Reinterpreting European Cuisine

Soleil x Above Gastrobar – Reinterpreting European Cuisine with an Asian Touch

Monica Tindall

An exciting paradigm in the KL food and beverage scene emerged post-pandemic: the uprising of collaborations between chefs and bartenders. More than ever, four-hand dinners, kitchen takeovers, and guest chef shifts have become the highlight for gourmands wishing to travel on their tastebuds or those wanting more from their favoured regular establishments. Tonight, we’re at Soleil in DC Mall for a six-course degustation (RM 399++) – Reinterpreting European Cuisine with an Asian Touch – curated by head chef Evert Onderbeke and chef Yu Cheng (YC) from Ipoh’s Above Gastrobar. It celebrates local flavours with European cooking techniques, presented with contemporary flair.

Chef Evert Onderbeke has a long, respected career in KL kitchens. From founding KL’s first sustainable seafood restaurant (High Tide) to his fine contemporary dishes at Soleil, he has a well-deserved following. Chef Yu Cheng (YC) brings a modern take on local dishes from his restaurant in Ipoh, Above Gastrobar, the town’s greenery-embellished rooftop restaurant in the city centre.

Tonight, European and Malaysian meet halfway in the six-course degustation – Reinterpreting European Cuisine with an Asian Touch.

To Begin

House-made warm ciabatta and a flute of Paul Mas Réserve Blanc de Blancs Brut (RM 48 glass) is a safe and winning start. The French Crémant, 100% chardonnay, is dry with some floral notes, light, crisp and very easy drinking.

Amuse Bouche

Above Gastrobar kicks off the menu with part one of the amuse-bouche. Nasi lemak arancini feature a crisp coat and more-ish middle, with Japanese short grain rice and a little glutinous rice made risotto-style using pandan and coconut milk. Duck breast prosciutto and tomato and chilli chutney top the spheres filling the mouth with familiarity and bridging the globe with taste and texture. Chef YC jokes, “It’s enough to offend both Malaysians and Italians in one bite.”

Soleil sends out the oyster water and tapioca cracker filled with chopped oyster, finely diced cucumber, shallots, sesame seeds, lime zest and a refreshing mangosteen granita. It’s a mix of umami, fresh, crunchy and cool. Hello, and yes, please, to more mangosteen granita on menus! On a side note, the cracker takes two days to make but only seconds to disappear!

Starters

You couldn’t ask for a better-cooked Hokkaido Scallop (Above Gastrobar) with its lightly torched top and evenly tender-textured centre. It’s surprisingly served cool with lacto-fermented tomato and chilli water (salt water in a vacuum converts the sugar to lactic acid causing the flavours to linger in the mouth), Thai basil and lemongrass oil, and kaffir lime kosho. We’re only at the starters and already marvelling at the diversity of flavours here – sweet, fresh, sharp, and a hint of heat. 

I’m not generally a fan of abalone. I find its big clumpy nature, when served whole, very unappealing. However, the Sabahan mollusc has been finely sliced in Soleil’s Sarawak Laksa Risotto, contributing depth to the profile without the off-putting chew. Prawn paste emulsion, torch ginger and bean sprouts brighten the serious character of the recipe.

Guinea Fowl (Above Gastrobar) is accompanied by a wonderfully sweet white corn velouté, curry oil, corn with ricotta and six rhizomes. Yes, the poultry is expertly prepared, tender and moist, but the white corn is fantastic. The product is so juicy and sweet that you could eat it raw. It’s been gently charred, imparting the flavour of the grill while maintaining freshness. It’s chef YC’s take on a classic Malaysian recipe, curry chicken with yellow glutinous rice. 

The last of the starters is a plump piece of Glazed Toothfish (Soleil). The buttery, flaky, succulent fillet is balanced with oxtail and buah keluak consommé. The latter ingredient can actually be deadly if not prepared properly. Fortunately, we’re still living to tell the tale and can report the characteristic mildly earthy and bitter flavours present in the broth. The Chitose turnip is gently flavoured, and its soft form holds the soup well. 

Wine Pairing

Being direct importers of wine, the team behind Soleil have a value-for-money range found exclusively in their cellar in Malaysia. One such partnership is with Grand Enclos du Chateau De Cerons, and the chateau has a curious story. It was once a single property; however, with the construction of the national highway linking Bordeaux to Spain, it was split into two. One part, Grand Enclos du Chateau De Cerons, is now owned by Giorgio Cavanna, with oenologist Bertrand Leon and Regisseur Xavier Dauba producing fine red, white and dessert wines from the soils of Graves.

The first white from this producer, Elixir du Grand Enclos Blanc, 2012, a Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend, offers a captivating bouquet of lemon cream, brioche, persimmon and white peach. On the palate, it’s crisp and dry with a thread of minerality; quite frankly, it’s delicious! And it’s a fine partner to the seafood recipes.

Reinterpreting European Cuisine with an Asian Touch – Main

While our starters have seen a teeter-totter between Soleil and Above Gastrobar chefs, the main and dessert culminate the meal with a collaboration with all four hands playing a part in each dish. Iberico Lamb is served on a near-black plate, making the lamb’s pinkness and the light green celtuce (stem lettuce) stand out. Purists will appreciate the unadulterated cuts of lamb. At the same time, those with a more adventurous nature should enjoy the siu mai filled with braised lamb and topped with trout roe. The fermented black bean emulsion is much more than beans! It reminds me of rendang – I’m sure there’s ginger and other local spices here. The meat can hold its own, but the sauce is worth a fork prong or two. 

Served with the lamb course, Elixir du Grand Enclos, Rouge, 2010, a typical Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot and malbec, is fleshy and mouthwatering with a tarry edge. It’s complex with spice, tobacco, currant, plum and blackberry. Its medium body, elegance and whisper of the earth are typical of the Graves terroir. With a medium body and medium-plus acidity, it’s a perfect food mate. 

Dessert

The sweet conclusion, Semai Dark Chocolate Terrine, is so rich and creamy that I push it around my mouth, trying to prolong the experience before swallowing. Black garlic ice cream is trending right now for good reason – it adds a hint of savoury, elevating and providing complexity to a recipe. Salak (snake fruit) snow is scattered over before serving and the fresh acidity of passionfruit keeps us scooping back in for more. 

Petit Fours

I am no longer a dessert person, so I’m usually happy ending a meal with wine. However, I sure do appreciate the care taken in crafting unusual petit fours. Mimicking a famous Ipoh dessert of deep-fried egg noodles compressed with sugar syrup, YC compresses and fries chicken skin with sugar and tops it with yuzu gel and a mint leaf. Its companion, a dragon fruit marshmallow, comes with tamarind gel and desiccated coconut. It’s both pretty and yum.

Lastly, Chateau d’Anna, Sauternes, 2010, offers rich apricot nectar with mature figs and vanilla. It’s dense and creamy with stone fruit mirrored from the nose in the palate, a mild nuttiness, and a lingering conclusion. This is paired with our dessert, but we prefer to enjoy the sweets and the wine separately, savouring the complexities of each alone.

Reinterpreting European Cuisine with an Asian Touch

The teams from Soleil and Above Gastrobar demonstrate why we’re better when we work together. The final menu of reinterpreted European cuisine with an Asian touch was certainly a hit, but anytime we build bridges, find our commonalities and celebrate our differences is surely the biggest win of all.

Find more contemporary restaurants in Kuala Lumpur here, and stay up-to-date with the latest gourmet and travel recommendations for Malaysia here and here.