Across two days in Kuala Lumpur, a dinner organised by Evian—the natural mineral water sourced from the French Alps—showcased a wealth of culinary craft backgrounded by its unmistakable waters. The chief protagonists were chef Darren Chin of one-Michelin-starred DC Restaurant (where dinner was held), and Evian’s own ambassador chef Arnaud Dunand Sauthier of Maison Dunand, a contemporary French fine dine that currently holds one Michelin star in Bangkok.
Dunand, whose previous stint was at the fabled Le Normandie in Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok—long a bastion for French cuisine in the city—also has the distinction of hailing from the Savoie region of France where Evian is produced. In his introduction of Evian’s latest release into the market, its sparkling natural spring water, he speaks of the drink’s very low sodium content and its “very thin bubbles” that make it an ideal companion to fine dining. “I like to drink sparkling water, but some producers make the bubbles too thick, which leads to the sensation of being full,” he said. “This one, with its fine sparkles, is perfect.”
With that as an inducement, and promise of the menu ahead, the seven-course dinner swung into action with each chef alternating dishes that rode on the themes of global cuisine, French flair and Malaysian soul. Dunand’s opener of snow crab paired with shellfish, broad beans and a delicious ikura-accented cream led the way. Next came the locavore-inflected Banana Blossom by Chin, whose aged banana vinegar and roasted coconut added frisson to juicy gambero rosso prawn, garnished with flowers and herbs.
Back to Dunand and his proposal of a caviar on a champagne sauce, obscuring a bed of potato and uni. Then came Chin’s Songkhla river prawn on yellow curry bisque paired with Langit black rice, which swung the gastronomic pendulum back to Asia. What followed was Dunand’s Irish duck with seasonal zucchini, which introduced the palate to new chewy textures of an unmistakable duck jus and elemental olives, tomatoes, Italian goat cheese and lemon.
To wrap things up, DC Restaurant’s pastry chef Hazel Chan took the stage with her renditions of Violet—a smoky sweet potato ice-cream with gula melaka—and Extraordinary Chocolate with Patrick Rogar, the latter being a Parisian-based chocolatier who collaborated with DC Restaurant, featuring shiitake chocolate ganache, black sesame streusel and light choc siphon mousse.
“It was an honour for DC Restaurant to host this unique collaborative effort between Evian, chef Dunand and myself,” Chin said. “The one-of-a-kind fusion dishes that we created were an astounding success, judging from the numerous feedback we received from our guests over the two nights. Together, we created dishes that were not only a testament to our respective culinary philosophies, but were also elevated by the subtle, crisp character of Evian natural mineral water and refined Evian sparkling water. These waters complemented our creations and added that spark that brought our dishes to the next level.”
As for Dunand, his enduring memory of this two-day culinary affair has whetted his curiosity for Malaysia. “Working with chef Chin made me realise that so much of his cuisine is influenced from this region and Malaysia, which I would personally like to discover more of.”
Photography: Marcus Wong / MV Perspective
Additional photography courtesy of Evian
