MICHELIN-STARRED GUEST CHEF XABI AT SABAYON

 

Savour stellar Basque cuisine by Executive Chef Xabier Goikoetxea (Chef Xabi) of Barcelona’s Michelin-starred Oria Restaurant at EQ Kuala Lumpur’s Sabayon now until 9 August 2025.

A protégé of the legendary Martín Berasategui—Spain’s most Michelin-decorated chef—Chef Xabi brings with him over 15 years of refined expertise. His culinary signature at Oria lies in the seamless interplay between time-honoured Basque traditions and vivid, contemporary Catalan and Mediterranean flavours.

 
His distinctive tasting menu opens with a quartet of exquisitely crafted amuse-bouches:

 

• Leaf-shaped Comté crisps crowned with smoked eel and Cantabrian anchovy
  
  
  
  

• Salt-cured prawn on savoury seaweed tempura crisp
  
  
  
  

• A bright tomato emulsion macaron with trout tartare and calamansi-ginger gel

• Cured then sous vide scallop with smoked hollandaise, mussel broth, orange, and chervil.

A luxurious San Sebastián seafood broth, enriched with prawns and cured egg yolk follows, reels us in with its soul-warming and deeply umami nuances. Spanish olive oil and crusty bread amp up the irresistible offering.

 
That sets the stage for an impeccably executed turbot, glazed in pil-pil sauce (a rich emulsion of gelatinous fish collagen, oil and garlic) resulting in buttery-tender fish, wrapped in a sheen of silky, flavourful sauce. Accentuated by celery cream and caper gel, fried quinoa and caviar levels up its textural interest.

 
Mains offer a choice between roasted sirloin and boneless lamb rack, cooked with precise finesse. The masterstroke comes from the inclusion of medjool date jus and delicate date chutney, bestowing the dish with an understated touch of sophisticated sweetness.

 
Desserts surprise and delight, beginning with a basil water and raw almond cream, whimsically augmented by lemon peel frozen pearls. This is a refreshing prelude to the finale of of chocolate and tonka bean textures; a subtly indulgent finish to the gastronomic affair.

 
Chef Xabi’s limited-time residency promises a culinary journey of finesse and discovery, available nightly from 6.30pm to 11pm. The exclusive dinner menu is priced at RM888+ per person.

Reservation for the Sabayon X Oria dinner at Sabayon, EQ Kuala Lumpur is recommended by calling tel: 03-2789 7839, email: dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com or WhatsApp: +6 012 583 5319.