Beta KL — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

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This post is part 1/2 of the review of Beta KL festive menu ("Taste of Beta")

Last year we celebrated Christmas at Skillet 163, and really amazed by how good the food was! This year we decided to go for Beta (same chef), I can only say they always deliver the best! 💯

Upon walking into Cormar Suites, Beta KL has a small door covered in forest theme decorations, maybe they incorporated the speakeasy concept? Ambience of the restaurant feels more like a bar than a restaurant, but glad that they have lights shining onto each table so we can still see the beautiful presentation of food. Distance between table (side by side) was quite narrow though, and personally felt it's difficult to have a private conversation without the other guests listening.

Food: Winged beans - The top layer is like a pear, covered in a layer of jelly. Underneath it is the winged beans in budu sauce, good combination of sweet/savory and warm/cold food. Crispy tart shell too. Definitely my favorite snack

Pomelo w/Ikura and calamansi - Very unique texture as there's pomelo and ikura popping in your mouth. Glad that it wasn't sour at all.

Mud crab w/kantan - The granites were too cold and sour to my liking, it hurts my salivary glands 🥲

Miyagi Oysters - FRESHEST AND THICKEST oyster I've ever had in my life! This is so refreshing! 😍

Lawas rice w/mushrooms - Texture of rice is like risotto, fried cordyceps was very crispy and added good flavor to the rice.

Turkey - Regret for picking this as main dish as the turkey was dry, bland and chewy. Probably just how turkey is but it's not my thing. Deviled/Debal sauce was good (not spicy at all) but not enough for the amount of turkey meat there. Vege could have been presented with smaller stalk. Fried potato was crispy on the outside.

Damak chocolate - mousse was very rich and not too sweet! Portion is perfect too 💯

Overall a really, really great experience! Will share more details in my next post, together with Tour of Malaysia menu 😍

Part 2/2 "Tour of Malaysia" menu

Food: Seaweed bread w/anchovies cream - This is extremely CREATIVE! While most restaurants go with kombu or truffle butter, anchovies cream was so good! For anchovies, I guess it's either you like or hate it a lot, and it happened that I LOVE it and asked for extra, while licking the anchovies cream clean 🤣

T'lur caviar, sago on fried seaweed - This is a light and crunchy snack. No strong flavor involved, more like a cracker.

Prawn - A savory snack, the base is what tastes like butter cookie. Prawn paste was well-blended and creamy.

Inverted karipap - As the chef explained, instead of having potato as karipap filings, potato was used to make the round shell instead. Not spicy at all so it's great for me 😂 Best among the three snacks.

Duck, foie gras, pumpkin - A bit of a let down cause foie gras didnt "melt", it wasn't creamy/fatty enough. Duck was salty and the fried pumpkin overpowered the taste of the entire snack ☹️

Barramundi fish w/Tamarind sauce + add-on lobster (MYR 99) - THIS IS GOOD!! Definitely a much better option than turkey 😅 Fish is moist and tamarind sauce was very flavorful, good blend of sourness/saltiness. Lobster was poached well too. 🥺

Mango sorbet w/lime snow - One additional dessert compared to Taste of Beta. Refreshing, not too sour. Good pairing with the rich chocolate mousse.

Left the restaurant feeling very satisfied! PERFECTLY executed modern Malaysian courses! Will definitely...

A Remarkable Michelin-Starred Dining Experience

Our long-awaited visit to a Michelin-starred restaurant was nothing short of a culinary revelation. Whenever possible, we make it a point to embark on such gastronomic adventures for the sheer delight it promises.

The restaurant offers us Malaysian cuisine, which is truly impressive. It was a new experience for us; before that we had not tried Malay food, much less in the interpretation of fine dining cuisine. The interpretation of Malay flavors introduced us to a plethora of new tastes—some exotic, some captivating and unfamiliar. The gastronomic journey commenced with a series of petite appetizers personally presented by the chef, each offering a palette of flavors uncommon to European tastes. Among the array, the standout was the shrimp and mango concoction, a harmonious blend of sweet and savory notes.

Transitioning to the courses, the local crab soup, although well-prepared, left us yearning for a bolder flavor profile, with the addition of black caviar merely serving as a decorative touch. The smoked duck breast appetizer left a favorable impression, although a crisper and thinner pastry base would have elevated the experience.

A delightful surprise awaited us in the form of a watermelon tartare, boasting a vibrant and refreshing flavor profile, adding a unique twist to the meal. Moving on to the main course, the impeccably cooked lamb delivered a burst of juicy, flavorful meat with a pistachio undertone, although the accompanying grilled vegetables felt somewhat lacking in boldness.

An additional indulgence of Japanese wagyu beef for my husband proved to be a treasured decision, with the high-quality, juicy, and perfectly cooked meat complemented by the pistachio ensemble.

Concluding our gastronomic journey with a selection of delectable desserts, the white chocolate delicacy emerged as a standout, offering a futuristic aesthetic and a harmonious blend of subtle sweetness against a hint of berries.

The service we received throughout the evening surpassed expectations, surpassing the standards observed in many Michelin-rated establishments. Attentive staff swiftly cleared our dishes, addressed our queries, and made us feel cared for throughout our entire dinner.

I would also like to note the unusual alcoholic pairing, which consisted of different drinks. It was interesting, I especially liked cocktails.

Considering the exceptional quality of the fare and service, the pricing of the set menu stood as a pleasant surprise, offering great value. A visit to this establishment is highly recommended, promising an evening of...

Review by @nadiasfooddiaries on Instagram

Had an amazing experience at @beta.kl—so good it broke my nadiasfooddiaries hiatus! With great vibes, excellent food, and friendly staff, their Michelin star is well deserved. 🎖️

Food rating: 8.75/10 ⭐️ The menu showcased creative twists on local dishes, balancing flavour and portion sizes perfectly. However, allergy-related substitutions and a few choices felt off, knocking off minor points. A few standouts: (1) NORTH - the amuse bouche, served to us by chef-owner Raymond Tham, were each delicious in their own right, though my favourite was the duck perkasam bite with sambal hijau - it was just meaty enough, lightly fried, and the chilli was spicy in the flavour sense, not just heat. Truly a standout from the night. (2) BLUE SWIMMER CRAB WITH RICE NOODLE, this take on the traditional cheong fun was delicate yet an absolute explosion of flavours. This dish alone would bring me back. The sauce was switched from a Laksa-style crab bisque to a mushroom broth for me. 
(3) MIYAZAKI WAGYU BEEF STRIPLOIN, it was so wonderfully seasoned with a perfectly umami flavour to it, distinguishing it from any other steak. Its pairing with the grilled aubergine was perfect. Though I did find the bok choy to be distracting visually and unnecessary flavour-wise.

Ambience rating: 8/10 ⭐️ The vibes were really fun and fresh - not at all a stuffy or pretentious Michelin experience. Most seats in the dining area had a nice view of their open kitchen and of Chef Raymond being hands-on with service. I would, however, nitpick that the choices and finishings of the cutlery were at times less refined than what you would expect of a starred restaurant. I also did not prefer the split seating of the amuse from the rest of the meal. Service rating: 8/10 ⭐️ As expected, the staff had a good knowledge of the menu, were very friendly, and were considerate of the changes and requests made. That said, I did find the pacing of the courses to be slightly off. Would I come back?: Absolutely! Contemporary Malaysian food done right.

(Date of visit: 4th...