Keeps Gettin’ Beta
Malaysians are in love with Malaysia again, and the feeling goes beyond a recent reset in politics, remarks Samantha Lim after visiting Beta KL
Local flavours befitting royalty
How would you use the word beta in a sentence? I query. Muhammad, whose command of Malay far exceeds mine, is silent for some seconds, the gears in his brain gently whirring. “Say this restaurant gets a great review from Malaysia Tatler,” he begins, “and the Sultan rings them up to make reservations. After the evening’s repast, his majesty might proclaim, ‘Inilah yang beta inginkan!’ Unlike saya or aku, the pronoun beta is reserved for royalty,” patiently explains my pal. Picturing the hypothetical king lolling in his seat, gesturing for the receipt, I am satisfied with Muhammad’s answer. The ‘2018 Tour of Malaysia’ degustation menu at Beta KL is, after all, fit for a king.
THE SECOND COMING
Doted on by five fast friends, Skillet At 163 and Beta KL were born three years apart in 2015 and 2018. But as these things
go, shared parentage doesn’t make for similar personalities. Akin to the well-travelled sibling, Skillet At 163 presents the world’s rich tapestries on a plate. For instance, English Sticky Toffee Pudding might round out a meal that began with French foie gras. Conversely, Beta is the child who was tied to its mother’s apron strings. Ingrained with a sense of nationalism, the restaurant probes what it means to be ‘modern’ and ‘Malaysian’—a mystery we hoped to unravel during our visit. For those making their pilgrimage, here’s a hint: investigate the ivy-covered wall for an Alice in Wonderlandesque adventure.
SETTING THE BAR HIGH
“You guys ever had a fat and milk-washed cocktail?” asks Rusho Harry, his pupils dilated, his ensemble immaculate. “I don’t think so,” blurts the bartender in the same breath. “In fact, I doubt any other bar in KL serves one. It takes too damn long—three days in total!” Time well spent, if you ask us. Clear yet creamy, nectarous yet heady, the ghee-washed whisky containing sherry, corn milk and cardamom bitters is a delicious lesson in dichotomies. Gingerly at first, and then with increasing greed, we accept a variety of libations. Enhancing our appreciation of each drink is Harry, who like a pilot, steers us through uncharted waters. Certain cocktails carry the ghost of his past employers, of which there are many. The Planter’s Mix, for instance, makes us reminisce about Case Study (now sadly defunct) and its beautiful botanical concoctions. Liable to be mistaken for a small potted plant, the tequila-based beverage gives tradition the middle finger salute. While most bars practise judicious use of garnishes, Harry crowds the cup with herbs, leaving just enough space for a striped paper straw and a wedge of pickled watermelon rind—which leads us to our next point: going green. Eschewing plastic straws in favour of biodegradable ones, and making use of every part of their produce (who knew watermelon rind could be so appetising?), Beta confirms that bartending and sustainability can go hand in hand. This attribute is reason enough to put the restaurant in your good books, and with Harry behind the bar, rest be assured that your cup will runneth over.
CUTI-CUTI MALAYSIA
Priced at RM198+ per pax, the Tour of Malaysia Degustation menu is a manageable feast made up of 10 dishes. Good walking shoes are noncompulsory—just pack a healthy appetite.
PROGRESSIVE PICKINGS
Giving credence to the claim that “Good things come in small packages,” Beta’s bitesized creations—such as the Ox Tongue and the Inverted Karipap—leave us bowled over. Just as ‘a-peeling’ is the banana dessert—a mash-up of pisang goreng meets apom balik. With petals begging to be plucked, the ‘interactive’ treat showcases chef Raymond Tham’s finesse with pastry.
SOMETHING’S AMISS
Conversely, dishes like the duck leg—a riff on Peking duck pancakes—raises eyebrows and seething questions: why fix something that ain’t broke? Served in a dimsum basket, swathed in roti canai, and subjected to ‘fowl’ play, the twice-cooked bird is tough, and the roti even more so.
DOWN THE PIKE
Though high on the curve of culinary ambition, Malaysian gastronomy totters in a precarious phase. On the one hand, we have a cadre of professional chefs committed to championing local produce. On the other, we are culpable of ‘white worship’—yes, even in food. When was the last time you forked out a fifty for truffle shavings? Would you balk if buah keluak were similarly priced? Chefs sometimes go to greater lengths to procure local produce. Nevertheless, we’ve yet to quell snobbish attitudes towards local ingredients and food. A beacon in uncertain times, Beta fills a gap I wasn’t even aware existed. Neither fine dining nor hawker fare, it at least gives us the option to rediscover Malaysian fare in harmony with highbrow culture.