Super Secret Social Supper Club Kuala Lumpur

Super Secret Social Supper Club KL

Monica Tindall

Jonny and Nico, founders of Super Secret Social (SSS), a supper club in Kuala Lumpur, prove that fine dining, a relaxed setting and sustainable food sourcing are not only compatible but go tremendously well together.

Following an ethical supply chain of ingredients, the founders of Super Secret Social gracefully and intelligently share their passion in their supper club. Guests enjoy inventive recipes made on local, organic ingredients with wines that match the philosophy. Through sheer pleasure in the gourmet experience and comfort in the casual environment, diners can’t help but become converts.

Secret Location (revealed days before the dinner – Bangsar area)

An eight-seater table is dressed with tropical blooms in a vase, and a tangle of branches and flowers act as a natural table runner. A ceiling fan keeps the temperature comfortable and there is both an outdoor area (for smokers) and an air-conditioned room for those wanting to cool down. We immediately feel comfortable with the team’s easy-going nature and spirited personalities. Upbeat tunes hum from a quality speaker system, contributing a definite cheerful mood to the scene.

As the evening progresses, Jonny and Rachel (the second half of the innovative chef team) pop out from the kitchen to deliver their creation and share a story of provenance. Each narrative is told with passion and an obvious commitment to supporting sustainable Malaysian businesses. Meanwhile, Nico lubricates guests with wine, stories of origin and all-round bubbly entertainment. He makes guests feel gladly received and has sharp intuition. He appears and withdraws, both stimulating response and also allowing natural conversation between guests to develop on its own.

Welcome Bevvie

We’re welcomed with the flavours of Malaysia in a refreshing cocktail. Tuak (rice spirit typically from Borneo) and vodka infused with asam boi is topped up with coconut water, soda and calamansi. Served over ice, it’s perfectly chilled and garnished with fresh lime and a dehydrated orange slice. It’s an excellent thirst-quencher and its sour, salty and savoury notes also serve to open the palate – the perfect aperitive.

Snacks

Mouths now whet, Rachel and Jonny whirl around the table giving us a run-down of the snacks to begin the degustation. Petite layers of oven-baked chicken skin and puff pastry stack to make up the Chicken Skin Mille-Feuille. With sambal cream and coriander cress, it’s a zesty, spicy little bite. Another teaser of what is to come is presented in the Telor Ikan. A chewy tempe base seasoned with jolokia (ghost pepper) and pineapple – fab.

Fresh, complex and well-structured, a glass of Raventos I Blanc, Blanc de la Finca, 2017 accompanies the first course. Composed of three native varietals, Macabeu, Xarel-lo and Parellada coming from elevated terraces along River Anoia, the bubbly has an especially savoury personality. Biodynamic and organic, this wine is made in a similar way to Champagne and has its very own DOC. The complexities do particularly well with the spice in the canapes, but it’s also a beauty all on its own.

Second Course

Rachel introduces the second course alongside her passion for cooking and gratitude for being able to share her love with guests at Super Secret Social supper club. This next recipe is her version of a kerabu salad made with finely chopped winged beans. Chilli adds a thread of heat and tofu contributes density. Coconut is done four ways – flesh, water, cream and toasted shreds – and tempers the sweet, sour, salty and spicy profile into heavenly bites of deliciousness.

The following plate is inspired by Rachel’s travels to Vietnam. She fell in love with their caramelized fish sauce and thinks it can go on everything. A ring of coriander pesto bases chicken thigh (peha) that is generously slathered with the sticky sauce. Local round pegaga leaves (said to be excellent for your complexion) form a leafy crown.

Continuing with the Spanish wine theme, we move to a chilled glass of Parés Baltà, Indigena Garnatxa Blanca 2017. This organic, biodynamic white grenache offers white peach and floral aromas on the nose followed by citrus and a smooth creaminess in the mouth. It departs with fresh elegance and this matches the freshness of the salad, and at the same time, slices through the creaminess of the coconut.

While Rachel and Jonny provide punctuation to the background soundtrack in the kitchen with pots clanging and knives chopping, Nico floats around engaging guests. Flirty and fun, the vibe continues to elevate as the night progresses.

Third Course

Jonny says the prawn for the raw sashimi was caught fresh this morning. It’s meant to be taken in a single mouthful. We adhere to the recommendation and find a soft chew in the shrimp. Kombu and biodynamic soy sauce reduction (from Terra Farm in Cameron Highlands) along with freshly grated wasabi, chives and daikon radish provide a fantastically acidic finish.

Essence of Tomatoes is Jonny’s ode to eating a good tomato. All sorts of tomatoes from Cameron Highlands from Weeds n More have been cooked down with several spices to make a thick, chilled soup similar to gazpacho. Microgreens of bronze fennel and kale break the red with a splash of green on the surface.

Intermission

Taking a break from the menu, it’s worth mentioning that Super Secret Social supper club Kuala Lumpur has an additional wine and spirit list. If you really want to make a special evening of it, they have a whole compilation of organic, sustainable and biodynamically produced wines. New world and old world, red, white and sparkling, just ask Nico for a recommendation and each and every one is guaranteed to come with a story.

Main Course

Grandma Lily’s Pot Roast is a dedication to Jonny’s grandmother. Biodynamic carrots, and gooseberry and basil compote, side the meat along with heirloom beetroot done three ways. Perhaps the most interesting beet preparation is a light curry with smoked garlic, curry leaves and champagne vinegar. The meat is cliche melt-in-the-mouth.

Our noses let us know that the next course is coming as the smell of petis udang (prawn paste) hits the pan. Distinctly European in texture but definitively local in flavour, the risotto provides the traditional rice course before dessert. It does its job of ensuring that no one leaves hungry and connects the international feel of the menu. Daun kesum (the leaf typically found in laksa), shimeji mushrooms and toasted pumpkin seeds add herbaceous and earthy flavours along with crunch.

We’re delighted to find another organic wine partner in the Elian da Ros, Marmandais Abouriou 2017. The vineyard is situated just to the east of Bordeaux and features the local grape Abouriou. Oft used in a blend, it’s rare to find it in these parts on its own. It’s dark in the glass with tobacco, berries and perhaps even a whiff of liquorice in the bouquet. More red fruit is found in the mouth with a whisper of bitter chocolate, light tannins and lengthy finish.

Dessert

Jonny announces that the pre-dessert of red dragonfruit and ricotta “is to get you ready for what is to come… which is amazing.” I appreciate the barely-there sweetness in this spoonful and the walnuts on top provide a nutty, bitter edge.

Now boys and girls, both and neither, you might get a Super Secret Social special shot of barley spirit before dessert if you’ve behaved. Hint: listen to the explanations of the food and wine when the team come to share with you and you’ll score all the necessary points for the bonus.

Finally, with all of its healthy ingredients, we have zero guilt about eating every last crumb of dessert. Pineapple, peanuts, ginger and moringa flower make a power-packed combo of superfoods. Rachel reveals it was an accidental dessert starting with her noticing some left-over peanuts on the kitchen countertop. One thing led to another and the end product is a pretty bowl of puff pastry towers, cream cheese, vanilla, pineapple and black salt, sprinkled with a blessing of flowers from the holy moringa tree. It’s an enticing balance of mildly sweet and slightly savoury; a superb conclusion leaving us feeling satisfied but not sickly.

Lastly, Spain brings closure with a drop of late harvest wine in the Bodega Ximenez Spinola, Exceptional Harvest 2017. The nose reminds me of evenings with my grandma. A vibrant bouquet of dried fruit and yeast swindle the mind into believing it’s going to be a sweet drop. Instead, a lightness dominates with natural fruit and subtle acidity.

Super Secret Social Supper Club KL Review

Super Secret Social’s menu will change again in the first week of September so know that the element of surprise has not been spoiled by this article. Tonight’s line up was priced at RM250 per person but this will vary slightly depending on ingredients and wines served. This supper club is what I imagine the possibilities of a contemporary Kuala Lumpur to be – a hip wine and dine scene valuing local provenance in an upbeat, joyful setting.

Reasons to visit Super Secret Social: excellent value wine-paired menu; innovative yet comforting cuisine; a strong focus on sustainable sourcing of both food and wine; contemporary, upbeat and relaxed vibe. Fun. Fun. Fun.



Super Secret Social supper club KL
Secret Location
Instagram @SuperSecretSocial
[email protected]
+60 14 2658630

Find more contemporary dining experiences in KL here and stay up-to-date with the latest gourmet and travel recommendations for Malaysia here and here.