Molina is a chic new eatery that celebrates Michelin-starred Schutte's avante-garde approach to European cuisine. — Photos: Molina
The story of how Molina came into being is also the story of a fever dream that began in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and culminated in Malaysia.
The story begins with epicurean Datuk Alex Tan traversing the globe to eat at some of the best restaurants in the world. Tan is a passionate foodie whose enjoyment of food is so immense that he has evolved from gourmet traveller to a man determined to bring top international culinary talent to his own homeland.
“I’ve enjoyed fine dining for 25 years. In the past decade, I have been going to Europe every year and eating at restaurants with two and three Michelin stars.
“I have been to Spectrum in Amsterdam, which is Sidney Schutte’s restaurant, and I found the food so good. Last year, I went there again and wanted to try my luck (connecting with Schutte). I have a hotel and wanted to establish a good high-end restaurant.
“I asked Sidney if he was interested in expanding his business to Asia and I am so lucky that he said ‘Yes’,” says Tan.
Schutte is a culinary veteran from Amsterdam.
And so began a collaboration and journey that resulted in the opening of Molina, Schutte’s first restaurant in Kuala Lumpur that celebrates his European roots.
Schutte is a culinary veteran who has been the executive chef of Amsterdam’s Waldorf Astoria for the past decade. He was instrumental in catapulting the hotel’s fine-dining eatery – Spectrum – onto the international stage, and the restaurant earned two Michelin stars just seven months after opening.
At Molina, he has entrusted the kitchen to his former sous chef Guillaume Depoortere, a young Belgian man who has spent his entire career working at a series of Michelin-starred restaurants like the two Michelin-starred Aimsir in Dublin (Ireland) and Louis Restaurant Saarlouis in Germany.
“Out of nowhere, I got a message from him asking if I was interested in working in KL. And I was like, ‘What is he talking about?’ And then he gave me a call and explained. It has always been one of my biggest dreams to go to Asia. Even though I had a nice thing going in Germany, I was reminded that opportunities don’t come that often and this could be a once-in-a-lifetime shot, so I took it,” says Depoortere.
Depoortere is only 26 but has already worked at numerous Michelin-starred eateries.
To put together Molina, Tan worked closely with Schutte, going the extra mile to source everything that the top chef wanted for the restaurant.
“Everything is from Europe, even the kitchen equipment is imported directly from Germany. It’s so expensive but whatever he requested, I delivered. The equipment itself can easily buy two Mercedes Benz cars!” says Tan.
The eatery is perched on the 51st floor of The Face Style Hotel and boasts stunning views of the Petronas Twin Towers beyond. The interior is sophisticated but not overtly fussy and this chic, unperturbed quality is accentuated by strategically positioned artwork that Tan sourced from Malaysian artist Fauzul Yusri.
Although Schutte keeps an eye on the business from afar, he has passed on his vision for the restaurant to his protégé, Depoortere, who says it has been both rewarding and challenging learning Schutte’s particular European-centric culinary DNA and trying to transplant that in sunny, tropical Malaysia.
“I think 60% of the clients that we will get might not be as familiar with this style of European food, which is challenging, but it is also good for us. Because it’s a blank slate, right? They don’t have any preconceived notions. It is something completely new, which makes us unique. And that’s what we want to be,” he says.
The eatery boasts stunning views of the Petronas Twin Towers and the city skyline beyond.
Molina only serves tasting menus and the current one is priced at RM788 with an additional RM378 for wine pairing.
The eatery has a range of tipples curated by in-house sommelier Alexander Zarsadias, who has put together over 120 labels but has ambitious plans to increase it to 500.
Highlights from the wine pairing options include the Juliette Robert Brut Rose Champagne Grand Cru, which is a fun, fizzy intoxicant that paves the way for a night of indulgence.
To begin the meal, you will get a trio of snacks in the form of a runner bean with horseradish and mint, Dutch shrimp with pickled cucumber and andalouse, and a beignet filled with caramelised pumpkin, shisho and crispy duck tongue topped with fennel flower.
The beignet is warm to the touch and is meant to be eaten first – this is a light, comforting meal opener that delivers the luscious sweetness of pumpkin interspersed with the more gamey flavours of duck in a single mouthful. It is a well-balanced one-bite wonder.
The runner bean with horseradish and mint is very good and is the undisputed hit of the trio of snacks on offer.
The Dutch shrimp meanwhile is a crisp offering that highlights its aquatic flavours which comes through nicely, while the runner bean is a dark horse with surprisingly winning attributes.
The horseradish adds a dash of potent pungency to this offering, which I think is the runaway hit of this triumvirate of snacks.
Other highlights from the menu include the Brussels Sprouts with Sea Urchin, Caviar, Coffee and Sunchoke. The Brussels sprouts are fried but still retain earthy, mineral notes while the caviar adds opulent, umami nuances to the meal – a hedonistic quality that is levelled up even further by the sea urchin in this unique configuration.
It honestly sounds like an odd combination of ingredients, sort of the equivalent of Superman being paired with Bugs Bunny, but there is a method to this madness and it all comes together and makes complete sense once you put it in your mouth.
Then there is the Sepia with Verbena, Peanut, Blueberry, Goat Cheese and Red Hornweed. The sepia or cuttlefish is texturally magnificent – still cloudy soft but with a solidity to it. The overall addition of peanuts to this somehow draws the mind to the tropical flavours of rojak sotong, albeit couched in a Western connotation and configuration.
The cuttlefish has been executed to perfection and is a textural delight.
It is also an interesting observation of how East and West can bear similarities, even with the addition of ingredients like goat’s cheese in the mixture!
Perhaps the star offering is the Hanwoo Beef with Morrel, Mulberry and Lovage. Korean beef has gained momentum over the years and Hanwoo is considered one of the rarest and most premium of them all as it has a very high marbling score. In this dish, the beef is very, very succulent and tender, almost like chewing on velvet gilded with silk.
The pearl onions on the side add a lovely allium undertone while the morel offers woody, rustic notes. It is a very well-executed dish that does justice to the beef and delivers wonderful memories in the process.
The beef is sublime – tenderly yielding with a wonderful melt-in-the-mouth quality. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
For a terrific sweet ending, the Carrot with Liquorice, Cream, Pumpkin, Caramel and Smoked Butter is a surprise hit. Who could possibly have imagined enjoying a dessert with carrot as a core component? But enjoy it you will, as it celebrates and champions the rusticity of this everyday vegetable while highlighting its beauty and potential.
Vegetable-forward is probably one of the key takeaways from Molina’s menu. Schutte and Depoortere have put together unique, unusual combinations that still manage to catapult earthy greens, daily veg and roots and shoots to the centre of the fine-dining dinner table. It’s a remarkable effort and one that certainly is deserving of the attention of Malaysian diners looking for new, adventurous culinary odysseys.
Can you imagine carrot being the star of a dessert? Well it can be done – and done well too. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
Depoortere says that his ultimate aim is to attain a Michelin star for Molina, which is only natural since he has been working in these establishments his entire career.
“I’m not gonna hide anything. It is the goal, not only from me, but from the owners and all of the team that is here. We made it very clear from the start that that’s the goal,” he says.
Molina
Level 51, The Face Style
1020 Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2168 1771
Open Tuesday to Sunday: 6pm to 9pm
