Food Explorer & Home Chef
Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur and Four Seasons Resort Langkawi has successfully raised RM89,520 for Terry Fox Run held on May 18 in Kl, and June 14 in Langkawi, in support of cancer research. “We are honoured to support the Terry Fox Run and its mission …
By sheer luck, I managed to get 1 free pizza, which was part of 1MORE Pizza’s opening promo. Top-tier toppings on 72-hour fermented pizza dough and you get light, crisp pizzas, baked in a brick oven for 90 seconds, seasoned with Grana Padano, pecorino and …
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A welcome addition to Lucky Garden in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Ibu Ruby’s offers Malay/Indonesian street food, dishes that owner Muhammad Imran Abdullah (one of the co-founders of the Muslim-friendly Italian restaurant Positano Risto) grew up eating. Sitting right at the corner lot of a row of shops, the decor is simple, similar to a warung but better. The name of the restaurant is inspired by Ibu Ruby who used to cook for his family when he was living in Jakarta in 1979. Chef Afique, formerly from EQ Kuala Lumpur’s Nipah Cafe, helped to recreate the flavours, using fresh ingredients for the sauces and sambal pastes.
We had Nasi Ambeng which came with fragrant yellow (turmeric) basmati rice, some fried noodles, kangkung belacan, terong belado (eggplant), rendang ayam (chicken rendang), sambal and keropok ikan (fish crackers). We liked that the sambal was spicy (but not overly so) and the rendang chicken – nice and moist – different from the usual thick curry gravy associated with beef rendang but no less flavourful. This is a complete meal by itself, protein, vegetables (fibre) and carb on one plate. They tout to have the best Nasi Lemak around – leaving that for your own discovery and judgement.
We also had side dishes such eggplant, lawar bali (salad of sorts with grated coconut, cabbage, bean sprouts and French beans mixed with spices), gulai chicken and beef dendeng with sambal hijau (green sambal).
The veggies were not particularly outstanding – frankly, I’ve had better versions; chicken gravy was watery, more like a soup rather than a creamy coconut (santan) curry. Was not bad at all, but just different/unexpected. The dry-style beef won top marks with its crisp edges, well-marinated flavourful meat, amped up with the green sambal. I venture the other dishes are worth exploring further as the Paru Balado (cow lung) and Daging Rendang seem highly recommended.
The charcoal grilled sate was the highlight here and it was truly delicious. We had ayam madura and marangi as well as the lidah (beef tongue) madura. Very different from Malay style, Indonesian sate comes with different sauces, some sweetish, peanutty almost like local ones, one was almost like brown sauce, another reminded me of rojak sauce.
The biggest surprise was the beef tongue. Turned out amazing – braised until tender, yet still firm enough for a good bite, not gamey or raw-tasting at all. We didn’t get to try the beef and tempe sate as they weren’t ready yet (at 1pm). Next round.
Enjoyed the spicy and piquant flavours here, can’t wait to return for more satay. They also have different levels of spicy sambal – Sambal Hijau, Sambal Mangga, Sambal Tomato and Sambal Kelapa – not for the faint hearted! Even if you’re not big on Indonesian fare, the satay makes it worth an adventure.
Add: 1, Persiaran Ara Kiri, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. call: 03-2201 3396
Had intended to go somewhere else but since SS2 was jammed packed that day, no thanks to the durian season, we ended up at Oh Yeah Kopitiam on the perimeter of the SS2 square. Every table had a plate or two, so it made sense …
The much anticipated annual Grand Banquet Series is back at Oriental Group across 12 of its restaurants, and this year’s theme is ‘The tradition of liquor in Chinese cuisine’. Paying homage to the rich culture and culinary legacy of pairing and infusing liquors into gourmet …
Martín Berasategui is Spain’s most celebrated chef with 12 Michelin stars across 7 restaurants, helmed by chefs who have worked extensively with Berasategui and achieved fame through their own body of work.
Chef Xabier Goikoetxea from famed Oria Restaurant (one Michelin-starred) at the prestigious Monument Hotel in Barcelona, presents a gastronomic showcase of Martín’s exquisite signature cuisine at Sabayon, EQ KL.
Having spent 15 years with Berasategui, Chef Xabi won Oria its first Michelin star. Here, he pays homage to the rich heritage of Basque cooking while embracing influences from Catalonia and the Mediterranean Sea, chef Xabi seamlessly marries tradition with innovative flair, crafting a menu that has deep respect for Martin’s legacy and the region.
Starting with a quartet of delights – Comté crisps topped with smoked eel and Cantabrian anchovy – so delicate, just a pop of saltiness; tomato macaron with citrus-bright trout tartare – playfully briny and salty; salt-cured prawn on sea tempura – loved the textures and taste; cured (huge) scallop with lightly smoked hollandaise, orange and chervil – amazing texture play. Appetisers will never be the same again after this superb rendition.
Then, a rich, robust San Sebastián seafood broth with tiny bits of squid, leaves you longing for more, before wild turbot arrives glazed in its own silky pil-pil crowned with caviar – luscious, decadent, juicy, with fried quinoa crispy bits, tomato tenet and caperzelle for touch of taste.
The main course offers perfectly roasted sirloin balanced by medjool-date jus, while dessert morphs into basil water, raw-almond cream – green bean for light crunch, basil for a different dimension, so refreshing and light, plus lemon-peel frozen pearls melded into a tapestry of chocolate and tonka-bean textures.
Justin Lee, General Manager of EQ sees Chef Xabi’s guest appearance at Sabayon as the perfect underscoring of the restaurant’s top-tier dining status.
“Sabayon is a jewel in KL’s gastronomic crown, and Michelin-starred guest chefs like Chef Xabi emphasise EQ’s commitment to the best of culinary experiences. Our Michelin-star chef appearances are specially curated to avail Malaysian gastronomes of world-class culinary experiences, with access to cuisine and chefs which define excellence in gastronomy,” said Lee.
Chef Xabi’s guest residency will be from today until Aug 9, for dinner from 6.30pm to 11pm, priced at RM888+ per person. An excellent culinary journey not to be missed. For reservations, email dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com or call +60 3 2789 7839 or WhatsApp +60 12 583 5319.
Le Cordon Bleu Malaysia presents: A Refined 3-Course Service Dinner by Graduating Superior Cuisine Students. The thoughtfully curated 3-course dinner is their final showcase, celebrating their culinary journey and mastery. As part of the culmination of their training, the aspiring chefs will demonstrate the techniques, …
The new general manager in town at Four Seasons KL knows the hotel industry like the back of his hand. From parking cars to being the bell boy, Simon Barnett has done it all, rising through the ranks to become general manager today. Well, not …
EQ KL is surely one of the earliest to come up with their mooncake offerings as of July 1st! Their Celestial Treasures 2025 features a mooncake collection that reflects the spirit of tradition, the joy of reunion and the refinement of a gift well given.
Timeless yet contemporary, this year’s offering is a celebration of artistry, emotion and cultural memory, encapsulated in a series of beautifully presented gift sets.
There are four signature sets, each suited to different gifting needs and sensibilities:
Autumn Jade Collection – A classic choice reimagined for the modern giver, priced at RM288 for a selection of four traditionally baked mooncakes or RM298 for six snow skin varieties, this collection comes in a warm-toned, structured gift box that balances traditional aesthetics with a sense of contemporary luxury. Options span from lotus and red
bean to bold new flavour pairings.
Premium Collection – his exclusive pairing of mooncakes and fine spirits celebrates connection in style. Choose from four traditional mooncakes with either a bottle of Hennessy VSOP (RM988) or Bottega Gold Prosecco (RM888). Both come presented in a custom leather box in a warm cinnamon hue.
Longevity Collection – Offered exclusively for bulk purchases, this elegant box of four traditionally baked mooncakes celebrates heritage, generosity and festive grace. With a starting price of RM128, the Longevity Collection is well-suited for those seeking tasteful large-quantity gifting options. Custom logo personalisation is available, making it a thoughtful and practical choice for clients, partners or extended networks during the Mid-Autumn festival.
Miniature Collection – Small in size but rich in sentiment, this set of eight delicately baked mini mooncakes is offered in green tea or white lotus flavours. Each petite mooncake bears the EQ marque and is ideal for intimate, informal gifting. At RM68, the Miniature Collection is available exclusively at EQ’s hotel lobby pop-up booth throughout the season.
Regular sized mooncake flavours include Cantonese Mixed Nuts, Red Bean and EQ’s Signature Pearl of Prosperity. For those seeking more adventurous bites, the snow skin varieties offer playful interpretations of the season — from the richness of Golden Charcoal Musang King Durian to the refreshing blend of Emerald Yuzu Pandan, and the layered indulgence of Mint Chocolate with Hawaiian Macadamia.
A visually arresting choice is the Butterfly Pea Flower with Vitagen White Lotus, with its swirled naturally blue and white skin, while the Sun-dried Scallop and Mixed Nuts marries a soft outer skin with a deliciously nutty interior.
Celestial Treasures 2025 will be available for purchase from 1 July to 12 October 2025 at EQ Kuala Lumpur, as well as Kampachi and IPPUDO restaurants. A special Mooncake Pop-Up Booth will also operate in the EQ hotel lobby, offering the full collection in a dedicated festive setting designed to evoke the spirit of the season.
Early bird savings of 20% are available from 1 to 31 July, and 15% from 1 to 31 August. These apply to the Autumn Jade, Premium and Miniature collections only. (The Longevity Collection and bulk orders are not eligible for early bird pricing.) For enquiries or orders, contact dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com or WhatsApp +6012-583 5319.
I just found out Ayam Brand sardines and mackerel, a staple in Malaysian kitchens, has apparently been around for over 130 years! Surprise, surprise, during a media drop recently, I received some goodies, i.e. Ayam Brand sardines and Ayam Brand’s Spicy Tomato Paste. Beyond the …