Set Lunch TTDI – Gesuto, Japanese-inspired Menu

Set Lunch TTDI – Gesuto

Words: Claire Matheson
Photographs: Monica Tindall

Gesuto (ゲスト ‘guest’ – Japanese) is a homage to the Japanese notion of hospitality and service. Producing Japanese-inspired dishes with a hint of European, American and other Asia Pacific artistry, the dedication to the craft of culinary creation is designed to impress. Known for their exceptional dinner menu, the attentive Gesuto team in TTDI are expanding to now include a set lunch alternative. This truncated selection offers a curated smattering of more accessible dishes with the same high-quality ingredients, outstanding innovative flair, and a pocket-friendly price point. 

Gesuto’s original vision lay in Japanese-French fusion. Over time, the restaurant has transformed to include other European influences, methods and ingredients. It now includes a myriad of international cuisine highlights, still with a refined focus on their Japanese leanings. With greater scope for flexibility and fusion, Gesuto sees itself as a guest of Japanese cuisine, born of international confluence, inviting diners to join them as they traverse Japan’s flavours.

Head Chef Kurt Lim has risen through Gesuto’s ranks, trained by his noble predecessors. He now brings his own creativity to the menu, naming Copenhagen’s Gaijin restaurant and Sano from the Gifu Prefecture as some of his biggest influences. Kurt’s evolution comes from his strong philosophy of well-sourced quality ingredients and methods, building on his humble yet inspired foundations. As a newcomer, he is not afraid to experiment. He is joined by restaurant manager Dharmen, whose wine training in the Marlborough region of New Zealand has equipped him with outstanding knowledge of pairings to accompany the menu’s Asia Pacific roots. 

Set Lunch TTDI – Gesuto

To introduce guests to Gesuto’s spectacular culinary menu, the set lunch menu is priced at a mere RM59 per person. A snapshot introduction to Gesuto’s talent, the menu has six main course items to choose from, with an additional second course of either the appetisers – termed Munchies of the Day, or a Dessert option. Main course options include beef, chicken, fish, duck, and seafood selections, and the package also comes with complimentary flavoured lemonade or iced green tea. Though, at this price, you can afford to splurge on a cocktail, mocktail, or glass of something special from their cultivated wine list. 

We begin with a platter of Gesuto’s fresh sourdough bread (RM 25) from the a la carte menu, baked this morning at their house bakery, served with a luscious truffle and kombu butter. The smell of earthy, rich truffles wafts across the table, the taste elevated by the Kombu, a Japanese edible kelp, adding umami depth and richness.

Termed the Munchies of the Day, the meal proper begins with an appetiser-sized portion of Kombu Capellini with sashimi-style Scallops. The tendrils of capellini pasta are lightly oiled, enhanced by the briny savouriness of the almost mushroom-like kombu. Set against multi-hued fronds of micro-seaweeds, the tender scallop slices are topped with dollops of black caviar and served with a wedge of lime. 

Wine List

In addition to their impressive set lunch menu, guests can also choose a glass from Gesuto’s well-selected wine list. As we will be tasting a number of Chef Kurt Lim’s seafood and fish dishes today, Dharmen suggests an elegant white: the 2021 Conte Placido Pinot Grigio, from the Toscana Indicazione Geografica Tipica, Italy’s Tuscany region (RM33 per glass or RM148 per bottle). Buttery and fresh, the pinot has a strong lemon and citrus nose with a smooth, dry, acidic finish. Crisp apples and pears are present in this clean, medium-bodied glass. 

Gesuto’s wine menu is divided into light, medium and full-bodied bottles, helping you choose the right drop to accompany your meal selection. They also have a number of champagnes, as well as an impressive array of sakes, spirits and liquors, cocktails, mocktails, and additional non-alcoholic options. Gesuto is currently running a promotion on Deakin Estate wines from riverine Victoria and New South Wales, Australia, providing further choices for lunch and dinner guests.

Set Lunch TTDI – Gesuto – Mains

Creamy, cheesy tomato risotto is covered with succulent thick-cut slices of purple octopus, strips of smokey bonito flakes, and sculptural parmesan chips in the Assorted Seafood Risotto with Gran Moravia. The dish is further filled with tender fillets of grouper from Sabah and satisfying seasonal clams (subject to availability). Served slightly al dente, the rice is the ultimate comfort dish with a touch of extravagance.

Korean Ssamjong Mayonnaise is the star of Gesuto’s Fish & Chips – elegantly spicy with a rich tomato tang. Not to be outdone, house-made tartar contains lashings of dill and fresh capers in a salty, creamy sauce. Threadfin fish is lightly battered in a crisp coating and served with golden, crunchy fries and a wedge of lemon. 

The Flame-kissed Salmon and Ikura Donburi includes a generous serving of salmon, lightly flame-seared on a bed of fluffy rice with black and white sesame seeds, covered with curls of shaved seaweed. Slices of watermelon radish are offset with cubes of feta cheese, crunchy lotus chips, microgreens, and a verdant herbaceous sauce. Orange fish roe adds a delightful popping element – a bubble wrap sensation for the palate. The salmon also comes with Miso Soup. Suspended clouds of miso hang in a delicate, complex, and balanced broth. The soup is lively and round in the mouth, both filling and light at once. 

Served on a bed of chilled soba noodles, the Honey-glazed Duck Breast is aged for a minimum of fourteen days before it is rendered and softly cooked. With medium tenderness and a crisp outer crust, the savoury breast meat is accompanied with a foie gras crumb, along with carrots, spring onions, shiitake mushrooms, chilli, and a perfectly boiled egg. 

Cocktails & Mocktails

Before dessert, we partake of some cocktails from Gesuto’s bartender. Well-measured and pleasantly bitter, the Negroni continues to be our cocktail of choice. Gesuto’s version does not disappoint, with a pure, balanced taste. It is a masterful blend.

The Whisky Sour’s buttery yellow colour sways beneath a velvety layer of egg white froth. Punchy whilst also smooth, it is topped with a fresh orange slice, blueberries, mint and edible pansy flowers. 

If mocktails are more your style, Gesuto has plenty on offer. The Lychee Citrus comes in a blushing pastel pink. Icy cold, with a playful effervescence, its sweet yet citrusy finish is offset with a bittersweet slice of dehydrated orange. 

The Twilight Colada is a painting in a glass: sunset turning to dusk. A gently refreshing combination of mango, coconut and orange juices throw colours of the setting sun. At the same time, the tint of indigo-purple butterfly pea flower speaks to oncoming nightfall. The overall impression is garnished with a sun of dehydrated orange, a sprig of mint leaves, and bright, edible pansy flowers. 

Dessert

In celebration of Chinese New Year, the Panacotta is laid out as a spray of fireworks across the plate. Starbursts of gold-painted lime jelly, toasted coconut, fluffy butter cake, lie alongside the silken, milky panna cotta, adorned with a gold-painted white chocolate coin for prosperity. Further architectural sprigs of white chocolate and orange pansy petals give an additional artistic touch. The dish is accented with Gesuto’s own honeycomb, its crunchy brittleness lending natural, golden sweetness to the dessert.

Tangy with a sumptuous creaminess, the Yuzu Cheesecake is smooth and rich with a soft biscuit base. Topped with yuzu foam and a wafer-thin slice of meringue, the cheesecake is served with fresh orange, strawberries and raspberries, as well as vanilla ice cream and a lemon crumb. Altogether it gives just the right balance of acid, citrus and cheesecake tang, and sweet, fresh fruit.

Satiated after such a filling and indulgent meal, we sip on a final coffee made from locally roasted Kodi Bayan Nuri’s Serendipity blend. Robust and balanced, it perfectly accompanies our lingering conversation. 

Set Lunch TTDI – Gesuto Review

The beauty of a set lunch menu in this style is that when you come in a group you can order a range of the choices available, and try a little of everything. Though be warned, once you have been a guest of Gesuto’s, you will long to come back to try their artistry and Japanese-esque attention to detail, time and again. 

Reasons to try Gesuto’s set lunch in TTDI: Lashings of fresh, locally-sourced seafood served with Japanese flair. The set lunch menu offers guests a chance to try Gesuto’s menu at an affordable price. The truffle and kombu butter, the Assorted Seafood Risotto, the Fish and Chips and the Panna Cotta were our picks. We also recommend trying their Negroni or asking for a suggestion from their wine list.

Gesuto – Set Lunch TTDI
No 24, Lorong Datuk Sulaiman 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Kuala Lumpur

Gesuto Opening Hours
Lunch: Friday-Sunday at 12 – 2.30 pm
Dinner: Every day from 6 pm

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