There are some things I got here to study Chef Chin after eating at Shu KL: he features at a minimum of 100%, by no means settles, and he loves the ladies in his life. That is additionally reflective of the meals he serves on the restaurant, which has been calling the rooftop of Menara IMC house for shut to 2 years now.
I used to be there to strive their menu—Diaspora Journey—exploring the motion of the Chinese language diaspora, from Chin’s ancestral lineage in China all the way in which right here in Malaysia. Oh, and he additionally ensures that you just by no means depart so unfulfilled that you just’d need a second spherical on the mamak downstairs—his arch enemy.
As I research the menu in entrance of me, a number of objects soar out in familiarity: lei cha, steamed pomfret within the Teochew model, guava with bitter plum powder—I’ll quickly discover out that what could be served in entrance of me is extraordinarily totally different from the meals that I do know and am accustomed to. That is additionally one other factor I learnt about Chin: he enjoys difficult views.
Shu KL is small however comfy, fancy with the white tablecloths but cosy with the open kitchen whose cooks hold a watchful eye, wandering over with the following course and able to clarify each element about the way it was ready. The camaraderie right here is real, with restaurant supervisor Shaun sharing particulars about how a sure dish was made (after which remade, with a number of previous variations always being tweaked to perfection). I’m advised that what I’m having will not be the identical as the following or earlier time, as Chin is at all times on the lookout for methods to make it higher.
Take, for instance, the trio of snacks introduced to me firstly of our dinner: lei cha, egg fudge with chilli crunch, and braised, roasted peanuts. Simple, but undeniably so. The lei cha—a traditional vegetarian dish of Hakka descent—was served in a pai tee. The “egg fudge” was, actually, a polo bun with housemade “Lao Gan Ma” folded in egg yolk.
Bursting with flavour, the “bun” was crunchy, making for fairly the enjoyable texture. In the meantime, the braised peanuts paid homage to the kind of appetiser you’d get earlier than a Chinese language banquet meal. I used to be advised that there had been a number of iterations of this snack, owing to the suggestions from former patrons. This model is shiny and glittery, wrapped in a stable gel-like part that has a silky peanut paste enveloped inside.
Experimentation within the Shu KL kitchen is vital, with Chin’s different workforce member, Chef Tee, main the fore. This was evident not simply within the dishes but additionally within the non-alcoholic drinks pairing we needed to go together with the tasting menu. Enjoyable reality: Chin doesn’t drink alcohol, and this non-alcoholic drinks pairing is an try to emulate wine flavours minus the excitement—one thing that I imagine extra folks will be capable to respect.
The “glowing wine” firstly of the meal was hawthorn syrup infused with soda, tingling and prepping the palate for what’s to return. Later throughout the meal, I’d additionally expertise extra savoury-forward drinks, just like the pineapple and tomato mixture with a outstanding texture and aroma of tomato. As I mentioned, experimentation is vital. So are appearances.
It was thrilling to see simply how Shu KL plans to reinterpret Chinese language dishes that we’re so accustomed to. The steamed pomfret for our first course was not even steamed.
There was pomfret—it was dry-aged and served uncooked, alongside consomme made with the pomfret bones and containing tomato, salted plum, and salted vegetable to emulate the sauces within the conventional Teochew dish. The second course—Rice—didn’t comprise rice.
Not within the apparent sense, that’s. The “rice” was current within the rice flour bread, served with olive leaves cooked down in pork fats into a really mild emulsion. The bread was a delight to eat; the feel was bouncy, and it was flavourful sufficient by itself.
However paired with the olive leaves, it was—for lack of a greater phrase—like crack. The olive leaves weren’t too overpowering as a result of the feel itself was mild, which was key in protecting the dish collectively.
Flavour City was not the one vacation spot right here at Shu KL. Texture performs an necessary function, too. That’s why, for his or her third course, they wished one thing with a crisp-crunchy texture.
This was achieved with pickled beetroot surrounding black garlic tofu puree. Beneath this gorgeous association is jellyfish—the cornerstone of crunchy textures.
Completed off with a cucumber dressing and chilli oil, this dish was a medley of pickle flavours balanced out by the cucumber dressing. The underrated star of the present, in my view, was the jellyfish, pulling the flavours and textures collectively.
Again on flavour city for the fourth course, we discover yellow wine, which has been given the motive force’s seat on this dish. Aka ebi (Argentine crimson shrimp), razor clams, and scallops are aged in yellow wine.
Assembled on a plate and spritzed with yellow wine, it’s then adopted by a coronary heart butter sauce—nearly bisque-like—that additionally comprises yellow wine. It’s decadent however not cloying; the aged seafood and its freshness complement the butter sauce. We’re advised that it is a favorite dish amongst patrons of the previous, and we will see why.
As I discussed earlier than, Chin doesn’t let his visitors depart hungry. We had been shocked with a number of off-menu dishes, like this sturgeon roulade. Right here’s one other enjoyable reality—Shu KL’s restaurant supervisor Shaun, wears many hats, and one in every of them contains being a associate at T’LUR Caviar.
Sturgeon eggs could also be the principle product, however the fish itself is commonly discarded; most cooks don’t actually know what to do with the meat that’s deemed tough to deal with. Not at Shu KL, although.
The roulade was served with a sturgeon broth—smoky and barely creamy—and had a really bouncy consistency that was a delight to chew into. It was surprisingly mild in flavour regardless of what sturgeon meat is generally recognized for: sturdy and musty.
Then, it was time for the principle course: Bitter Plum, a tribute to Chin’s mom who loves the guava and assam boi combo. Nonetheless, it is a primary dish with pork; not a dessert. The pre-dessert comes later, which is a tribute to a different beloved girl in Chin’s life: his fiancee, who loves these cute little rice yogurt drinks. Dragonfruit sorbet is served with rice yogurt, a pleasant conclusion to a hefty primary of pork—and a shock duck dish—and a prelude to the precise dessert, which takes us again to the play on texture.
QQ is such a novel texture that the Western world doesn’t have; for Shu KL’s dessert, they whipped up a medley comprising dumplings, smoked coconut, and coconut cashew ice cream. It nearly tastes just like the dessert you’d get on the finish of a Chinese language banquet meal. Wealthy with out being cloying, with a number of bouncy, QQ texture from the mochi.
Deal with: Degree 8, Annexed Block, Menara IMC, 8 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur.
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This text was first seen on GRAZIA MY.
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