Epicureans whose fine tastes extend to luxury watches might be familiar with Swiss watchmaker Maximilian Büsser & Friends. After working with major manufactures, Büsser formed MB&F to rediscover the sheer joy and creativity of avant-garde watchmaking by pursuing passion projects with renowned artisans and engineers.
A similar philosophy weaves through the Friends Series by Eat and Cook, an omakase-style Malaysian gem that won the American Express One to Watch Award as part of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022. Chefs Lee Zhe Xi and Soh Yong Zhi launched the Friends Series to work with peers from around the world and to experiment with local ingredients, unusual recipes and interesting techniques.
A recent highlight of this series is their recent collaboration with Sabah-born and Australian-bred Esca Khoo, whose stints with idols such as René Redzepi and André Chiang can be faintly traced in his inventive ‘neo-Asian’ fare. His most recognised dish as head chef at Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne’s Miss Mi restaurant was barbecued kangaroo satay glazed with Vegemite and served with macadamia sauce. It was known as “Half my life in Malaysia, half my life in Australia”—a witty mouthful by name and nature.
The 10-course Eat and Cook x Esca Khoo menu was a showcase of Malaysian ingredients paired with Australian techniques and wines that ran for just one weekend. In true omakase fashion, guests place their evenings entirely in the hands of the chefs. “The only decision you have to make at Eat and Cook is if you want to dine at The Stage or The Table—we’ll take care of the rest,” Lee said. While small groups might prefer the private dining setup of The Table, the aptly-named Stage is the heart of the action, comprising a U-shaped dining counter wrapped around the chefs’ island for unobstructed views of the maestros at work.
These were the best seats in the house to watch the first course assembled, a quartet of snacks served in a silver tray playfully lined with newspaper: a cracker dolloped with nutmeg milk puree, aged mackerel bottarga and a medley of ulam; the dewy crunch of a jicama “cup” to contrast the tangy filling of fermented red dates blended with anchovies and peanuts; glutinous rice cake with well-marinated ikan kembong curled around a mound of dabai paste; and whole grain pancake with roasted bread fruit elevated with the slight heat of chili.
The flavours and textures were wide-ranging and complementary—rich and indulgent, herbaceous, lightly fatty, then punchy and spicy. Under the guidance of the crew in this interactive dining experience, guests were whisked through a meal that was both fun and educational. Local ingredients were unconventionally treated throughout. Tilapia was aged for seven days and served with sour fruits in an essence of chicken fat and scallops. Carrots were lacto-fermented for piquancy and mixed with root vegetables in a sea bream broth. Stingray was slow-cooked into a flavourful collagen emulsion to thicken a ginger and squid ink curry, to be twirled with herb noodles. River eel cooked à la unagi and finished on charcoal, served on claypot heirloom rice braised with lamb fat and a béarnaise sauce on the side.
Each dish was a parade of expertise and experimentation, right down to a dessert of kedondong and sour plum sorbet on crushed ice laced with tapai and pandan coconut jelly, topped with sour cream infused with kelulut honey. Lee, Soh, and Khoo lent their individual je ne sais quoi and collective irreverence towards rules to every recipe, creating a journey of Malaysian flavours unlike any other with Eat and Cook x Esca Khoo.
Eat and Cook’s Friends Series is a thrilling collaboration of perspectives, ideas and tastes. While waiting for the next edition and new guest chef, consider checking out the Childhood Memories menu by in-house talents Chef Yong and Farid, which will run until 28 May 2023.
