It’s not everyday you get the opportunity to enjoy a meal prepared by a Michelin calibre chef in Malaysia, let alone one with two Michelin stars to his name. Enter chef Alex Dilling – the chef Patron of Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal in London who is currently in KL for his guest residency at EQ hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Sabayon. Chef Alex’s modern interpretation of traditional French gastronomy earned him two Michelin stars just seven months after opening the restaurant. Now everyone in the foodie world will know what an amazing feat this is which just goes to show the amazing prowess of his skills.
Sabayon at EQ Hotel
Sabayon is situated on the top floor of Sky51, offering breathtaking views of Kuala Lumpur and the Petronas Twin Towers. The dramatic high ceilings create a luxurious ambience, and I can’t think of a better setting for Chef Alex Dilling’s residency. Dilling’s residency at Sabayon will see dinner services spread throughout his 10-day stint, limited to only 50 guests a night. The event will also feature a collaboration with Barons de Rothschild, making the hotel the exclusive venue to experience the House’s Rare Collection Blanc de Blancs 2012. This champagne will be presented in a curated box to celebrate the hotel’s 50th anniversary.
Sabayon x Alex Dilling: the menu
There are two dinner menus available, one being a vegetarian option. There are 6 courses in total and these were the dishes we had.
Selection of breads – To start, we were offered a beautiful selection of freshly baked breads (sourdough, pretzel or baguette) served with Bordier butter and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. I had to control myself as I obviously wanted to save space for the main dishes but trust me, it will be hard to resist.
Aged Kaluga caviar – Right after, a tin was placed in front of us and when the server opened it up, it was the most beautiful sight ever! Aged Kaluga caviar on top a smoked salmon rilette, decorated beautifully with edible gold foil and flowers. This was eaten atop fluffy crumpets and pickled cucumbers. The rich, buttery, gentle earthy flavour of the caviar enhanced and complemented the other ingredients perfectly. What an explosion of flavours and a banging start to the mains!
Wild mushroom macaroni gratin – This dish was made with 36-month aged Parmesan, black truffle, wild mushrooms and Vin jaune (French yellow wine) sauce so you can imagine how intense the flavours were yet it was not overpowering. So moreish, I loved every bite.
Fun fact: I heard Chef Alex wanted a specific brand of macaroni from Italy (only the best quality for his dishes!) and so they had to import in hundreds of kilos of macaroni for this residency! Totally worth it though as the texture and taste of the macaroni was cooked to perfection.
Olive oil-poached black cod – The cod was served with smoked eel consommé, marinated turnip and of course, more caviar! The cod was buttery and sweet with a nice flaky but firm texture and when eaten together with the smoked eel consommé and caviar, it was a match made in heaven. The consommé made it such a warm hearty dish.
Hunter chicken – Now this dish I was most excited about as it is Chef Alex’s signature dish, which he still serves in his London restaurant. Inspired by chicken Cacciatore, this was the pièce de résistance for me. Chicken breast wrapped in a layer of mushrooms, and then wrapped in a mousseline of chicken, glazed in chicken jus and caramelised across the top. Completing it is an Albufera sauce which is a mixture of chicken juices and Madeira. How will I ever have chicken breast elsewhere again, I don’t know. This dish came with a side salad and pomme purée that was the silkiest, most buttery mash I’ve ever had.
Tainori chocolate – Sweet endings came in the form of Tainori chocolate (like a super fancy chocolate tart) paired with sourdough ice cream (a first for me!), salted caramel and Pedro Ximenes sabayon. As a chocolate lover, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was definitely not “too sweet”. It was the perfect end to this wonderful dining experience.
Sabayon x Alex Dilling is happening from 4 to 15 June 2024, with dinner services only. The main menu is priced at RM1,200+ per person, whereas the vegetarian menu is priced at RM850+.
For those looking to experience Alex Dilling’s takeover of Sabayon at EQ Kuala Lumpur, visit this link to find out more.
We were invited by EQ Hotel. As always, our opinions are honest and our own.
