I was on a lookout for the BEST fine dining experience in Kuala Lumpur. After weeks of research and comparison, I arrived at DC Restaurant. Helmed by the famed Chef Darren Chin, expectations were high. Since the inception of DC Restaurant, Chef Darren is amongst the very elite few spearheading the haute cuisine landscape in KL. I have heard much about his innovativeness, philosophy, high standards of excellence in the kitchen that stems from a larger-than-life personality; and now for me to experience it all on the plate. With all the hype, raving reviews and substantial cost, I was expecting nothing less than being completely mind blown.
You would find DC Restaurant located in a muffled corner of the hip TTDI, in between some unpretentious shop lots. The ground floor “Le Comptoir” sits a huge casual counter welcoming diners with pre-dinner cocktails. “La Salle” on the first floor is the main dining area where our gastronomic dinner takes place.
An intimate, rustic hall that sits a couple dozen diners at best. DC also does only one serving per table per night. To me, that translates to focused, detailed execution, quality. We went for the 7-course Degustation Discovery Menu which came up to RM1600 (plus add-ons) for 2 pax excluding drinks.
Freshly baked assortment of bread greeted our arrival. Easily one of the best you will ever get at any restaurant in the city. They make them fresh in house. Came to our table all warm and crusty especially that croissant which was our favourite. Beautifully layered, crispy and buttery. I never thought I would taste bread on par with that of a proper French boulangerie in KL!
Complimentary Snacks
Next, a trio of snacks consisting of:
- A dreamy mascarpone ice cream of shell fish, ossestra caviar, nori
- Crispy brik pastry of two fillings – sweet potato cloud, pickled kohlrabi & mushroom cream with truffle
- Organic sweet corn veloute, pearl barley porridge topped with edible flowers
Overall, nothing too fancy here but good nonetheless. The second stole the limelight for me. The texture of the roll was so light and crumbly, while the tartlet was really earthy, fragrant and deeply satisfying with a huge kick of umami.
1st Course – Echo of the Sea
This was hands down the BEST noodle dish I had in a long, long time. Served chilled, it was a complex myriad of layered seafoody goodness in harmony. You get the sweetness from the crabs, the rich umami from the bafun uni, the salty bursts from the juicy roe, the subtle crunch from the seaweed contrasting the silky cappellini. All doused in the smoothest, creamiest savoury seafood sabayon and truffled celeriac cream that binds the entire dish together. Immediately I understood what all the fuss surrounding this signature dish was all about. In my opinion, this was utter perfection. No matter how hard I thought about it, I can’t conjure one fault to this. Absolutely sensational.
2nd Course – King of Prawns
This was my first time having Carabineros shrimp and it was cooked beautifully. This species is much more delicate than the prawns we are used to getting in our waters. There is a pleasant “snappy” sensation as you chew, and a mellow sweetness from the meat.
However, the roasted tomato water which was poured over table side was very one dimensional. Apart from a slight acidity, nothing else. I knew it was supposed to be light, but I didn’t expect it to be this bland or under seasoned. The semi-dried tomatoes were just fine, but the ice plant was another questionable inclusion for me. I failed to see how all these were meant to add value to the shrimp.
3rd Course – Fish Tales
Scallops and fish. Atop wilted swiss chard and salsify, the Hokkaido scallop was cooked just right, dense, almost steak like. Perfectly seasoned and wonderfully seared on the top while retaining a sweet, firm centre. Accompanied by a white Atlantic fish with homemade white miso which was also well executed, super flaky and moist. But yet again, there is an questionable component in the whipped beurre blanc. It added some unwanted acidity to the entire dish that was all wonderful until this.
4th Course – Black on Black
Trawler caught Sabah cuttlefish, “sea liquorice”, squid ink quinoa, king crab, cauliflower, lemon-yuzu kosho. First thing I noticed were the portion of that tentacle and king crab. No doubt they were nicely done, but it was barely a quarter of a mouthful that I couldn’t really savour it properly. The squid ink quinoa was okay, a tad sour again, but nothing special here.
5th Course – A Steak with No Oyster
Well seared, well-seasoned. The doneness of this Oysterblade steak was spot on. Chef Darren’s nous is apparent here by transforming a relatively tougher cut of meat into such tenderness. It was so good it didn’t need anything else. Also because the accompanying fermented cherries sauce and figs were, as you guessed it, predominantly sour.
At this point, we were getting a little puzzled with the sour notes for the last 4 courses in succession. We raised our concerns to the manager of the dining hall. His reply was because the 7 course degustation was a hefty affair, they are incorporating some form of acidity to prevent us from getting overwhelmed before the main courses. He then assured that we will not encounter such worriment with our upcoming mains.
Their justification made logical sense, but I still think it would be better without, or at the very least, not in quick succession. Despite that reasoning, the taste for each were undoubtedly compromised. It was limiting the potential of what could have been.
6th Course – Mains
Thankfully, our mains were indeed spared. We were given four options of fish, lamb, lobster and wagyu. The wagyu was an additional RM199++, we opted for that and the lamb and were so happy with how it turned out.
We were provided with a palate cleanser and a selection of our weapon of choice to tackle the mains. Although, I soon realise a butter knife would be more than enough for what was to come.
This Australian rack of lamb was one of DC’s signature. This perfectly cooked lamb sous vided and grilled over binchotan coals was so tender, juicy and flavoursome. Doused in a light apple butter sauce with sides of green gazpacho, kumquat and celeriac complimented the lamb wonderfully. It was seriously the best lamb I’ve ever had by some stretch! I really only required a butter knife for this.
The Japanese “Hida Gyu” Full-Blood A5 Wagyu was also sensational. They brought out the raw slab to our table-side as we admired that dreamy marbling. I was already salivating at this point.
Grilled over coal to a perfect medium rare, it just disintegrates on your tongue. That concentrated, intense fatty juice released upon first chew just captivates your palate. Everything else on the plate became slightly redundant at that point. Sweet soft leeks with anchovy gratin and roasted baby carrots were decent. The handmade strigoli pasta was good but slightly chewy, giving a nice contrast of textures. For this, not only I don’t require said knife, I wouldn’t even need my teeth!
Side of foie gras to accompany the mains
We also opted for an additional serving of seared duck foie gras (60 grams). It had a nice seared exterior with a creamy, rich, custardy inside. The puy lentil veloute was silky and clean, while the lychee honey, cranberry and meringue gave a nice sharpness and sweetness to balance out the otherwise overly rich foie gras.
7th Course – Dessert
As the French do it, cheese for dessert. Le fromage, which is DC’s famous cheese trolley was wheeled to us where you get to choose from a dozen exotic cheeses. Apparently Chef Darren personally procures, utilises his own temp controlled room and monitors the cheeses himself. When it ripens and at its peak, he then adds it onto the trolley. Only the best of the best gets the nod.
Temptations were strong. But after a heavy dinner, we wanted to end on a sweeter note. So instead, we opted for the Tropical Christmas and The Smoking Chocolate.
Local Rambutan, Chiang mai longan in two textures, rose water granite, white chocolate mousse and raspberries. This was very refreshing and just the right amount of sweetness. Simple, light, delicious.
The smoking chocolate consist of local Semai cacao cremeux, Langavulin 16 years whisky and dark chocolate sorbet. The alcohol is pretty strong in this one only to be overpowered by the bitter rich cacao. If you love cacao or whisky, this cigar is definitely for you. Boldly bitter and intense which paired nicely with the lighter sorbet and a sprinkle of salt. Overall a satisfying combination to finish with.
Final thoughts.
Service was fantastic. From the friendly reception at Le Comptoir to the team in the dining hall. Every attending personnel was well drilled and knowledgeable about the food they serve. I would rate the food an 8/10. The main component of each dish was executed superbly. How Chef Darren handles the quality proteins were exquisite. The shrimp, scallops, fish, lamb, and beef, none were anything shy of spectacular. On the other hand, some of the supporting casts fell short.
On many occasions my taste buds were on the verge of being transported sky high, only to be brought back down by some over sour-ish jus or some supporting element. It was unfortunate as it wasn’t down to ability, but choice. If anything, I see that as a silver lining that could be quickly overturned.
Would I come again?
My answer would be a “maybe” or a “circumstantial yes”. For the price, I was hoping for a flawless experience. If the dishes were on the level or even come close to the exquisite cappelinni or mains (which they can be), my answer would be a resounding YES. I can’t help feeling that even though there were many aspects to it that I liked, the sour tone was one too many. It was a shame because they definitely had the capacity, nous, skills, and quality ingredients to do so, just that it was slightly overcomplicated.
On a whole, still a wonderful experience.
DC Restaurant by Darren Chin Website: http://www.restaurant-dc.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dc_restaurant/ Address: 44, Persiaran Zaaba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur
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Fantastic review.
Finally someone that doesnt like too sour or acidity dishes.
TBH, hungry ppl doesnt need sour to bring out the appetite. We are not children anymore.
Thanks for the compliment!
But even with the sour tones, their food was still great.