Ong Chin Huat gets a preview tasting of the brand new menu at Curate in the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
Despite what everyone else did or didn’t do during the lockdown, one thing’s for sure – the culinary team at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur certainly didn’t lie idle during the lockdown. Debuting a brand new menu at the end of August at Curate, it’s obvious Executive Chef Junious Dickerson and his team put to good use all the free time they had while the world was dealing with the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the Four Seasons Hotel never closed completely during the lockdown which started in the middle of March as they had some long-staying guests. The restaurants were closed except for in-room dining, and this gave Chef Junious and his team plenty of time to experiment and refine their culinary skills.
The result today is a brand new and mouth-watering menu at Curate, which reflects Chef Junious’ own personal culinary history. “I combined my own style of cooking which is from the deep south in the USA with local Malaysian ingredients,” he reveals. “Our new dishes in this brand new menu is a labour of love for all of us…we have recreated classic dishes that are familiar yet intrigue curiosity and drive innovation that appeals to all generations.”
Chef Junious, who hails from Virginia in the USA proffers his Fried Chicken & Waffle dish which ticks all the right taste buds with tasty buttermilk waffle, salted egg fried chicken, pickled Jalapeno gravy, okra and Tabasco infused Kelutut honey. Inspired by his grandmother’s recipe, this interpretation of southern soul food is as satiating for the stomach as it is for the soul.
Other chefs from this uber-luxurious hotel who have contributed to the eclectically diverse menu at Curate include Chef Raman Durairajan who came up with the gratifying Biryani dish consisting of a choice of chicken, prawn, seafood or lamb smothered in aromatic spices and served on layered basmati rice.
The Mixed Tandoori Platter which serves four, is a smorgasbord of flavourful components such as Mackerel Tikka, Lasooni Prawns, Lobster Tails, Shish Kebab, Raita, Dhal Makhani and Garlic Chili Naan. But remember not to order any appetizers beforehand because this is a feast to fill you to the max!
Chef Matt from Sarawak has also upped the ante with his renditions of Malaysian favourites, albeit with elements of luxury thrown in. Who would have thought that the popular Malaysian dish of Nasi Lemak could be reimagined with the most delectable seafood such as Sabah lobster, scallops, mussels and prawns? Another local favourite to get Chef Matt’s deft treatment is the 8 Hour Braised Beef Short Rib Rendang.
As its name implies, succulent and juicy short rib beef is braised for over eight hours to achieve the optimum tenderness and spice infusion. This well-loved and much sought-after dish is taken to the next level in terms of flavour and aroma, especially when eaten with steamed Lemang (glutinous rice made with coconut milk and salt), air-dried beef Serunding (beef floss) and smoked peanut sauce Acar (vegetable pickle.)
And if all these tantalizing dishes have left you thirsty, fret not! There is a new drinks menu available too, with a specially created cocktail named Trend Setter, a variation on the Old Fashioned.
Meat lovers are not forgotten because the pièce de résistance of the entire new menu must be the MB6 Wagyu Tomahawk. Prepared to perfection and served with Yorkshire Pudding, creamed broccoli gratin, glazed baby carrots, salt-crusted Hasselback potatoes and a freshly prepared sauce using pestle and mortar. A selection of other sauces such as truffle mustard, Sarawak Black Pepper or Béarnaise makes a meal and a half, to say the least.
And if there is any room left, do try the Durian Cheese Cake which uses the legendary Musang King durian and is served with coconut ice cream. The Golden Banana Fritters will ensure that your craving for something crunchy and creamy at the end of your meal is fulfilled while the Mango Kulfi is a refreshing palate cleanser.
“Our main objective in creating the new menu was to give the food a soul and to ignite the senses with flavour bombs.” Chef Junious concludes at the end of the evening, and if the empty plates at the end of the meal was anything to go by, he and his team succeeded brilliantly.
For further information on the new menu at Curate, please visit www.fourseasons.com/kualalumpur/.
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