culinary patriotism
Malaysiaku, a new contemporary Malay heritage menu at The St Regis Kuala Lumpur, will debut on August 8, 30 and September 12 to celebrate Merdeka, Malaysia Day and Visit Malaysia 2020. This 6-course gastronomical ode to the country’s 13 states takes place at Crystal, the hotel’s rooftop restaurant.
Priced at RM322+ per person, the hotel’s Malay chefs – chef de cuisine Norazizi bin Taslim, Malay banquet chef Ridzwan bin Mohamed Rasit, and pastry sous chef Azizul Bistaman – have created a dinner near and dear to their hearts, taking creative liberties to reinterpret dishes from their childhood.
This journey across the country begins at Terengganu, Selangor and Sarawak that arrive in the form of amuse bouche labelled as “salad and kerabu”. From Peninsular Malaysia’s East Coast, there’s wagyu beef kerabu top hat with lemongrass, fern leaf, chilli and coriander. Chicken “sate” skewers topped with serunding carries the flag for Selangor, while lobster umai-umai daun kaduk, essentially a Malay-style ceviche mixed with onions and chillies, represents Sarawak.
SEE ALSO: Bid On These 54 Bottles Of Rare Japanese Whisky
Smoked alaskan king crab otak-otak – a twist on a popular pasar malam snack from Kempas, Johor – is the sole appetiser on the menu. The restaurant’s version, is made with garlic coconut mayo, coriander, tomato agar-agar and mango salsa, served on a bed of smoke.
The humble sup mamak ayam kampung from the culinary rich state of Penang is another great addition. The chef’s take on this crowd favourite boils village chicken for three hours, incorporating cinnamon, cumin, fennel seeds, fried shallots and pearls of potato and carrot into a hearty broth. Chicken roulade topped with a crispy chicken skin cracker completes the dish.
READ MORE: Results: The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Winners
For the mains, a trio of dishes is served alongside Bukit Bintang-style biryani rice. The state of Perak is represented by beef short rib rendang tok, braised for six hours, while Negeri Sembilan’s dish is Mambau smoked lamb, served in a spicy coconut turmeric gravy infused with bird’s eye chilli. Pekasam red mullet, cured for 24 hours and topped with roasted white rice, is a Perlis specialty.
The culinary journey seemingly comes to an end at Melaka, a contemporary take on the beloved onde-onde. A chocolate onde-onde sphere, containing pandan mousse, is served with melted coconut milk and gula Melaka to create a visual and oral treat.
Lastly, there’s the petit four – representing Kedah, Pahang, Kelantan and Sabah with compressed caramel peanut, honey jackfruit chocolate mousse, asam boi ice and crunchy peanut candy respectively.
