The Sabayon x Alex Dilling showcase started on a luxurious note with a tin of Aged Kaluga Caviar
with Smoked Scottish Salmon Rillette, Crème Cru and Dill.
TBH,
this is one of the times I felt truly blessed with the perks of being a food
writer and blogger. After having our appetite whetted with warm, crusty bread,
Bordier butter and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, we were gobsmacked when
a whole tin of caviar prettily garnished with tiny edible flowers and gold
leaves was placed on each of our plate.
According to Chef Alex Dilling, his interest in caviar
developed during his two-year stint with Caviar Russe, a fine caviar house. “Since
then, I’d acquired a deep appreciation for caviar and to me, caviar as a first
course makes dining out special, bringing a sense of occasion to the meal.”
Who
could quibble with such reasoning? Especially when we got to savour the little pearls
layered with silky smooth crème cru (raw, naturally cultured sour
cream) and subtly savoury salmon rillette (a preservation
technique using fat and slow cooking method).
We
were instructed to sample the appetiser on its own first before proceeding to
enjoy the caviar and salmon rillette with the spongy-soft crumpets followed by thin
slivers of pickled cucumber for textural contrast. Every mouthful was enough to
induce gastro-orgasm…Dilling said he chose Kaluga caviar for its slight crunch
and umami, nutty nuances. 
The London-born chef whose interest in food and cooking was attributed to his mother, gained his culinary pedigree under the legendary Alain Ducasse and another reputable chef Helene Darroze.
Risotto was the first dish Dilling learned to cook at 15 and his love for eating motivated him to become a chef. He soon garnered attention for his talent at turning classic European dishes on its head as exemplified by the stellar Wild Mushrooms Macaroni Gratin.
Simplicity
rules in the presentation but oh, the umami ‘bomb’ we encountered upon tasting
that first spoonful of tender pasta knocked our socks off. Our tastebuds
were suffused with the complexity of rich, earthy flavours thanks to the attendant
36-month aged parmesan, black truffle and Vin jaune (a dry, yellow wine from
eastern France) sauce.
More caviar crowned the speciality of Olive
Oil Poached Black Cod. Complemented by smoked eel consommé and dices of marinated
turnip, this was my favourite dish.
Personally,
I reckon the delicately tender fish was sterling proof of the chef’s 2 Michelin
starred stature – it’s neck-to-neck with an on-point Chinese-style steamed fish.
The unexpected bursts of crisp acidity and sweetness from the diminutive turnip dices
lent a nice counterpoint to the salty smoked eel consommé.
Dilling’s famed signature Hunter
Chicken was indeed the show-stopper that draw epicureans to his eponymous London
restaurant. Interpreted from the classic French poulet (chicken) chasseur, Dilling used a custom-made mold to shape the external layer
of chicken mousse.
“We mixed some smoked duck into the
mousse which we made using trimmings from the corn-fed chicken breast featured in the dish. Then we layered on the mushroom duxelles followed by a piece of chicken
breast at the core.”
Glazed
with enticing sauce Albuféra (a sauce of Spanish origin comprising an emulsion
of chicken stock, Madeira, cream and butter), the delicious speciality were
augmented by buttery, velvety pomme purée and fresh salad on the side.
We were
ecstatic to finish lunch with a heavenly dessert of Tainori Chocolate with
Sourdough Ice Cream, Salted Caramel and Pedro Ximénez sabayon. That judicious balance of sweet-salty accents coupled
with the beguiling chocolatey bitterness and lusciousness of sabayon – a blended
mixture of egg yolks, sugar and Pedro Ximenez (in place of Marsala) – made our sweet dreams came true.
The
proof of the chef’s skills is in his food so hurry and make your reservations
at Sabayon soonest possible. Alex Dilling will only be showcasing his curated
menu until 15 June.
Reserve
your table for the Sabayon X Alex Dilling dinner at EQ via this link:
https://www.tableapp.com/partner/sabayon-eq-kuala-lumpur#/
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