Food Explorer & Home Chef
Indonesian food can be quite different from Malay food. Apart from masakan Padang which we’re more familiar with, there’s Sundanese and Javanese style cuisine, as offered by Betawi in TTDI, KL which is quite different. Exotic drinks such as Wedang Jahe, Bajigur, Bir Pletok Berawi …
The new AC lounge in AC (Antonio Catalan) Hotel under the Marriot group sashayed into the scene a couple of months back, offering top notch tapas (small sharing plates) under the expert guiding hands of chef Angie Hiew. What’s even more attractive here are the …
Chalet, located in Equatorial Hotel Kuala Lumpur, was one of the only establishments where European cuisine was served and food prepared tableside in the 1970s. The experience was often the first venture into fine-dining for many guests, with Chalet having a reputation for its impeccable service and adherence to the minutiae of haute cuisine.
EQ will be bringing back the Old World charm and grandeur of Chalet in a special pop-up event from July 29 to August 17, 2024, from 6pm nightly with a special menu featuring the most memorable of its offerings. These range from the famed raclette Valaisanne, an elegantly luxuriant dish of melted raclette cheese served with new potatoes and cornichons; classic Swiss cheese fondue with truffles for two (fondue au fromage), viande de grison (Swiss air-dried beef with pickles), freshly minced steak tartare and pan-fried duck liver in port reduction.
In keeping with the restaurant’s history, only the finest imported ingredients will be used at the dinners, with entrees including Maine lobster, Norwegian salmon, Zuercher Veal Emince, New Zealand rack of lamb, and Australian wagyu. One of the most iconic of Chalet’s meat dishes, the canard ala presse (the classic whole roasted duck on the press for two) will also be available during the pop-up period, as will the cote de boeuf roti ala Anglaise (slow-roasted beef, baked potato, Yorkshire pudding and bearnaise sauce in a tribute to the British roast).
A quintessential Chalet experience, the crepes Suzette served tableside with a flambéed flourish, will also be recreated at the dinners. Other classic desserts on the menu include souffle glace au Grand Marnier, warm strawberry souffle, and sabayon, the voluptuous, velvety egg-yolk crème. Each order of the famed dessert will be prepared tableside, with waiters performing the ‘sabayon dance’, which lend brevity to dessert time, allowing waiters to interact with guests as they go about the steps of whisking the egg yolks and sugar until a perfect sabayon is formed.
To end dinner with a European flourish, the beloved coffees from the original Chalet will also make a reappearance. These include the iconic Café Royale with its bracing cognac and whipped cream, Café Calypso with rum, coffee liqueur and whipped cream, and the star of the after dinner menu, Kafi Luz, the famed Swiss alcoholic coffee prepared with plum and Williams pear brandy (known as Träsch in Switzerland).
EQ General Manager, Gerard Walker, is pleased at the response the Chalet pop-up has garnered. “Chalet is one of those places you never forget. The Old World polish, and the gravitas of the dining experience is something many gourmets have cut their teeth on. The Chalet pop-up gives us a chance to offer this experience to a new crowd who are hungry for a taste of fine-dining done the traditional way. An experience like Chalet helps a food appreciator understand the tradition and evolution of cuisine, while for old-time guests of Equatorial Hotel, this pop-up will be akin to seeing a good old friend once more.”
The Chalet experience is open for reservations. Reservations and enquiries can be emailed to dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com, WhatsApp 012-278 9239 or call 03-2789 7722.
My latest obsession – a hidden gem in Plaza Damas KL called Beszz Cafe. This is probably the only authentic Mexican resto in KL, if not Malaysia. Mexican chef Ivan Chavarria Hernandez has made it his mission to share his Mexican heritage food and educate …
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 a succession of small sharing plates that boasted nyonya nuances with chef Onion’s Chinese heritage shining thru each creative dish, with excellent wine pairing recommendations by Happy and David.
I declare that all Scotch Eggs should be made this way henceforth! A flavour bomb to an otherwise boring English snack plate, the century egg in the middle topped with bunga kantan (torch ginger flower) made this ensemble outta this world. Probably one of my top fav dishes for the night. But only if you like century egg otherwise, move along, nothing to see here.
I loved, loved, loved the pork liver pate topped with cracklings paired with the Chinese black olive butter, to be slathered on fragrant round mantou. Each serving comes with 3 mantou but you can easily eat another basket of 3 buns with the given pate/butter portion. Sinfully rich and savoury, this also goes into my must-order list.
The other amazing thing being the simple banana with salted egg crumbs on roasted banana and kaya toast – a dessert to die for, the strong almost simultaneously sweet and salty flavours hit the tongue and your palate goes into alive mode, begging for more.
I also wanted more of the Tsukune, or more accurately, the marvellous sauce with pineapple and sweet potato and dunno-what other sorcery which made it irresistible. That’s not to say the other dishes were any less creative – Angus Slice paired with calamari and squid ink base was an unusual combination that was a bit mind-boggling yet weirdly wonderful and addictive.
Other dishes that we had included Pekasam, a very unusual Malaysian salad that was like a version of ulam but given chef Julia’s own interpretation with young papaya leaves, pegaga and daun kesom; otak-otak croquette; prawn pancake; tang yuen – glutinous rice with shiitake, kucaijin hua ham, dried shrimp and celtuce – reminded me of the Hakka abacus dish; and ceviche with chef Onion’s touch that gave it a Asam laksa nuance.
And to top it all off, the rum and raisin ice cream packed a heck of a punch on top of tapai!
Every dish had been given attention to detail, with interesting flavour notes that made each one unique and stand on its own merit. This is not a place where you eat and run, but where you have to sit to enjoy the wine, and savour and appreciate each precious morsel cooked up by the Jung team. Thank you Julia and Onion for a most memorable meal. Can’t wait to go back!
Add: 12, Jalan SS 20/10, Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya. hp: 012-857 6870
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, …
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, is still as inviting and indulgent as I remember it. Probably the first souffle offered by a cafe back then, Marco has evolved into so much more, offering delectable main courses and delicious pastas.
“Usually only available at French fine dining restaurants, we wanted more people to know and enjoy the souffle,” says chef Daren Leong.
After a change of hands, MM became Franco and later, when the brand was bought up, Daren rebranded to name the resto Marco – like the explorer… and his son.
Too early for dinner, Daren let us sample a couple of signature dishes which has since become firm favourites here.
Carbonara – probably one of the few resto in KL and beyond that make carbonara correctly, with just egg yolk and cheese to achieve the creamy rich consistency, without cream or milk. This was simple yet thoroughly enjoyable, with the depth of the flavour of the bacon and pecorino coating each stand of the spaghetti.
Wild Mushroom Rissoto is another standout dish here, comforting, soulful and satisfying. Each Arborio grain is still in tact, not mushy at all, yet melded into one complete entity.
Our protein was Pork shoulder with Ikura glaze with pomme puree (mash potatoes). Beautifully sou vided, the meat was tender but not dry at all, flavour heightened by the ikura glaze.
The extensive menu also offers a huge variety of pastas, steaks and even pork wellington. So much to discover here, so little stomach space…
Add: Lot G146, Ground Floor (Old Wing), 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya. hp: 012-7731823
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 …