Skillet European Fine Dining – New Location

Skillet KL – European Fine Dining, Menara Hap Seng 3

Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Han Sen Hau

Spring has well and truly sprung at Skillet.

The menu at this stunning European fine dining restaurant changes with the seasons, and the Spring Degustation menu (RM530 per pax) is a vibrant celebration of fresh seasonal produce and premium ingredients. It suits this light, bright, and beautiful contemporary space just perfectly.

Skillet European Fine Dining

(Menara Hap Seng 3 is also a brand-new location for Skillet after nine years across the road, so it really is a breath of fresh air.)

The sleek, stylish dining room features an open-kitchen concept unlike any I’ve seen. There are many such set-ups in KL, but there’s something so intimate about this one; it’s truly up close and personal, with an eye-level view of every chef at their station rather than a front-row seat to a ‘hero feature’ like a wood-fired oven or grill. 

Spring Menu

Sous Chef Eric Lee, curator of this excellent menu (European with a slightly Asian twist), proudly explains the low-waste philosophy of their approach, sourcing ingredients locally and ensuring that everything gets put to good use. Our welcome bites are a tasty testament to this: skewers of typically-discarded asparagus trimmings wrapped in cured duck prosciutto with a little mascarpone cheese. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Sustainability is even on show with the table water — premium Purezza™ water, that is, filtered and bottled in-house. 

We toast Skillet’s new home with a glass of bubbly: Pierre Bailette Le Village, a grower champagne composed of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier grapes. It’s a fresh, flowery Cuvée with notes of apple, pear, and brioche. 

(A 4 Glass Beverage Pairing is available for RM270; 5 Glasses for RM290.)

The Amuse Bouche is proudly presented on individual plinths — a small taste (sorry) of the exquisite presentation to come. First is the Spot Prawn, which is a soft, creamy prawn shell jelly (remember the zero-waste philosophy?) on a delicate cracker. The Spring Pea is a heartier, earthier morsel: a chicken blanquette and quinoa sablé with green pea chips. The Quail Eggs are a cute interpretation of Scotch Eggs with a fermented soybean filling, a comforting savoury mouthful to finish on, and a hint of chilli that comes through at the end. 

The Longan Bread is an in-house speciality that became a best-seller for home delivery during Covid, and no surprise. It’s absolutely brilliant. The tropical longan fruit has an unctuous sweetness, and the truffle butter is a deep, rich contrast. The texture is just perfect, with the warm, crispy crust pulling apart to reveal a fluffy, chewy interior. We know we shouldn’t fill up on bread, but we ask for a second helping.

We have our first white wine before the next course: a Jules Desjourneys Beaujolais-Villages  2020, a dry and elegant Chardonnay with peach and citrus notes. It goes very well with seafood, which is ideal — because we’re having oysters next.

The (Japanese) Oyster comes with cucumber granita and Szechuan chilli oil, and Chef treats us to a serving of premium Amur Caviar (RM360/30g) as well. The oyster is fresh, salty, and chewy, as all good oysters should be. The granita is a sharp, refreshing contrast, and the spice from the chilli oil and the saltiness from the caviar comes through to lift everything up very nicely. 

Our third white is a 2018 Ventolera, a medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc from Chile and one of the more unique wines I’ve tasted recently. It’s intense, fruity, crisp, and refreshing all at once, with passionfruit, apple, and lime notes. There’s more than a hint of spice—almost like a cili padi—which is not unpleasant at all.

The Cameron Highland Asparagus comes with charcoal-grilled firefly squid and burnt butter, offering a medley of tastes and textures, from the fresh greens to the slightly charred squid to the rich, smooth butter.

The Morel is perhaps the most skillfully prepared item on the menu. These mushrooms look intact from the outside but have, in fact, been cleverly stuffed with a silkie chicken mousse made with a confit of chicken fat. It’s served in a deeply rich and aromatic broth made with chicken garum (a fermented sauce). This truly is chicken soup for the soul.

Suddenly, a fruit display is wheeled over to the table. We think they might be just showing off more seasonal ingredients, but it turns out to be a palate cleanser. Specifically, homemade kombucha sorbet with fresh pineapple, lemon juice, and a fresh sweet basil garnish. It’s certainly the best palate cleanser I’ve ever had. Crisp, sharp, and tangy, it puts the taste buds back on full alert after the savoury mushroom course. 

We select fish and duck for the main courses and are presented with customised knives that Chef Eric personally designed with a local knifesmith. Other restaurants may have their own special selection of artisan cutlery, but these are truly one-of-a-kind.

The Threadfin Fish is a charcoal-grilled local catch served with soft-baked jicama and wild garlic leaves in a Shao Xin wine emulsion. The fresh white fish and the slightly bitter jicama go very well together in this decadent, creamy sauce. The accompanying wine is a Passopisciaro Passobianco 2020, an elegant, medium-bodied Chardonnay with tropical fruit notes and subtle hints of honey and earthy minerals. 

The Aged Cherry Valley Duck is a five-day-aged duck breast with liver pâté and a preserved mandarin peel jus. It’s intense, with a deep gamey flavour, and the tangy mandarin jus cuts through to add a little contrast. A 2019 Château de Fonbel Saint-Émilion Grand Cru washes this down beautifully: a succulent, bold red wine with ripe black fruits to the fore and a lovely lingering finish.

Dessert arrives—and a show! Suddenly, liquid nitrogen appears at the table, and mini wooden mallets appear on our plates. The dish is only known as ‘Strawberry’—what could this be? It turns out it’s a chocolate sphere filled with fresh strawberries and a rhubarb compote, frozen before us at the table before we get to gleefully smash it apart.

Eating it is even more enjoyable; this is absolutely delicious, with the natural sweetness of the fresh strawberries standing out against the creamy vanilla sauce and premium chocolate. It goes down with sweet, juicy and easy-to-drink 2021 Alkoomi Frankland River, with white flower aromas and a pleasant texture. 

Finally, a herb garden on wheels arrives — not a palate cleanser, but a (non-alcoholic) digestif. A soothing chamomile tea is constructed before us with fresh-cut herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme, and it’s a very pleasant (and appropriately seasonal) note to finish this marvellous menu.

So are the Petit Four, for that matter. They’re delicate and decadent treats, including homemade praline tiramisu and freshly baked peanut financier. We finish on a high and leave with a smile.

Reasons to visit Skillet KL: exceptional seasonal menu, carefully and sustainably curated; premium and locally sourced ingredients giving a unique Asian edge to a classically European menu; beautiful restaurant with a great ambience and open-plan kitchen concept; thoughtful wine pairing with an extensive menu available for alternative choices; warm, knowledge and attentive service.

Skillet European Fine Dining
Lot 1-01, Level 1, Menara Hap Seng 3
Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Skillet KL on Google Maps
@skillet_kl
+6019 212 1240
*Basement parking in Menara Hap Seng 3
**Vegetarian menu available

Skillet European Fine Dining Opening Hours
Monday: closed
Tuesday & Wednesday: 6 pm – 10 pm
Thursday to Sunday: 12 pm – 3 pm & 6 pm – 10 pm

Find more fine dining restaurants in Kuala Lumpur here, and stay up-to-date on the latest gourmet and travel happenings around Malaysia via The Yum List on Instagram here and The Yum List on Facebook here.