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Tatler Asia
29-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
What went down at the Tatler Best Takeover Series in Kuala Lumpur
Beta x August: A cross-straits celebration of heritage Photo 1 of 9 Chef Raymond, Chef Eric and Chef Hans (from left to right) Photo 2 of 9 Amouse Bouche by Beta Photo 3 of 9 Beta x August Photo 4 of 9 Chef Hans with the guests at Skillet Photo 5 of 9 Chef Raymond Tham with his creation Photo 6 of 9 Chef Hans at Skillet for the Beta x August dinner Photo 7 of 9 Chef Raymond Tham attending to his guests Photo 8 of 9 The iconic duo: Chef Raymond Tham and Chef Hans Christian Photo 9 of 9 Chef Hans and Chef Raymond with their teams August, one of Jakarta's most acclaimed fine dining restaurants, began as a quiet experiment during the pandemic—and quickly grew into a must-visit destination. At the heart of it is Chef Hans Christian, whose food reflects his roots, global travels and refined artistry. Expect flavours layered with nostalgia, elegance and soul—crafted with world-class technique and emotional resonance. Hans is especially known for turning childhood memories into culinary poetry. For the Tatler Best Takeover Series, Chef Hans teamed up with Chef Raymond Tham of Beta—a name synonymous with modern Malaysian fine dining. Known for redefining how the world sees Malaysian cuisine, Chef Raymond brings heritage, creativity and finesse to the plate, all while staying deeply rooted in local traditions. Held at Skillet, Beta's sister restaurant, this two-night dinner featured six sessions across the weekend and an exceptional menu that celebrated shared cultural roots and boundary-pushing execution. Menu highlights : Ubi Kemili with Kulim, Cured Duck & Manchego – Earthy Kelantan potatoes, house-cured duck prosciutto and shaved Manchego, finished with fragrant Kulim oil (truffle's wild Malaysian cousin). A warm, flavourful bridge between Malaysian terroir and modern European technique. Kuih Loyang 'Kolak' – A nostalgic Beta signature reimagined, inspired by Indonesia's beloved kolak dessert. Crisp kuih shells cradle creamy banana and palm sugar filling—a bite-sized love letter to both countries' culinary pasts. Read more: Tatler Best Takeover Series in KL: First look at the exclusive menus from Asia's star chefs and mixologists The Bars: KL meets Taipei in a reimagining of Asia's most exciting cocktail cultures Photo 1 of 5 Wiliam Wu at Reka:Bar Photo 3 of 5 William Wu explaining to guests about his drinks at Reka:Bar Photo 4 of 5 William Wu at Reka:Bar Photo 5 of 5 Braised Beef Gua Bao paired with The Tatler Best Takeover Series also shone a spotlight on two of Asia's most compelling mixologists in back-to-back sessions that left guests buzzing. On June 28, Reka:Bar played host to William Wu of Taipei's acclaimed The Public House, alongside KL's own Joel Poon. Together, they served a bold and poetic cocktail menu—from delicate floral blends to complex fermented infusions. Think osmanthus, rum, kombucha, lapsang tea and more—each drink a conversation between KL and Taipei, served in a glass. And it was not just the cocktails that had guests raving. Reka's bar snacks rose to the occasion too. The Braised Beef Gua Bao, stuffed with meltingly tender brisket, offered pure comfort between soft lotus buns. The Grilled Chicken Skewers, served with garlic confit aioli and basil oil, delivered punchy, balanced flavour—an unexpected star of the evening. And the Scallion Pancake, a nod to Taipei's street food scene, was crisp and flaky with just the right touch of sweetness from truffle honey—mirroring the ingredients found in William's cocktails and bringing the pairing full circle. Photo 1 of 5 Siti Norsuria, William Wu and Anderson Wu (from left to right) Photo 2 of 5 Lemon Balm & Pineapple by The Public House at The Silver Monkey Photo 3 of 5 Anderson and Siti Norsuria behind the scenes at The Silver Monkey Photo 4 of 5 William Wu preparing his signature cocktail for his guests at The Silver Monkey Then on June 29, The Silver Monkey—nestled in the canopy of Hotel Indigo Kuala Lumpur on the Park—closed the weekend with one last cocktail showstopper. William joined Siti Norsuria, the creative mind behind The Silver Monkey's imaginative pours, for a night of flavours both rooted and rebellious. Menu highlights: The Public #1 (The Public House): A delicate, floral combination of gin, paochong tea, osmanthus syrup, and chardonnay. Light, graceful, and quietly iconic—this signature from Taipei's The Public House is a perfect introduction to William Wu's poetic cocktail style. Plum & Rose (Reka:Bar): A layered, romantic blend of scotch whisky, plum wine, rose kombucha, and galangal. Sweet, smoky, and gently spiced, this drink lingers long after your last sip—both on the palate and in memory. Teh Ratu (The Silver Monkey)– Persian saffron meets Chinese kombucha with a tart apple kiss, unfolding into florals and bittersweet complexity. Elegant, layered, and quietly powerful—a drink that left a lasting impression. A landmark weekend for Malaysia's dining scene Above The dining experience at Nadodi, overlooking the KL skyline The Tatler Best Takeover Series proved that Kuala Lumpur is more than ready for world-class culinary programming. With every seat sold out and phenomenal feedback from guests, the two-day event brought together the best of Asia's chefs and bartenders for a celebration of culture, creativity and craft. From Shanghai's hardest-to-book restaurant to Jakarta's award-winning modern Indonesian cuisine and Taipei's trailblazing bar culture, this was not just a dining event—it was a cross-cultural moment in KL history. It was also a celebration of Malaysia's own homegrown talent. From Chef Yavhin of Nadodi and Chef Raymond Tham of Beta, to Joel Poon of Reka:Bar and Siti Norsuria of The Silver Monkey, these chefs and mixologists have not only carved out a name for themselves locally, but have also helped position Malaysia on the global culinary stage. Their passion, bold vision and dedication to storytelling through food and drink are what made the Tatler Best Takeover Series so extraordinary—and so uniquely Malaysian. We are still reliving every bite and every sip. If you missed it—do not worry. The Tatler Best Takeover Series is only just beginning! NOW READ The ultimate guide to the best modern Malaysian restaurants in the KL city centre, according to Tatler Best 2025 Where to find the best Indian restaurants in Klang Valley according to Tatler Best 2025 Where to find the best, wholesome Malaysian restaurants outside of KL, according to Tatler Best 2025 Credits
The Star
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
KLCW's pairing dinners showed how chefs and bartenders can work well together
The second Kuala Lumpur Cocktail Week (KLCW) has come and gone, and it was an amazing week of fun, events, and bar-hopping to a lot of great guest shifts by international bars, serving plenty of great drinks. The centrepiece of the event was the KLCW Festival Village at Sentul Depot, where almost all the participating local bars set up shop to serve cocktails all day long. It also saw the finals of the Hennessy MyWay cocktail competition, which saw Oh Chong Hau of Nest cocktail bar in Penang emerge as Malaysia's first ever national champion for the competition. While I managed to make it for a number of the international guest shifts, this year's highlights for me were the cocktail pairing dinners, arguably the one aspect that sets KLCW apart from many other cocktail festivals out there. This year, I sat for two of these dinners, both of which highlighted how cocktails and food can go hand-in-hand with one another. Helmed by chef-owner Raymond Tham, modern Malaysian restaurant Beta needs no introduction, having been awarded one Michelin star in last year's Michelin Guide KL and Penang. What many diners may not know is that the restaurant also has a unique cocktail program that follows Tham's philosophy of championing Malaysian flavours and ingredients. For the KLCW pairing dinner, we tried four different drinks from the menu, all made with either The Botanist Gin and Remy Martin 1738 Royal Accord cognac. The Pollo-Me cocktail is made with Botanist gin, pomelo, Chartreuse herbal liqueur, and mint. We started with the Pollo-Me, made with Botanist gin, pomelo, Chartreuse herbal liqueur, and mint. A refreshingly herbal tipple that puts the citrus notes of the pomelo up front, it paired very nicely with the opening tray of Snacks, which included finger bites inspired by classic Malaysian dishes like Penang's perut ikan, and Kedah's perkasam. There was also a delicious yeast-less, tapioca-based bread that came with a rich and savoury 'sambal' that brought out the citrusy notes of the Pollo-Me really well. The pairing cocktail for the Scallop dish was the gin-based Myristica. Next up was the Scallop dish – a lightly seared scallop paired with a kacangma (motherwort) emulsion, heirloom tomato and barley base, and topped with a scallop and mussel foam. The pairing cocktail for this dish was called Myristica, made with Botanist Gin, clarified nutmeg and lemon. The distinct taste of the nutmeg added a pickled note to the more umami flavours of the scallop, while the sour notes added a hint of acidity to it as well. The highlight of the night was the main course – Wagyu Short-Ribs Masak Hitam with Acar and Kadok – which on its own was a delicious Malay-inspired dish with acar vegetables and fried daun kaduk. The Wagyu Short-Ribs pairing with the Pepper-groni was the highlight of the night. The pairing of the Pepper-Groni cocktail, however, elevated the dish to a different level. A negroni twist made with Remy Martin 1738 cognac, Campari, rosso vermouth and housemade pepper bitters, the sweetness of the cognac and vermouth itself both complemented and contrasted with dish. The Campari also added layers of flavour to the acar, and the pepper spice note just rounded everything off in the finish. The White Coffee dessert was paired with the elegant Nyonya Noir cocktail. Last but not least was the White Coffee dessert, which is Tham's take on a date pudding, incorporated with coffee blossom and coffee husk. This was paired with the Nyonya Noir, made with fat washed butter Remy Martin 1738 cognac, pineapple and buah keluak infusion. Served in an elegant tulip tasting glass, this was a silky, decadent drink that added complexity and pineapple notes to the rich sweetness of the pudding. While the Beta dinner showed how an in-house bartender can help complement a chef's vision with his or her drinks, the second dinner I attended at Raw restaurant at Else Hotel gave a different insight. This was when I realised how a highly respected chef and an acclaimed bartender can work hand-in-hand to create pairings that bring out the best in both food and drinks. This dinner had drinks by Joel Poon, bar manager and co-owner of Reka:Bar (recently named No.49 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024), and food by Jun Wong, executive chef of Yellow Fin Horse, also located at Else Hotel (but which is currently taking a break before the launch of its 'second season' later this month). Wong (left) and Poon's collaboration showed how chefs and bartenders can work well together. The collaboration paired three cocktails made with Michter's Unblended American Whiskey, Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej mezcal, and Farmer's Gin with four of with four bold, flavour-forward dishes. While two of the drinks were adapted from Reka's existing menu, the first one, Solar Flare, was an original drink created for the occasion. Reka's Solar Flare drink provided a surprisingly playful contrast to the Tonno dish. Made with Farmer's Gin, soursop, green mango, curry leaf, and coconut oil, the drink was paired with 'Tonno', a delightfully refreshing starter that balanced the rich fattiness of lightly seared tuna with pesto and a lightly spiced acqua pazza with juniper and caper berry. While the juniper in the acqua pazza melded well with the gin in the cocktail, the drink's soursop and green mango elements provided a surprisingly playful sour yet fruity contrast to the dish that was quite interesting. Mezcal is known for its smoky flavours, and the next drink, Martini ... Still Not Stirred (adapted from Reka's existing menu), used that smokiness to enrich the main course. This featured two rich and sumptuous dishes – Grilled Fresh Water Prawns (with chilli crisp oil, garlic toum, a side of greens, and sourdough); and Stuffed Aubergine (breaded aubergine stuffed with feta, Harrisa butter, and lemon). Reka's Martini ... Still Not Stirred cocktail had a surprising duality when paired with the main course at the Raw dinner. — Photos: MICHAEL CHEANG/The Star What surprised me most about this pairing is how differently the cocktail interacted with each of the two dishes. Made with Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej mezcal, Farmer's Gin, figs, and dill, the spirit-foward nature of the cocktail added a powerful, smoky contrast to the rich seafood flavours of the prawns. At the same time, the mezcal, dill and figs in the drink cuts right through the savoury butteriness of the aubergine, adding a touch of herbal flavour to the palate. The dual nature of the drink when sipped alongside these two different dishes was, for me, the highlight of this dinner. The garnish on the (C)loud and Clear cocktail went perfectly with Wong's dessert. While the first two drinks played a lot more with contrasting flavours with the dishes, for the dessert, Poon decided on a drink that complements it instead. (C)loud & Clear (also adapted from Reka's current menu) is made with Michter's Unblended American Whiskey, white rum, Pedro Ximénez sherry, and Oolong milk tea, and is a cocktail that would satisfy even those who do not have a sweet tooth. Its crowning glory, however, is a matcha cloud garnish that was perfect when paired with Wong's dessert – the Burnt Marshmallow Yuzu Pie. With hints of citrus from the pie and silky, sherried fruity notes from the cocktail, it was the perfect way to end a most satisfying cocktail pairing dinner. Michael Cheang is all cocktail-ed out after KL Cocktail Week. Follow him on Facebook ( and Instagram (@mytipsyturvy).
