A HIDDEN GEM
Hidden 13-seater speakeasy restaurant, Hide KL brings a string of hidden surprises in their newly revamped menu
IN A HIDDEN NOOK at the Ritz-Carlton Residences KL on Jalan Ampang sits
Hide, a 13-seater speakeasy restaurant of sorts, serving a menu inspired by global gastronomy, as prepared by the very young and talented Shaun Ng. The degustation boasts a 14-course menu, taking you on a journey across the planet.
There’s something about hidden restaurants that’s so intriguing, especially when it unlocks doors to beautifully curated plates. Behind a wall of painting, lies its entrance to the exclusive Chef’s Table̶a concept created by the local homegrown chef.
As you step foot in the main dining room, seats are placed in a U shape with only 13 seats available. The cuisine itself is hard to pinpoint because of its global influences, from Japan to France to Korea to Brazil; but also of course from cuisines he has picked up along his culinary education. Though some might think he’s trying to incorporate one too many cuisines, in Chef Shaun’s words, “Not having an identity would be our identity.”̶or at least that’s how they would like to define themselves.
The newly revamped menu takes you from the ocean to the farm. The menu is a melange of seafood and meat, with a sweet ending lent by an exquisite reimagination of local desserts, as guests go through in excess of a dozen creations. The culinary team behind Hide is focused on one thing and one thing only̶ flavour. Believing that simplicity is always best, the 14-course meal starts with a Jungle Bird Cocktail Sphere Shot, a jelly of some sort made of pineapple, rum and Campari. Following that, dainty amuse-bouches of ikura and mudcrab; caviar, wagyu and kanpachi; and black truffle and comte encapsulate the wide-ranging tastes and flavours diners set to experience throughout the evening.
Inspired by a Brazilian street snack, the black truffle, uni and dadinho are meticulously put together right before you, where fragrance of the forest floor is enmeshed with creaminess and brininess of the ocean to an explosion of contrasting flavours. The same train of thoughts can also be discerned on the next dishes ‒ scallop, caviar and dashi; and uni, clam and chawanmushi.
“A lot of hard work was put into curating this new menu. We wanted to create dishes that are different from the regular Malaysian restaurants”, said Executive Chef Shaun Ng
After the opening dishes, expect a lot more protein to head your way. Next in line, the kinmedai, hotaruika and meuniere represents the penultimate seafood on the menu, as highlighted ingredients shift to poultry and cattle in form of hokkigai, geoduck, XO and koshihikari; Silver Hill duck, sunchoke and savoy; A5 Miyazaki, entrecote and mustard, which satiate even the most ravenous glutton.
The desserts at Hide hold their own, cleverly moving from refreshing to creamy and then decadently rich. With the aim to feature flavours that bring back childhood memories, the two desserts comprises yam, banana and sweet potato; and kaya, horkasai and coconut. Marrying the best of degustation and substance, anchored by the innumerous ingredients brought in from all corners of the globe, as well as sensorially rewarding.
“A LOT OF HARD WORK WAS PUT INTO CURATING THIS NEW MENU. WE WANTED TO CREATE DISHES THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE REGULAR MALAYSIAN RESTAURANTS” — EXECUTIVE CHEF SHAUN NG