Cover A dish titled Scallop, featuring pumpkin, Chinese cabbage, and fermented
mustard greens (Photo: Beta KL)
A dish titled Scallop, featuring pumpkin, Chinese cabbage, and fermented mustard greens (Photo: Beta KL)
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Beta KL recently launched its Season 1 Tour of Malaysia menu
An experience at Beta KL is more than just a meal. With a menu divided geographically to encompass Malaysia’s rich regions—East (Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sabah, and Sarawak), South (Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Johor), and North (Perlis, Kedah, Penang, and Perak)—the Tour of Malaysia brings guests on a journey to explore the country’s culture and gastronomy.
“Personally, I like to compare dining in a restaurant to an orchestra,” smiles the amicable Raymond Tham, the executive chef of Beta KL. “As a chef, you need to awaken and enhance the senses of your diners.”
Read more: 5 impressive brunch recipes to try this Mother’s Day
Above Raymond Tham
Raymond Tham
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Currently being served is the first menu of 2024, inspired by different festivals across Malaysia, from Chinese New Year and Raya to Deepavali. “It is also our first menu after we received our Michelin Star, hence why we wanted to include celebratory aspects,” the acclaimed chef continues.
The menu begins with a series of snacks from East Malaysia, served on a bed of corals and moss. “We included elements from the forest and beach to build the connection between nature and the diner,” Tham enthuses. “We wanted guests to feel as if they were snorkelling in Redang or immersed in the jungle.” Visual impact comes in the form of contrasting textures, with the delicate morsels perched daintily above the landscape.
Above A trio of snacks titled Coral, Sago, and Mackerel
A trio of snacks titled Coral, Sago, and Mackerel
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Tham emphasises the importance of a seamless and well-thought out dining experience. “A good dish is not good unless it is a team player,” he says. When it comes to conceptualising a new menu, he first drafts out the flavours and ingredients he wants to work with.
“Once I have a rough idea, I start pairing ingredients, and think of techniques I want to feature, whether grilling or curing.” It is only after this that visuals come into play, in the form of colours and plating. “As much as I don’t sacrifice appearance, flavour and balance always comes first,” Tham explains.
See also: The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur introduces Atelier Choux-inspired afternoon tea
Above Humble Salad, a dish that features pomelo, yam, kulim, and peanuts
Humble Salad, a dish that features pomelo, yam, kulim, and peanuts
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After the snacks, served with a tapioca bread course comes the yee sang-inspired salad, with textural elements of tapioca chips, toasted peanuts, and yuzu pearls. “Personally, I don’t like textures with too big a contrast,” he comments. “If I have an element that is very firm, and one that is very soft, I add in items that balance the two and bring them together.”
The aforementioned salad is the perfect example of this with the addition of purées and sacs of pomelo, as is a dish of Lawas rice with textural abalone and local caviar.
Don’t miss: Mother’s Day 2024: The best dining experiences and buffets in Kuala Lumpur
Above Bananas, a beautifully plated dessert of banana leaf ice cream, banana
fibres, and preserved banana kombucha
Bananas, a beautifully plated dessert of banana leaf ice cream, banana fibres, and preserved banana kombucha
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This gentle balance is also seen when it comes to the way Tham seasons: “Items have to be seasoned equally—one item cannot be tasteless, and one overly salty—each component needs to be precisely flavoured.” He also notes that too many elements when it comes to plating causes a dish to lose temperature, which results in dishes unable to be eaten at their prime.
Above Beta KL's interior complements the visually stunning dishes
Beta KL's interior complements the visually stunning dishes
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Before desserts are served, a palate cleanser of sorbet made with liquid nitrogen is served tableside, a visually impactful element with dry ice fog surrounding the dining table. “When a dinner menu is too long, diners start feeling tired, so we introduced this as a way to excite guests,” he smiles. With every element so well thought out, Tham and his team seamlessly present diners with a sensorial immersive experience that is a compass through Malaysia’s rich culinary regions.
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Images: Beta KL
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About
Katelyn is the dining and travel editor of Malaysia and Indonesia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, she offers readers an inside look at the movers and shakers in Asia’s growing food and beverage industry.
