (dried green laver). Different from normal okonomiyaki, this packed a lot more flavour and texture, and was large enough for a full meal by itself, if not easily shared among three.
Choosing from the new promotion menu, the Special Harami Steak Set had teppan grilled skirt meat while Angus Slice Yakiniku Don Set came with grilled Angus slices. The beef was juicy, done just right and what was different was the balsamic, apple and ponzu sauces served on the side which gave an added dimension to the dishes. The sets came with rice, salad, some croquette and other side dishes, including a scoop of ice cream for RM38.
I really liked the Salmon Katsu (RM37), crisp on the outside, and tender and rare inside. The boneless Teriyaki Chicken (RM36) was also impressive, so crispy outside and juicy inside. Noodle options such as Yakiudon Set (RM25) was teppan-fried chicken, with veggies and shimeji mushrooms – satisfying, and reminded me of Hokkien Mee, Penang style.
There are lots more attractive set lunch options at reasonable prices. Definitely no reason to go hungry when shopping at Seibu.
Add: C-15, C.DS, Seibu Department Store, 01, Persiaran TRX, Tun Razak Exchange, Kuala Lumpur. hp: 017-833 4459
It was one of those days when we were circling Damansara Uptown for a nice place for lunch on Mother’s Day and stumbled on the newish The Charcoal Grill. This is a branch of the first one that opened in Kota Damansara. A quick sweep …
It’s been years since I’ve been to Marco Creative Cuisine. Back then, it was known as MM French Cafe (which stood for Miam Miam in French, meaning yummy). Lots have changed since but the famous souffle which made a sensation when it first came out, …
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
Fatfire in Lalaport KL razes in with its own take on Tex Mex offering tacos, fajitas, fish and fries, burgers and such. It’s also probably one of the cheapest cocktails in town, offering 3 drinks for RM70. Mains like Moo-tiful Beef Burger was pretty good, …
There was already a long queue outside at Khao Man Gai at 11am, but it moved fast. Took us about 20 minutes to get a table, which is pretty good, considering the crowd and small space. This place is new but obviously foodies are already …
Who’d knew all the way in Klang town there’d be a resto famed for its premium dishes? New Harvest Restaurant in Klang offers classic fine Cantonese cuisine by chef Simon Lee. Having been around for 21 years, we’re obviously late to the party but better late than never!
To start, we had an old school Stir Fried Scrambled Egg with Crabmeat, flossy and crispy egg bits mingling with crabmeat, pine nuts and water chestnut. Eat this by heaping a spoonful or two on a piece of fresh lettuce and a touch of chilli sauce. Exquisite and full of texture, it brought back memories for me. There’s also an option to have this with sharks’ fin.
The Signature Braised Abalone with Goose Webs came with a three-head Australian abalone, sitting in a thick, rich gravy. Indulgent and robust, the juicy abalone was perfect accompaniment to the superbly braised tender web. An excellent soup boasting layers of flavours, having simmered for hours with premium ingredients, made up the base of the delicious Signature Shark’s Fin Soup with fish maw.
Chicken Rice was on a whole new level. Rice came in a claypot, after being lightly fried, then steamed together with pandan and ginger. So fragrant and tasty, I would enjoy this on its own and found it hard to not have another bowl despite my no-carb rule. Poached chicken was free-range Holland from a farm in Ijok, Selangor, smooth, silky, sweet with its own juices. Of course, there’s delicious housemade ginger sauce too. The chickens are specially bred, and at least 6 months old. And given Klang prices, a song at RM145 for 10 pax.
Even the Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables were different, crunchy with almonds, baby corn, shimeji mushrooms, celery, sugar peas and celery. Prawns came with Pumpkin Buttermilk Prawns, a lovely golden, creamy sauce, accented with curry leaves.
The oh-so-tender Wooi Wor Yook or braised pork belly reminded me of tong poh yoke, except the depth of the sauce hit differently, but in a good way, maybe because one of the secret ingredients was peanut butter. Beautiful sticky gravy worthy of mantou and more. Not a peanut butter fan so this was just ok for me, but the meat certainly won me over. I’m already planning when I can have my next meal at New Harvest …
Add: 19, Jalan Goh Hock Huat, Kawasan 18, Klang. Tel: 03-3345 2288
At the launch party of Tiger Soju Flavoured Lager, there was a whole bunch of curated immersive experiences and live performances by local and international acts alike. Some 4,500 fans and media members got to feel, see and taste the new Tiger beer soju drink. …