The Datai Langkawi hosts Arnaud Faye of La Chèvre d’Or for The Chef Series 2023

The acclaimed French chef serves up fine French cuisine made with local produce on the island of Langkawi

While The Chef Series 2022 showcased chefs based in Malaysia including Masashi Horuichi of Entier to Lee Zhe Xi and Soh Yong Zi of Eat and Cook, the 2023 edition is bringing in talents from around the globe. We attend the dinner prepared by Arnaud Faye, executive chef of La Chèvre d’Or, the two-Michelin-starred restaurant located on the grounds of Château de la Chèvre d’Or in Eze, the French Riviera, France. Faye is the second chef in the 2023 line-up after English chef Tom Aikens, who visited the resort in December 2022.

Faye has worked alongside Antoine Westermann, Patrick Henriroux, and Michel Roth to develop his cuisine, which is inspired by the natural grounds of the estate. His dishes often incorporate surrounding produce, which is ideal as The Chef Series encourages chefs to make use of sustainable organic produce from the resort's zero-waste permaculture garden.

Above The dinner begins with bread and light bites, including an almond tart (Photo: Katelyn Tan)

Above Hamachi, escabèche way, served with crunchy fennel with bottarga (Photo: Katelyn Tan)

Our dinner is held in The Datai's Dining Room, illuminated by the vibrant blue lap pool. Chirps of crickets provide music for the night as we are surrounded by the natural forest.

The first dish of the night is a refreshing escabèche of hamachi, marinated in vinegar and oil, rendering the fish flaky yet firm. Served alongside is a fennel sorbet, spooned on a crunchy bed of fennel with subtly savoury bottarga. The dish whets our appetites, as does the warm focaccia paired with a whipped spread of butter, black olives and citrus oil, which we lather lusciously over the pocketed bread.

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Above Celeriac, risotto style, topped with parsley and black truffle (Photo: Katelyn Tan)

Above Wittmann, Westhofener, Trocken, Riesling, Germany 2018 (Photo: Katelyn Tan)

A “risotto” of celeriac soon follows, in which morsels of the root vegetables replace grains of Arborio rice, resulting in a tender yet textural bite. While lashings of tangy mascarpone render the dish substantially creamy, it is not heavy on the palate. Fragrant parsley oil, shavings of black truffle, and crispy puffed rice finish the dish, which pairs well with a German Riesling.

Above Octopus with beetroot declination, scented with Rose from Grasse (Photo: Katelyn Tan)

Above Red mullet with carrots and crispy quinoa, served with a spicy jus with uni (Photo: Katelyn Tan)

Following this is a dish of octopus, preserved with olive oil and baked for four hours, giving the purple, creviced surface of the milky-white meat a glorious char. Served alongside are various forms of beetroot—sliced, cubed, and made into a compote—perfumed with rose and caraway.

A rich carrot jus, flavoured with uni, finishes the next main of tender red mullet, which is served alongside crispy quinoa and a green carrot leaf purée.

Above Minestrone fruits salad with cottage cheese and basil sorbet (Photo: Katelyn Tan)

Above Chocolate great vintage, citrus and cognac (Photo: Katelyn Tan)

While the pre-dessert of a basil sorbet over fruit proves refreshing, it is merely a warm-up to the final chocolate entrement. It meets our heightened expectations, due to our waiter naming it his choice dish of the night. A crispy tuile is perched atop a delicate cylinder of dark chocolate, cracked open to reveal a medley of different textures, flavours and temperatures of chocolate, layered with orange zest and cognac jelly, an ideal end to the meal.

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The Datai Langkawi Arnaud Faye The Chef Series 2023

Tatler Asia

Arnaud Faye's French techniques meet Malaysian rainforest at The Datai Langkawi's Chef Series