SHANGRI-LA KUALA LUMPUR SHOWCASES MALAYSIAN HERITAGE CUISINE

Certified as Malaysia’s first five-star Malaysian Heritage Cuisine Hotel by Jabatan Warisan Negara (Department of National Heritage), Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur will showcase its specially curated Malaysian Heritage Cuisine Menu at The Lobby Lounge starting now until the end of 2026.

The Seribu Satu Rasa, Satu Warisan launch was officiated by YB Datuk Khairul Firdaus bin Akbar Khan, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Also present at the event were YBhg. Encik Mohamad Muda bin Bahadin, Director General of Jabatan Warisan Negara; Mr. Samuel Lee Thai Hung, Deputy Director General (Promotion II), Tourism Malaysia; and Mr. Sharin Mokhtar, Deputy Director General (Planning), Tourism Malaysia.

Six Shangri-La KL chefs went through formal training on the preparation of authentic Malaysian heritage dishes with Dato’ Chef Ismail Ahmad, Head of Heritage Cuisine at Jabatan Warisan Negara.

The Malaysian Heritage Cuisine initiative is part of Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur’s 40th Anniversary celebration and a heartfelt tribute to Malaysia’s rich, diverse, and dynamic food legacy as the Hotel gears up for Visit Malaysia 2026.

“Our aim is to enable hotel guests and foreign visitors to enjoy a genuine taste of Malaysia’s soul through Malaysian Heritage Cuisine, weaving together stories of heritage, migration, and celebration” said Daniel Kaeflein, General Manager of Shangri-La KL.

 

Available at The Lobby Lounge, the Malaysian Breakfast (7am -11am) tempts food-loving guests with Nasi Lemak Bungkus (banana leaf wrapped packets of steamed coconut milk rice with sambal, fried anchovies, sliced cucumber, hard-boiled egg and roasted peanuts), Roti Canai (flaky Indian flatbread eaten with lentil curry), Nyonya Curry Laksa (noodles in spicy curry gravy) and Kaya Toast (toasted bread slices with coconut and egg jam) with Soft Boiled Eggs. The Breakfast Culture in Malaysia has been certified as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

More typical Malaysian fare such as Nasi Dagang, Rendang Tok, Roti Jala with Chicken Curry, Laksa Utara (northern style thick rice noodles in tangy fish and tamarind broth and topped with shredded cucumber, pineapple, onion, fresh mint and torch ginger flower), Chicken Rice (poached chicken with fragrant oil flavoured rice and sliced cucumber), Nasi Goreng Kampung (fried rice) and Sup Tulang (lightly spiced beef broth) beckons in the All Day Dining menu (11am – 930pm).

Local snacks and dessert: Colek Buah-Buahan (Malaysian fruit salad tossed with spicy sweet sauce of belacan (prawn paste), sugar, chilli paste and tamarind juice; Cucur Udang (deep-fried chive and prawn fritters accompanied by sweetish chilli dip), Goreng Pisang (fried banana fritters), Cucur Nyiur (coconut fritter balls with palm sugar syrup) and Pulut Serawa Durian (glutinous rice with creamy sweet durian broth) are also included.

To complete the experience, traditional beverages such as Teh Tarik, Kopi Susu, Kopi O, Kopi C, Teh Susu, Teh O, Teh C, Cham, MILO Ais, Teh Halia, and Malaysian Syrup will be served.

 

For dining reservations and inquiries, please contact Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03 2786 2378 or email: enquiries at dining.kl@shangri-la.com

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