FESTIVE HOLIDAY FEASTS AT EQ

Herald the most wonderful time of the year with extravagant feasts at EQ Kuala Lumpur. It’s never too early to start planning so here’s an overview of what the EQ culinary team has up their sleeves for the year-end celebrations. 

TAKEAWAY TREATS & GIFTS

Level up your Christmas and New Year gifting with a range of exquisite treats: cookies (RM13 upwards), cake bites (RM28 upwards), whole cakes (RM88 upwards) and chocolates (RM88 upwards). Tastefully curated festive hampers (RM188 – RM788) are also available.

Holiday roasts to grace your own dining table can be pre-ordered. This year’s headliner is Bone-in Wagyu Beef ‘hammer’ (RM188/kg) with winter vegs, gravy and chimichurri.

Traditionalists may prefer Roast Turkey (RM128/kg) with chestnut stuffing, roasted potatoes, cranberry sauce, giblet gravy and mixed vegs. Other delish options: Roasted Christmas Goose, Duck a la Orange, Baked Lamb Leg, Home-smoked Salmon and Lobster Mayonnaise. 

ETOILE EXPERIENCE

Gather the fam for a lavish Thanksgiving semi buffet lunch (1130am-230pm) on 1 Dec. Priced at RM88+ per adult, the appetiser and dessert selection with free flow of chilled juices and soft drinks should keep everyone happy and satisfied.

Alternatively, go for the Sharing Platters for 2-3 persons (RM98+) or Barbecue Platters (RM38+ per 100g). Prefer dining at home? Just pre-order some delectable takeaways: from roast turkeys and beef Wellington to salmon mayonnaise and roast leg of lamb.

NOSH UP AT NIPAH

Pamper yourself and loved ones with lavish buffet lunch and dinner throughout Dec. Festive culinary highlights include Wagyu beef hammer, roasted lamb leg, lobster thermidor and abundant sweet treats.

Priced at RM158+ per adult, the Festive Buffet Lunch is available daily. There’s also BBQ Weekend Buffet Dinner at RM178+ per person every Thursday-Sunday, from 630pm to 1030pm except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

BEST OF BOTTEGA

Revel in a splendidly Festive Dolce Vita Afternoon Tea (Mon-Sat, 12noon-230pm or 3pm-5pm) at RM99+ per person or RM198+ for two. Nibble on Christmas themed dainty temptations, accompanied by Ronnefeldt tea or speciality coffee.

SUMPTUOUS SABAYON

Refined four-course Euro-Continental Festive Dinner (RM588+ per person) or an 8-course degustation (RM888+ per person) beckons from the mod-elegant outpost. Reminisce over the year’s happenings amidst luxe servings of Angus beef tartare with toast, Scottish salmon with sour cream, capers and dill, raclette with potatoes and cornichons.

Also, die-hard fans of Chalet will be thrilled to know a four-course Festive Sunday Lunch (RM288+ per person) awaits every Sunday throughout December. 

Palate-pleasing signature Duck Breast à l’Orange, Filet de Suamon Norvégien, and Crêpes Suzette take centrestage. Dial up your feast with a Lobster Thermidor upgrade, prepared a la minute upon order. Further fizz can be added with unlimited sparkling wine, white or red wine, gin, juices, soft drinks and mocktails from the trolley at RM288+ per person.

For more information, contact EQ via WhatsApp 012 583 5319 or dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com

CHALET POP-UP AT EQ KUALA LUMPUR

During its halcyon days from 1973 until the original Hotel was closed for redevelopment, Chalet at the old Equatorial Kuala Lumpur was the arbiter of fine-dining in Kuala Lumpur. A rustic haven with white linen-topped tables, gleaming silverware, and impeccable service, it was an outpost to see and be seen; a rendezvous for Malaysia’s royalty, movers and shakers, the glitterati and jet-setters.

 

I learned to enjoy classic Swiss-Continental specialities such as fondue and raclette among others here. The signature sabayon and crêpes suzette were delivered with such panache, few diners could resist the table-side theatrics.

Chalet loyalists and new customers will have a chance to relive those glorious days through the Chalet pop-up at Sabayon, Level 51 from 24 July to 12 August. Former Chalet Restaurant Manager Azlan Alias and Amerjit Singh Lakha Singh will be at hand to further evoke the nostalgic feel.

During the recent media preview, Raclette Valaisanne (RM118++) was the quintessential curtain-raiser. A Swiss tradition from the Valais canton, half a round of raclette is melted in a specially designed contraption. The melted cheese is then scraped off and served with new potatoes and cornichon pickles.

Strong with rich savouriness, the briny cheese came accompanied by boiled baby potatoes to offset its salty profile, whilst tart pickles tempered its rich creaminess.

Another beloved classic, Fondue Au Fromage (RM288++ for 2 persons) or Swiss cheese fondue with truffle also teased our tastebuds. When you order this speciality, be prepared for an interactive dining experience in which you use long skewers to dip bread cubes into a heated pot of melted cheese mixed with wine and cornstarch. Cheese enthusiasts will enjoy this.

We were also treated to popular appetisers of Salade De L’Empire Romain (RM68++), romaine lettuce salad flecked with shaved Parmesan cheese; Steak Tartare (RM108++), raw minced grain-fed beef steak with red wine vinegar, capers and mustard; and Saumon Fumé Norvégien (RM108++), smoked salmon loin with traditional condiments.

Those tasting portions did the trick to whet our appetite, priming us for Crème De Champignons Sauvage (RM68++), Chalet’s signature creamy wild mushroom soup. Served in a crusty bread bowl, the generous portion of subtly woody-earthy broth enticed us to lap every drop up.

Deliciously lush, Émincé de Veau à la Zurichoise (RM208++) – sliced veal in mushroom cream sauce complemented by crusty rosti potatoes – was as delectable as I remember it.

Other much-anticipated specialities making a comeback will include Lobster Thermidor, Roasted Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb, and Canard à la Presse (pre-order required).

The preview concluded with a dramatic flair when Amerjit deftly prepared Crêpes Suzette (RM58++), pancakes artfully flambéed with Grand Marnier liqueur and orange juice. Served with vanilla ice cream, the tissue-thin pancakes enhanced with the slightly bittersweet boozy-citrusy sauce left us on a nice high.

Reservations are now open for the special pop-up event. For reservations and enquiries at the Chalet pop-up, email: dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com, WhatsApp +60 12 278 9239 or call tel:03 2789 7722.

 

 

 

TIFA TOUTS ‘THREE IN ONE’ CONCEPT

Tifa means three in Latin. It’s also the name of veteran restaurateur Angie Hiew’s latest venture at Trillion KL.

Insisting her European-inspired restaurant should not be classified as a fine-dining outpost, Angie explains Tifa incorporates three different concepts under one roof.

“Opened last March, Tifa serves reasonably priced good food in cosy, modest surroundings. Every dish, from the mayonnaise to the sauces, is prepared from scratch by me using market-fresh ingredients.”

The restaurant straddles a spacious and well-shaded patio area where quick and affordable meals are served; an al fresco seating area next to an outdoor fountain area meant for chilling out over drinks, and a nicely decorated ‘by reservation only, private kitchen’ dining space.

Angie cut her teeth in the restaurant business when she was just 18 years old, learning the ropes at Movenpick Singapore which belonged to her late husband. She came into her own with the opening of Flamenco Spanish restaurant in 1995, setting the imagination of local food lovers alight with her signature paella, tapas and Spanish wine selection.

After that stellar decade, Angie took a short break before she pivoted into the restaurant consulting business. To date, she was instrumental in the successful openings of Sentidos Tapas at Starhill, and EQ Kuala Lumpur’s Sky 51 and Blue.

The passionate cook relishes being back in the thick of the kitchen action at Tifa. “Seeing people enjoy my cooking gives me great satisfaction. I also love taking care of my guests, and at Tifa, it’s like having friends over except we're in a restaurant environment. I enjoy the freedom and flexibility to curate menus to suit my guests’ preferences; I can customise dishes based on their food intolerances, dietary requirements, and budget. All I need is advance notice so that I’d have enough time to buy the ingredients and prepare whatever’s necessary. I believe people can have a good meal without paying the earth for it.”

As proof, Angie serves good-value lunch deals on weekdays (12pm-3pm) priced from RM25++ upwards per person at Tifa. Her four-course menu degustation starts from RM148++ per person (by advance reservations only).

We are astounded by the pretty as a picture appetiser: the succulent salmon slices with avocado cream and pine nuts tastes as good as they look.

The subsequent forest mushroom soup is lightly creamy with the discernible aroma of truffle oil. Grilled sliced boletus mushroom, cherry tomatoes and edible flowers piled atop a long slice of toast lend colour and textural contrast.

Less is more seems to be Angie’s approach for main courses. She has mango-red capsicum salsa bestowing subtle fruity sweetness to the smoked chicken breast with pommery mustard cream whilst a full-bodied Rioja is used to braise beef cheeks, suffusing the tender chunks of meat with rich, deep flavours. Accompanied by silky mashed potato, the dish leaves us replete.

Her artisan dessert is whimsically delightful to bring the curtains down on your visit to Tifa. Depending on her inclination, it could be a new-fangled black forest cake in the shape of a luscious, oversized ‘cherry’ atop crumbly chocolate ‘soil’, walnuts and fresh strawberries or a pink, heart-shaped lychee-raspberry mascarpone with chocolate flakes and cookie crumble.

Angie says, “I can rustle up whatever my customers fancy as long as they give me enough time to prepare before their intended visit or any occasion they plan to celebrate. Let me work around your budget and expectations. Anything is possible at Tifa.”

TIFA KL, Ground Floor, KL Trillion, 338, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 017-358 1338. Business hours: Monday – Saturday 11am to 11pm (last order 9.30pm). Closed on Sunday.