If you can’t go to Sweden, let Sweden come to you—in the form of Chef Sayan Isaksson of Michelin-starred Nour’s cooking at Mandarin Oriental KL, that is. From 26th February to 3rd March 2024, the number one chef in Sweden will be taking over the Mandarin Grill restaurant at the hotel, serving up some of his famed dishes in a special tasting menu created just for the occasion. Taking on the theme Simply Scandinavian, the menu features flavours of the Scandi region alongside a fusion of culinary influences and Japanese traditions. Trust us—you’ll want to clear your calendar this week to make way for a meal here.
In fact, this is not Isaksson’s first visit to KL. Previously, in 2018, Mandarin Grill also hosted him for a short takeover where he similarly showcased Scandinavian flavours. After experiencing the menu for ourselves, we found every dish a standout. Notable dishes include the Marbled Quail Eggs with eggplant and black garlic that seemingly melted in the mouth, creamy and flavourful. The Oyster “Taco” is also worth looking out for and fun to eat, while the Steamed Bun and Shiitake served with cultured cream was full of umami and a gastronomical lesson in east meets west. Look out also for the Red Snapper “Binchotan”, which is served alongside koji beurre blanc. Isaksson is also known as the “King of Broths”, and this dish showed us exactly why. The wine pairing was also exquisite, with some rare wines brought forward just for the occasion.
The restaurant will have four different tasting menus: two lunch and two dinner menus. The lunch tasting menu starts at RM158 for a two-course and RM198 for a three-course set. The dinner menu features a full degustation with prices starting at RM368 for the five-course and RM398 for the eight-course, with an option to add on RM158 for wine pairing.
To make a booking, call +60 (3) 2330 8888 or email mokul-fb@mohg.com.