BREAK FAST WITH CULINA BISTRO’S FESTIVE FEASTS

As a restaurant rooted in European classics, Culina Bistro weaves commendable local flavours into its culinary repertoire, befitting the season of Ramadan.

From 23 February to 19 March, the bistro offers two set menus alongside an à la carte selection for buka puasa. The four-course Festive Feast for two (RM198) is a sensible option structured with restraint and balance.

The meal opens with Oxtail Soup, made from Australian oxtail simmered in a lightly spiced broth. Carrot, celery and potato lend natural sweetness and body, while the collagen-rich oxtail is cooked to yielding tenderness.

Roti Jala follows; its lace-like crêpes made to order on the griddle then rolled neatly. Paired with a creamy, aromatic potato curry, the dish offers textural contrast: soft, airy folds against a warmly spiced sauce.

Available at a supplementary charge, appetisers such as Crab Cakes (+RM70), Pandan Chicken (+RM30), Seafood Tempura (+RM50) and Beef Bergedil (+RM50) cater to those seeking something richer or more indulgent to start with.

For mains, choose two main courses from a line-up that reflects Culina’s hybrid identity: Ayam Percik, Beef Pizza, Butter Chicken, Clam Aglio Olio or Prawn Spaghetti.

The Ayam Percik is particularly noteworthy. Using organic, antibiotic-free lacto chicken, the meat is marinated for 24 hours with galangal, lemongrass and a measured blend of spices before being grilled in a Mibrasa charcoal oven. The result is succulent flesh beneath lightly charred skin, with a nice smokiness infused into the spice paste. It's a complete and substantial meal when partnered with nasi jagung (corn rice) and some zesty, crunchy achar (carrot and cucumber pickles).

Handmade fresh to order, the delectable Beef Pizza attests to the kitchen’s grounding in European techniques. 

The crust emerges properly blistered and crisp at the edges, spread with a savoury, slightly piquant sauce. Pepper-crusted beef slices, mushrooms and capsicum are applied with a generous albeit disciplined hand, allowing each component to shine through.

Desserts lean toward familiar comfort with regional nuance. Options include a Pandan Crêpe (+RM10), Flourless Chocolate Cake (+RM28), Kueh Bakar with coconut ice cream, Soft Serve Sulawesi Vanilla (+RM10), or a Dessert of the Day (+RM10).

The Pandan Crêpe is a contemporary riff of kuih ketayap — tender-soft pancake filled with candied grated coconut and cream. Accompanied by coconut ice cream and a scattering of crumbs for texture, it wraps the meal up on a nostalgic yet modern note.

Situated within The Shoppes at Four Seasons Place, the concept at Culina merges gourmet market and bistro with tasteful coherence. Premium meats from Australia, New Zealand and Korea, seafood from France, artisanal cheeses, olive oils and baking provisions are displayed across specialty counters — from butchery to delicatessen. Diners may even select cuts or seafood from the retail section to be prepared à la minute by the Culina team, an approach that underscores transparency and ingredient confidence.

Open daily from 11.30am to 9.30pm (last order 9pm), Culina Bistro offers a thoughtful Ramadan experience; anchored in good produce and adept techniques, with just enough festivity to mark the fasting month season without losing its culinary compass.

For reservations at Culina Bistro, call tel: 03-2779 7313. Address: B1, Shoppes at Four Seasons Place, 145, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

GET SET FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR AT EQ

It was love at first bite the minute we savoured the Apple Wood Smoked Chicken Roulade with Barbecue Sauce. Served with Mashed Potato and Mixed Mesclun Lettuce, the show-stealer is one of Golden Phoenix’s Chinese New Year (CNY) menu specialities.

Light barbecue sauce enhanced the smoky-briny chicken roll whilst creamy potato mash and toasted sesame dressing laced mixed mesclun lettuce salad lent a refreshing spin to the dish.

The first salvo opened with a 10-head Abalone Yee Sang to herald a boisterous start for the impending Snake Year. Yee sang choices at EQ this year range from Norwegian salmon and jellyfish to advance orders of fresh Canadian geoduck and Austrian lobster. Portions start from RM128 for a small serving (4-6 persons), to RM668 for a large portion (6-10 persons).

 

Drawing from its 50-year-old culinary heritage, Golden Phoenix returns annually for Chinese New Year as a pop-up, serving familiar classics as well as debuting new dishes for the Year of the Snake.

 

Soul-satisfying umami flavours from Double Boiled Chicken Soup with Matsutake Mushroom and Fish Maw warmed our hearts and tummies with every sip. We relished the assorted ingredients’ contrasting textures and their warm, rustic depths.

Hot on its heels came Steamed Tiger Grouper with Cordycep Flowers and Red Dates. The fish’s fine flesh flaunted on-point doneness; its subtle sweetness dialled up by plump red dates with earthy cordyceps flowers providing textural variation.

More of the appetising dark soya sauce would have ensured the Fried Tiger Prawns with Dark Soya Sauce leave a more robust impact. Luckily that element can easily be adjusted.

 

Little ‘money bags’ – fried tofu skin pouches filled with diced water chestnuts, carrots and seafood – amped up the festive speciality of Braised Sea Cucumber with Dried Oysters and Sea Moss. The smooth, translucent sea moss-laden sauce sheathing the sea cucumber’s slippery supple texture was notable. Hints of the ocean emerged as we sampled the dried oysters.

Instead of melding seamlessly, the subsequent Braised Seafood with Noodles in Crab Meat Sauce tasted disparate. Also, the noodle strands appeared disconcertingly short and dry, making this particular offering underwhelming.

Things went swimmingly well with the fish-shaped Golden Phoenix Rice Cake. Accompanied by a delicate Baked Peony Lotus Seed Paste Pastry and a bowl of winsome Chilled White Peach with White Fungus and Red Dates, these dessert treats drew rave reviews.

The Hong Kong-style rice cake had some crushed peanuts and desiccated coconut to dial up its taste. Top marks for the paper-thin layers of lotus seed paste pastry too.

 

Golden Phoenix’s celebratory set menus will be available for the Reunion meal. The Happy Reunion menu is priced at RM288+ per person, Prosperous Atmosphere menu at RM388+ per person, Wealth Treasures menu at RM488+ per person, and Great Prosperity menu priced at RM688+ per person. A vegetarian menu, priced at RM188+ per person, is also available.

For more information, contact EQ Kuala Lumpur via https://www.eqkualalumpur.equatorial.com/chinese-new-year/