With its U-shaped grey travertine counter, the Chef’s Table invites interaction with chefs and accommodates up to 20 guests.

The private dining room, on the other hand, envelops diners in a cocoon-like sanctuary, with cascading layers and a floating fire mesh sculpture above a striking red travertine dining table, echoing the organic contours of a cave.

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Nestled at the foot of Lord Norman Foster’s Gotham-esque Troika skyscraper, Kikyo’s sophisticated setting does its location’s pedigree justice.

This Japanese restaurant, offering the first premium warayaki dining experience in Malaysia, will stun from the first impression with a metallic fractal light sculpture dominating its double-height atrium. 

While the blazing fire from the open kitchen fuelled by straw is a scene-stealer, Kikyo’s interiors feel infused with warmth courtesy of the glinting gold screens against a backdrop of glossy subway tiles.

Moodily lit with a choice of different types of seating, Kikyo was the worthy recipient of Malaysia’s Tatler Dining Awards for best interior in 2024.

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Located on the fourth floor of Else hotel, Yellow Fin Horse champions simple, ingredient-focused cooking with an emphasis on elemental cooking.

Open-fire, ingredient-driven, and seafood-centric, this elegant yet sophisticated approach to food is mirrored in the interiors crafted by Jakarta-founded Studio Dinding.

The design concept revolves around minimalist elegance, with clean lines and subtle accents enhancing the ambience. Warm earth tones and accents of vibrant yellow dominate the colour palette, a combination which further reinforces the welcoming atmosphere.

The incorporation of natural stone and wood materials fosters a sense of harmony with the surroundings, echoing the hotel's design vocabulary while establishing its own identity.

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Located next to the now iconic Rex KL, Pickle Dining serves up food that explores more “primitive” ways to impart flavour into food, such as cooking over wood fire, smoking, pickling, lacto-fermentation, and dry-ageing.

Architect and co-owner Shin Tseng sets the stage for this culinary gem within a century-old pre-war shophouse, once a bustling Chinese grocer renowned for its preserved delicacies.
 
 

Every corner of the space, bathed in natural light, exudes a nostalgic charm. Tseng's design ethos celebrates the building's storied past, seamlessly blending heritage with contemporary flair.

Recycled plastic and repurposed vehicle parts find new life as tables and chairs, while a grand dining table rescued from the depths of a warehouse has the charm that the patina of time imparts.

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Named for the chemical reaction that causes the effect pivotal for the delectable browning of food, the Maillard Grill specialises in cooking meats to their optimal deliciousness.

At the heart of the kitchen is a Spanish steel Mibrasa oven, which burns a mixture of charcoal from Ipoh and rambutan wood to create those complex, aromatic notes that come only from coal-fired cooking.

The space itself, designed by Genius Loci, has a cosy ambience with private booths and banquette seating in deliciously warm tones. Soft lighting, wooden panelling and rattan-finished furniture complete the tableau. 

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