First look: Potager at Bamboo Hills ignites all the senses

“Here at Potager, we talk about celebrating the hands that laboured,” begins Melissa Low, deputy CEO of Platform Hospitality, which manages the restaurant. These aforementioned hands refer to the artisans involved in the restaurant’s operation, from farmers who provide ingredients and artists involved in the fittings of the space to the culinary team on the ground. “The whole concept is designed in a way that pays homage to the creatives involved in presenting this experience.”

The act of appreciating creators is something Low holds close to her heart; she pioneered the curated arts and culture platform RIUH, known for its hand in supporting creative businesses. "After that, I started an impact fund at a private equity firm looking at agriculture regionally," she smiles noting how, with Potager it seems things have come full circle.

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Even in terms of design, Potager is meant to represent equality and inclusivity: “The building is intentionally circular to give those that enter a sense of connection and flow,” she says. Curved glass forms the walls of the space, resulting in a panoramic view surrounding limestones, bamboo, and wild flowers, designed by landscape artist Sputnik Forest. “Rocks are a form of nature that can weather through time, which we hope to do with constant innovation and exploration,” she smiles.

Potager is home to three separate spaces—the main dining room that overlooks the open kitchen, wine lounge Oeno, and Espace, a test kitchen. Separate from the dining space is a series of private rooms with a sweeping open-air patio, overlooking tropical landscapes. 

"These spaces are thoughtfully designed to make guests feel connected - the idea was to evoke comfort and serenity," she explains. "When guests spend time at Potager, we want them to feel good; because of the space, the community around them, and the food that they savour.

Low hopes that the opening of Potager brings with it a space for creatives to grow, whether through art installations that coincide with seasonal menus or a kitchen for upcoming chefs to showcase new ideas. “For us, this is truly just the beginning,” she says. “We want Potager to be a space that provides to creators and for guests to fully appreciate the experience.”

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The Japanese proverb ‘ichigo ichie’ captures the significance of treasuring the fleeting nature of every encounter and is at the heart of Potager’s cuisine. Executive chef Masashi Horiuchi aims to provide a unique intersection between the French techniques he is trained in, his personal experiences working in Malaysia, and local terroir and ingredients. “It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is only able to be savoured right here,” he smiles.

While Entier French Dining is rooted in classic French techniques, Horiuchi pushes boundaries to a new limit at Potager, presenting a contemporary take on local ingredients. He cites his time in France as inspiration: “With different seasons, we harvested different ingredients—it almost felt like a menu provided by nature,” he recalls.

Upon moving to Malaysia after his time in Singapore, Chef Masashi was thrilled to rediscover the connection between land and the table that he so cherished. He recalls how he was pleasantly surprised by local Tanjung Malim caviar from T’lur. “Caviar is one of the most important ingredients in French cuisine, and its quality here really stunned me,” he says. As such, it is a key ingredient at Entier French Dining, which also rings true for Potager. A dish on the menu pairs the aforementioned black pearls with white sweet corn from Cameron Highlands, another ingredient from Malaysian soil that Horiuchi holds close to his heart.

The seasoned chef’s inquisitive mind results in his willingness to explore new ingredients: “One of my staff has an uncle that owns a farm in Semenyih that rears guinea fowl,” he says. During the visit, Horiuchi enjoyed a memorable meal: “I have worked a lot with guinea fowl in Europe, so I was really attracted to this ingredient, which is less common in Asia,” he smiles. While we won’t reveal too much so as not to spoil the experience, the bird is theatrically served as the main course on Potager’s tasting menu.

Horiuchi shares Low’s sentiment about working with artisans: “We collaborate with local producers, from farmers and suppliers to pottery ceramicists and artists, to ensure the human touch is present in all aspects of the restaurant.” He believes the basis of all restaurants is to share happiness with a customer and hopes to remind them of the fleeting nature of once-in-a-lifetime moments: “I hope that when guests come to Potager, they will always remember their time here and want to come back.”

Upon walking into Potager, what first catches the eye is Oeno, the wine lounge. While more casual in terms of set up compared to the rest of the restaurant, it also brings with it greater intimacy, serving a selection of tapas and platters to pair with its selection of bottles, which number more than 1,000. 

At its helm is Dennis Chong, group sommelier, honouring the producers that nurture each line of grapes by carefully selecting each label. “We don’t aim to have the biggest collection of wine in Malaysia, but we aim to blend the contemporary with the traditional,” he begins. Often, the labels he selects are only available in small allocations, from winemakers that practise biodynamic farming to family-owned wineries and younger-generation winemakers. 

While the wines can be enjoyed in the wine lounge, Chong has also curated a wine pairing to be sipped alongside Potager’s tasting menu. “There are a few approaches I have taken throughout the pairing, from complementing and profiling a dish to contrasting a dish,” he enthuses. However, there is always something new to try during each visit since wines sourced are often available in small quantities. “Currently, we have an orange wine which pairs beautifully with the dish of escargot served with heirloom rice,” he smiles.

For those that prefer a non-alcoholic option, Chong has put in just as much thought; rather than a typical juice or kombucha pairing, there is a focus on local vegetables and fruits. “We make everything for the pairing from scratch,” he explains. For instance, the aforementioned caviar and white corn dish is served with a foamy, sparkling corn milk punch, while a dish of foie gras is paired with what Chong refers to as a Harry Potter-inspired warm pumpkin juice. “I want to serve beverages in different temperatures, textures, and flavours,” Chong says. And from Potager, we would expect nothing less.

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