‘TIS THE SEASON OF FEASTS AT EQ

 

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year in true gourmet style as EQ Kuala Lumpur rolls out a dazzling line-up of festive dining, gifting, and celebration experiences.

 
The festivities begin with a Thanksgiving BBQ Brunch (RM168 per adult) at Étoile on 30 November 2025. Hearty roasts and other tempting goodies set the tone for a deliciously indulgent session.

Christmas spirit comes alive with a splendid Christmas Eve BBQ Dinner (RM168 per adult) whilst Festive Meat and Seafood Platters (from RM138 upwards) take the limelight on Christmas Day. Sizzling grilled delights and ocean-fresh bounty prepared for convivial feasting with family and friends.

Over at Nipah, the holiday spread highlights a daily Festive Buffet Lunch (RM168 per adult, RM84 per child aged 6–12) and Weekend Buffet Dinner (RM188 per adult, RM94 per child) throughout December. Perennial specialities such as Roast Wagyu Bone Beef Shank, Roast Tom Turkey, Whole Poached Salmon, Lobster Pasta, Cold Cuts and Terrines among others evoke the joy of year-end holidays and cordial reunions.

 
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, lavish buffets brimming with roasts, local favourites, and international specialties beckon. Priced at RM288 per adult, RM144 per child for the Christmas Eve Dinner, and RM228 per adult, RM114 per child for the Christmas Day Lunch.

Festive themed sweets and savouries decking Bottega Lounge’s Dolce Vita Afternoon Tea (from RM99 per person) are made merrier with an optional add-on of two glasses of Bottega Prosecco or cocktails (RM108 per set).

 
Japanese fine dining enthusiasts can look forward to relishing Kampachi’s sumptuous Five-Course Christmas Eve Omakase Dinner (RM588 per person) featuring premium seasonal ingredients. More extravagance can be savoured at the Christmas Day Brunch Buffet (RM288 per adult, RM98 per child). Notable morsels may include Datemaki Sweet Roll Omelette, Kazunoko Herring Roe, Nissin Kumbumaki (Dried Herring Rolled in Kelp), and Hokkaido Scallop Wasabi Sauce and Ikura. 

 
Ascend to culinary heights at Sabayon, where the Christmas Eve Five-Course Dinner promises a truly refined experience. Choose from window seats (RM888 per person), main dining hall (RM788 per person) or private dining (RM688 per person), and elevate the evening with champagne from the bubbly trolley (from RM888 per bottle).

 
The magic continues with Chalet Christmas Day Lunch (RM308 per adult, RM154 per child) and a Christmas Day Five-Course Dinner (RM688 per person for window seats, RM588 for regular seats). 

 
For at-home celebrations, EQ’s gourmet holiday roasts are the ultimate showstoppers. Hosts with the most can select from grand centerpieces of Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing (RM128/kg) and Christmas Goose (RM158/kg) to Beef Wellington (RM568/kg), Bone-in Australian Wagyu (RM188/kg), Baked Lamb Leg (RM118/kg) and Lobster Mayonnaise (RM438 for 700g) for their office or home parties.

 
In addition, a sparkling collection of beautifully wrapped hampers, artisanal biscuits, and luscious cakes from the Lobby Christmas Shop will dial up the holiday cheer.

 
For order & enquiries, WhatsApp: 012-583 5319 or email: dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com | Download the Holiday Spirit catalogue from the EQ Hotel website for full festive menus and details.
 

CHEF KAZUO TAKIZAWA’S NEW GRAND MENU AT ZIPANGU

 

Chef Kazuo Takizawa’s new Grand Menu at Zipangu reads like a love letter to the seasons of Japan, gently kissed with the flavours of Malaysia.

Thoughtfully composed like a haiku, the meal begins with a whisper — a cool, textured tumble of Salmon and Avocado, slick with salted kelp and wasabi soy sauce. It arrives atop a crisp rice cracker lined with fried nori, a poetic symphony of flavour and crunch.

The richness of salmon gives way to the clean zingy note of wasabi, while the umaminess of kelp hums softly in the background like a distant tide. It’s the kind of dish that makes you pause between bites, out of reverence.

Then comes a heartwarming bowl of Chicken and Vegetable Miso Soup that feels like slipping into a cherished coat in the heart of winter. The broth is gentle, faintly smoky. The chicken—salt-marinated, grilled, then eased into the miso—lends depth whilst young corn, lotus root, and shimeji mushrooms tumble through the comforting broth. Takizawa-san calls it “home-style” and it resonates with us.

 

Spicy Salmon Zanmai Roll arrives next, lush with layer upon layer of salmon: raw, cooked, and jewelled with pearly roe. Cucumber, surimi and egg make this sushi roll indulgent without being boastful, the touch of sriracha leaving a gentle glow rather than a blaze. A sip of cold Junmai Daiginjo sake draws the flavours together—clean and fleeting.

The signature mains emerge as a quartet of restrained brilliance. There is the familiar Black Cod Teriyaki and Japanese White Radish yet the fried cod, a nod to Malaysian tastes, holds greater allure thanks to the daikon steeped in Takizawa’s own blend of dashi and teriyaki sauce. A dish updated for its audience without compromising its heritage.

The Grilled Bluefin Tuna Collar is a study in devotion and sustainability. Sourced from a humongous 80kg fish, the collar—often overlooked—is treated with the kind of care and respect reserve for something sacred. 

Marinated in sake, doubanjiang (spicy bean sauce), ginger and secret herbs, then grilled, the rich and meaty tuna collar flesh tastes faintly of the ocean’s depths: hints of minerality mingled with whispers of oyster and brine, soothed by the gentle sweetness of capsicum in a lush, complex sauce.

For me, the conversation-stopper has to be the A5 Japanese Halal Omi Wagyu Tenderloin. Cooked simply, perfectly with a dash of salt—seared until just charred outside, but pink and yielding within.

 
Each bite is warm velvet. On the side, there are fried garlic chips, mustard, wasabi, and a Japanese steak sauce—unnecessary but delightful if variation is called for. Grilled vegetables lend a gentle counterpoint. This is the kind of breath-taking dish that leaves you in awed silence at such masterful culinary perfection.

 
Finally, the crescendo of heat: a Spicy Chicken Curry unlike any you’ll find in Japan. It has swagger, warmth that builds and lingers. Takizawa uses a 30-year-old recipe, refined and reworked with Malaysian heat. The chicken, braised with leek, is tender; the spices—paprika, ginger, garlic—meld into a bold, unapologetic chorus.

Sweetness to soften the ending is Yuzu Sorbet. Icy and fragrant, the yuzu sings—sharp, floral, clean with a kind of silken poise renders by a sticky, almost translucent starch syrup woven through it for unexpected elegance.

In the hands of Chef Kazuo Takizawa, every plate from Zipangu’s Grand Menu tells a story—seasonal and soulful. Each creation soothes as much as it stirs.

For reservations at Zipangu, call tel: 03-2032 2388. Address: Level 1, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail, KL. https://www.facebook.com/shangrilaKL